Why?

A second passed as slowly as a millennium.

She heard everything David had said, she had seen his armour form and every word he’d spoken had stabbed into her soul, but Kella’s mind couldn’t process it.

She wanted to deny it.

She wanted to call him a liar.

She wanted to doubt him, but she didn’t.

Kella knew that he was telling the truth.

Another world.

Eris.

The Demon Emperor.

Responsible for the Great Disaster.

…Responsible for Connor, Alisa and Tiergan’s deaths.

Her thoughts echoed in her fragmented, heartbroken mind.

The man she loved, the man she’d given her first time to, the man who she cared about above all else, was responsible for ruining her life.

The pain she felt in that moment of realisation could never properly be described with words.

And yet, there was something else that stuck in her mind.

Why…do you look like you’re in so much pain?

For a minute, Kella didn’t say anything.

Then, she slowly stood up and put her head up against the wall.

“…You…killed them?”

“…Yes.”

“…Why?”

“…Because I’d never killed before and…I could never be what Eris needed me to be if I didn’t learn to kill.”

Kella began to shake. “…Why…do you need to be like that…for her?”

“Because…if I don’t become the Demon Emperor, Eris she’ll…she’ll kill my family.”

Kella’s eyes widened and she ground her teeth.

“…You took…my family…all those people at Black Port’s family…to save yours?”

David took a deep breath; then, painfully, said, “Yes.”

“…You resurrected Karak-Harth and sent his army to Themis?”

“…Yes.”

“…Were you going to take part in the battle tomorrow?”

“I was…with a different army. We’d hit Themis at the same time as the undead on the other side of the city.”

Kella’s lips twisted into a bitter smile and she shook her head. “…How many people have you killed?”

“…I only ever personally killed Connor and his friends.”

Kella forced her eyes closed and brought her hand up to her face to dry them. “Teriscant, Black Port, the murders in Stonefall and Goddess knows what else…you ordered them all?”

“…Yes.”

Kella sobbed a little and covered her mouth with her hand, letting the tears fall freely to the floor. “Tens of thousands…for what, two, three people’s lives?” She began to laugh sadly as she hit her forehead gently against the stonewall. “I fell for a man who’s killed so many people?”

“You make it sound like I had a choice.”

“Didn’t you?” Kella shot back, glaring ferociously at him. “You didn’t have to do it, did you?”

“If I didn’t act like a proper Demon Emperor, Eris would’ve killed me and my family, and made us suffer eternal torture!” David shouted back. “I didn’t want to do this! I died saving my family from a robber, then Eris snatches me up and tells me either do this or suffer. What would you have done, Kella? What would anyone have done?!”

“…You know, the worst part is that I actually agree with you on that,” Kella admitted. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d been in your position. Maybe I would’ve made the same choice as you, but that’s not how things went. You.” She pointed at him. “You did this. All of this. You didn’t have to destroy Black Port, you didn’t have to kill my brother and you definitely didn’t have to fuck me!”

David dismissed his armour revealing, for the first time, his distraught, tearful face.

“Why do you look like you’re the victim?” Kella whispered.

“…I…I…I do love you,” David muttered, falling onto his knees. “I knew I shouldn’t have slept with you, but what was I meant to do? I couldn’t stand seeing you like that and I wanted to help you…” He wept. “I didn’t want you to find out. You were the first person in this world who saw the real me, not the Demon Emperor.”

David curled up onto the ground and screamed, “I wish that none of this had happened! I wish I’d been a coward and left mum to that monster! Then, none of this would have ever happened!”

He began to cry profusely on the ground as Kella, dumbstruck, watched from above, a complicated expression on her face.

He’d broken her heart; he’d killed those she loved the most and lied to her for months.

But he’d also comforted her, loved her and told her everything rather than run away.

…Why…? Why don’t I want to kill him?

Even after he’s confessed, I don’t want to kill him.

I hate him, don’t I? She shook her head a little and smiled sadly. No…I can’t hate him because I know, if I had been in that same position with that same choice, I would’ve chosen the same as him.

I can’t hate him, I can’t love him…all I feel for him is…

Kella dropped onto one knee and put a hand on his shoulder. “Run, David. Run away from everything.”

“Huh?”

“Leave this place, go to a far-off country and start another life in peace somewhere away from all of this,” she told him. “Disband your army and, come tomorrow, the Holy Empire will destroy Karak-Harth and end the Great Disaster. Just…let it end.”

“But…Eris…she’ll kill them all,” David mumbled.

“I’d say that you did what she wanted by becoming the Demon Emperor; end your reign tonight.”

David weakly looked up at her and asked, “You…believe me?”

She nodded and smiled warmly. “I do.”

“Why?”

“Because.” Her smile hurt them both. “I know when the person I love is lying to me.”

David shut his eyes and slowly stood up. He took a deep breath, nodded and said, “I’m sorry, for everything.”

“…I know.”

“I-I didn’t…I didn’t mean to, or want to kill-”

“I know.”

David walked to the door and put his hand on the handle. “…I’ll go as far north-west as I can.”

“…Good luck.”

David didn’t turn around or say another word as he left, gently closing the door behind him.

Once she heard David’s footsteps disappear, Kella fell back onto her bed and cried.

The last person who she considered precious to her had been the worst person she’d ever known.