Finally, as Alina’s breath became shallow and her life force flickering, Dante leaned in close.

He gripped her hair, forcing her to look into his eyes one last time. The killing intent was heavy.

"Even in the next world, if I ever find you, I will kill you just like this," he whispered, his voice a deathly chill. "Over and over again. You think you’re a lead? You’re a dirt, Alicia... and this is your punishment for trying to take away my Vivien from me."

Alina’s eyes trembled, the pupils shrinking in a final shock. The name. He knew. He knew their real names....the souls behind the characters. He knew they didn’t belong in this world...

The realization that Dante knew her real name, Alicia, hit her harder than anything else. She was a spoiled brat who had always believed the world was her playground, a place where she could own anything she laid her eyes on just by wanting it. Even now, with her lips sewn shut and blood soaking through her dress, a delusional hope flickered in her mind.

She thought she wouldn’t truly die. She believed the plot would simply reset to the previous day, and next time, she would be the one to lock him away.

But before she could even cling to that thought, Dante leaned in. He looked at her with a knowing smirk, as if he were reading what’s going on inside her mind.

"You think you will survive? That the story will just... reset?" He let out a sudden laugh. "Pfft- hahahaha!"

It was the first time Alicia had ever heard him laugh, and it was the most horrifying sound she had ever encountered.

Suddenly, he reached into his jacket and took something out. Alicia’s eyes widened to the point of tearing, and she began to shake her weak, trembling head again and again.

In his hand....was the same Dagger everyone been fighting for.

He pointed the tip directly at her chest, resting it right over her frantic heartbeat.

"What? Remembering anything?" Dante’s voice was a low growl. "Remembering how you used this very blade to kill Viella? How you watched the light leave her eyes and smiled?"

Alicia’s blood ran cold. The reset...the murder.. he knows everything.

"Hmmm... do you believe in karma, Alicia?"

Dante whispered the last line directly into her ear, his breath cold against her skin. "Because it always comes back. And right now... I am your karma." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

With one violent motion Dante plunged the dagger deep into her chest. He didn’t stop after stabbing her. He twisted the blade, carving through bone and muscle until he reached the center. With a wet sound he tore her heart from her chest, holding the pulsing organ in his gloved hand.

Alicia’s body gave one final, violent jolt. Her eyes trembled, her vision fading into a dark, bloody red as she watched him hold her heart before her face. There would be no reset today. There would be no tomorrow.

Dante watched with a cold, satisfied expression as the last spark of life vanished from her eyes.

One of Dante’s men descended the stairs. He had been working for the Moretti family for years, witnessing countless executions and brutal interrogation scenes, but the sight before him made his stomach twist back and forth.

The air was filled with a metallic smell that stuck to his throat. He saw Alina’s body, pinned like a butterfly to a board, her white wedding dress now became a rag soaked in blood.

The level of hatred required to sew someone’s lips shut before carving out their heart was beyond anything he had ever seen from his boss.

Dante stood in the center of the room, his bloody suit slightly visible against the dim light as he’s wiping his fingers.

Ignoring the urge to gag, the man stepped carefully around the mix of rotten-fresh blood and walked toward Dante.

"Boss..." he started, his voice barely a whisper. "About Miss Viella..."

____________

Meanwhile, at the Noir estate, the atmosphere was one of pure chaos.

"What?!!! You still didn’t find her??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN! All of u can’t detect one single girl????" Elias roared, his voice cracking with a mix of fury and desperation as he slammed the heavy desk phone into the floor, shattering it totally.

He was so pissed he felt like his veins were about to burst. His reputation was in the gutter, his bank accounts were being frozen by the minute, and his empire was crumbling into ash- all because he had underestimated the woman he thought was his play thing.

Where was Viella? How could she and that shadow of a maid disappear so completely in a city he supposedly owned? He kicked his chair over, until his personal cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He snatched it up, his knuckles white and trembling.

"Boss, we might’ve found Lady Viella," the voice on the other end was frantic. "Security footage just picked her up. It can be seen she’s going towards the airport, bypassiing the main gates. A personal jet is also waiting on the private runway- no tail numbers, no flight plan. It’s definitely her, I’m certain of it."

A manic glint returned to Elias’s eyes as he grabbed his long coat. The thrill of the hunt was the only thing keeping his heart beating. He didn’t care if the police were waiting outside or if his life was over, he wasn’t going down alone.

"Keep a track on her. I am coming," Elias hissed, his voice dropping to a deathly low tone. He stormed out of the office. "You’re so done once I find you... Viella! I’ll make sure you regret the day you ever learned my name!"

Within moments, Elias reached the airport, his car stopped to a halt where his men were supposed to have Viella cornered. His heart was pounding with excitement and murderous intent.

He threw the door open, ready to drag her out of whatever hole she was hiding in and show her exactly what happens to those who betray the creator of this world.

But the second he stormed toward the group, the air left his lungs.

The woman standing there, surrounded by his bowing men, wasn’t Viella. The woman had the same pale skin and was wearing a familiar outfit, but the long red hair was nothing more than a cheap wig which was nothing but straight up insult on his face. His men kept their heads low, refusing to meet his eyes.

"We apologize, boss... it seems we got played. This whole situation was a distraction," the lead guard stammered, his voice trembling.

"This... was Viella’s plan!" Elias hissed, his vision turning red. He realized that she had anticipated his every move. She had plan a lure in front of him, knowing his desperation would lead him right into the trap. While he was racing toward the airport like a fool, she was likely miles away, laughing and running away.

He wanted to pull his gun and paint the airport with the blood of his stupid men and the decoy woman, but he forced his hand to stay steady.

He couldn’t afford a public scene- not now, not when the authorities were already breathing down his neck.

After all, this was his book. This was the world he had written with his own hands. He convinced himself that if he had created the problem, he was the only one who could solve it.

But the world wasn’t waiting for him to catch his breath.

"Mr. Noir! Over here!" a voice shouted.

Within a second, a reporter spotted him, and every journalists and camera crews began to swarm towards him. Flashes went off in his face, blinding him as they shouted questions.

Elias shielded his face, pushing through the piles of people, shoving his way back into his car. Tires smoking as he drove away from the airport, driving like a madman toward the only place he felt safe right now- his mansion.

The moment Elias reached his mansion, he stormed through the heavy doors. The mansion was dimly lit, but he didn’t care. His eyes were bloodshot with a manic anger. He began tearing through the room like a mad dog, shattering priceless vases against the marble floors and shouting in raw frustration.

The sound of breaking glass echoed through the empty halls.

But a voice cut through the chaos. Stopping him in his tract.

"How was your trip to the airport, Mr. Elias?"

The voice was calm. Suddenly, the overhead lights flickered on. Elias froze. There, sitting comfortably on his own couch, was Viella. She had her legs crossed, looking perfectly composed, and in her lap lay the one thing he valued above all else...the original book.

Elias watched her, his chest heaving, his mouth pulled back in a silent snarl. He was dead silent.

Viella slowly closed the book. She stood up, a small amused smirk playing on her lips. This was the first time she had seen the "author" of this world looking so pathetic so broken and she found she quite enjoyed the view.

Driven by a final burst of desperation, Elias stormed towards her. He used his hands grabbing her neck roughly and pinning her back. "You think you’re so clever," he hissed, his grip tightening.

Viella didn’t panic. Instead, she raised both her hands in a mock gesture of surrender, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Ayo, man, chill. I’m going nowhere. I am here specially for you~"

"Just because you think you outsmarted me one time, don’t think you can do it every time!" Elias hissed, his face inches from hers. "I created you! I can destroy you!"

"Is that so?"

In one clean motion, Viella raised the heavy book and slammed the corner of it into his wrist joint. The sharp pain forced his hand to release her instantly.

She stepped back, smoothing out her dress as Elias glared at her, clutching his arm.

She looked him up and down, her smirk widening into a grin. "But I think I already did, Elias. Because you’re the one who’s been running around like a mad dog, getting chased through the city," Viella said, her voice dripping with mockery. "While I’ve just been sitting here, patiently waiting in your own house for you to return." She let out a dry laugh.

"How did you manage to do it?" Elias hissed, his voice trembling as he clutched his wrist. His mind was racing, trying to figure out what she’s trying to do now.

Viella looked down at her hands, turning them over casually. "Oh, my nails? Amazing, right? It took me two hours to get this shade of red just right. Can you imagine the patien-"

"YOU KNOW WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!" Elias shouted. He was losing control, his face turning a dark shade of purple. He wanted answers

"OH!! You mean my dress? I choose this specially for you actua-"

Elias lost his cool and threw a base at her.

Viella dodged.

Then, finally Viella let out a slow smirk.

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TO BE CONTINUED