Chapter 28 One will Live, One will Die

They arrived at a room where they’re just the three of them. Pearce and Elesa are no longer in the chair but they still look like prisoners because they are sitting on the floor with both their hands handcuffed at their backs.

“Ah, much better,” the blue shadow appeared in front of the two. "So, where were we?"

He looked at the two who were dumbfounded but he just continued to speak and update them on what was happening but the blue shadow just stopped because it was obvious on the faces of the two that they were not listening just because of what they saw earlier.

"Hello, earth to Pearce and Elesa," he said sarcastically. "Your lives are at stake here and you have the time to get lost in your own world?"

They only came back to their reality when he said that and that's when the two of them focused their attention on him.

"Do I have your attention now?" he asked.

"What did you do to her?" Pearce asked.

He glimpsed at his serious face but he was not shaken.

"Like I said a while ago, it's just a stab on her stomach," he replied. “With the electric prince's ability she will live. Why would I even want her to die? That's not my job I came here.”

Pearce paused at his answer and did not speak back.

"So I'll repeat myself," he continued. “Since I mentioned a while ago that the princes and princesses voted evenly for one of you to live, then I let you two decide your own fates. Both of you will choose who you want to live and who you want to die.”

“But…” he added. “…I have a condition. Both of you should arrive at the same answer without talking with one another and even looking at each other,” at the same time, a wall emerged between the two of them. "Defiling this condition has its own consequences, understood?"

None of them spoke.

"I think that's a yes," he answered his own question. “Well then, I'll just give you two 3 minutes to think it through thoroughly.”

…

There was just silence after that. We never know what the two are thinking but there are traces on their faces that they are doing what the blue shadow is saying. They both are thinking it thoroughly like their life depends on it. We can only say that after…

"Okay, 3 minutes is up," even though it was only a minute ago and at the same time, he also removed the wall between them. "So have you both come with an answer?"

…

Still no words. There was only silence as if they intended to ignore him but the blue shadow did not budge and never let his guard down that's why he chuckled at their response.

"You two are very clever because 3 minutes haven't passed," he said. "You know what, you people together with those royals are so very clever that you all get into my nerves—"

"She should die," he whispered, that stopped the blue shadow.

The two were shocked by what they heard.

"What was that again?" he asked.

“She should die. I should live,” Pearce repeated.

In his answer, we don’t know why the blue shadow is so surprising. Maybe he was expecting a different response and he was still a little hesitant but he repeated it so he immediately confronted Elesa.

“How about you? What’s your decision?” he asked her.

Elesa paused because she could not believe what she heard. It was painful to hear that he just declared that he wanted her to die but a weak smile formed on her lips after she realized why he said that.

“I should die. He should live,” Elesa replied.

The blue shadow was also shocked by her answer. “Wow,” he said in amazement. “You know what, I applaud you two because I really thought this would take a long time but you two just came up with the same decision at the same time. You think the same thing and with that, you must be really meant to be together.”

When he said that, neither of them spoke back or at least the two looked at each other.

“But the truth hurts…” he added. “…you can't be together.”

At the same time, the hand cuff was suddenly removed from Pearce's hands.

"You are spared, Pearce," he said. "You may now leave the premises."

Pearce did not hesitate to stand up and the blue shadow watched him go, just trying to make sure that the man would not do anything foolish now that he’s free.

"Now…" he returned his gaze to Elesa as Pearce was about to leave their room. "Where were we?"

Elesa only bowed her head as her response.

"By the way…" Pearce opened so the two were surprised and looked at the speaker.

The blue shadow thought he already went out but the two were completely surprised by what he asked.

"Can I stay and watch her be killed?" Pearce asked.

The two fell silent at the question. They can't move but later on, a smirk formed on the eyes of the blue shadow.

“Wow. Are you really a sadist, Pearce? My whole life I've never heard someone as sadistic as that,” he said. “I'm starting to like you, Pearce. Please do. Stay in one corner and watch how the magic works.”

He first looked directly at the blue shadow and did as he said and stood in one corner. Elesa's eyes were just startled as she just stared at the floor in front of her. She can't look at him because… who wouldn't be hurt after he said that? That’s too painful. It hurts so much for her to hear that from him but even so… she thought…

…maybe she deserves that. Maybe she left him too angry after the trial that happened earlier and she hurt the person who trusted her too much so he feels so angry so it's okay…

The blue shadow immediately took a sword from his hands and was ready to stab Elesa but…

…at least… somehow…

Elesa made one last move… by turning her head to where he is.

…somehow…

But she was surprised because…

…the last thing she will see is…

.

.

.

.

.

Churk!!

…Pearce is not in his place.

…

There was a moment of dead silence in the room

But why is that? Elesa is already waiting for the pain she will feel when she is stabbed but… why is there none? Is that really how it should be? Is the description in the books or movies correct? That once, when you really die, you will no longer feel the pain when you are stabbed?

…but why is she still breathing? Honestly, her breathing stopped for a moment because she had a feeling that was holding her back.

…why does she seem to not want to turn her head back in front of her?

Drip. She heard something dripping and it was loud enough so she knew, it was just right in front of her where it came from.

Where is he now? Where is the person she should last see in her last breath?

Drip, drip. That thing kept dripping and just hearing that noise, Elesa began to tremble in her place and closed her eyes.

Instead of her being stabbed… someone blocked in front of her.

"Princess…" he called.

But she did not look back and a tear already fell from one of her eyes.

“…Elesa…” he called, once again.

But Elesa still doesn't want to look at him.

"…do you still… remember… the keychain… cone… I gave you?" he said, word by word.

At that question, even though he spoke intermittently, Elesa understood what he said and looked at him in front of her and…

…she hopes she didn't do that… because that man was already in front of her.

Elesa was dumbfounded by what she saw but Pearce gave her back a smile, even though blood was already coming out of his lips.

"If I were an ice cream…" he said intermittently. "…you are my cone… I may have no place to belong to… but you made me feel like I belonged…"

"…I belong to you… and that is enough…" was his last breath.

Thug! He fell on her left side and even so, Elesa's tears kept falling from her eyes.

"That was…" the blue shadow said, and here we thought he's already gone. "…that was actually quite… a show…" he said like he’s… disappointed?

“Well anyways…” he lightened up suddenly. “... my work here is done.”

…and he disappeared like a bubble.

There was silence again. The handcuff on Elesa's hand was gone when that blue shadow disappeared but instead of breathing freely because he’s gone, she still felt that she was not free because of the weight she was feeling.

She should have been the one stabbed earlier… but he blocked it, so he was stabbed, the man she had just realized she loved.

She looked at his body lying on the floor, and she did not know where she got the strength to approach him.

Maybe she thought that if she touched his body, she might lose the weight she was feeling. She felt so guilty. She felt so guilty that even though he had a reason why he did that for her, it was not reasonable for her. It's not even worth it.

Even though she has read and watched many movies about such 'sacrifices', until now, she does not believe in that kind of love.

Yes now she understands that but he still doesn't deserve it. After they all have been through, none of his reasons that she should live and he should die.

It’s painful. It was painful and even more painful than he had declared before that she was the one he wanted to die and watch how she died.

And with that thought, she realized what this guy was all along planning on why he stayed put.

Is this really his destiny? Should she let his fate be this way?

Elesa grabbed his body and even though it no longer had a pulse and it was obviously not breathing anymore, she hugged it and swore to its dead body.

He must be the one that should be alive now.