The Bad End

“Oh, I see you’re awake, Akari.”

“…!”

I flinched when Suoh addressed me. He was smiling at me as usual, but now I noticed something lurking beneath his smile. Something dark and sinister that set the alarms off in my head.

“Suoh…sama…” My tongue felt heavy as I spoke.

I suspected that my whole body was still numb from whatever drug he put in the milk earlier.

“Well, this is troubling. I certainly didn’t expect the concoction to fail in the moment I need it the most.” Suoh sighed as he laid me down on the stone altar. “Do you think I can still get chosen, Hijiri?”

The genius magician appeared at the corner of my eyes. He appraised me with his cold eyes, as if he was looking at a rare specimen instead of another human.

“Don’t worry, attachment isn’t so easy to erase. Even if she realized the truth, she can’t erase all of her feelings for you. If you want to make it more certain, however, you should turn her affection into hatred. That will definitely make the connection more powerful.” Hijiri suggested.

“Then I shall do just that.” Suoh smirked and took a lock of my hair. He kissed it gently, but instead of making me blush, it sent chills down my spine. “How much did you hear, Akari? Should I explain everything from the start?”

I struggled to sit up, however my body refused to listen to me. Even when I tried gathering my magic power, it just dispersed before it took shape.

“It’s useless.” Hijiri remarked, noticing my attempt. “That concoction you drank interfered with your mind. You won’t be able to cast anything in this condition.”

I gritted my teeth and glared at both of them. “What are you…trying to do here?” I asked, struggling to even speak properly. “Why…go this far?”

“Ah, right. It seems you really did hear everything except for that one.” Suoh said. “Akari, do you know what your greatest value is?”

“My value?” I stared blankly at him. “Something that makes me special, enough to make the indifferent duke adopt me and treat me well…”

“My magic power…?”

“Yes, that’s right. Your only value is your ridiculous amount of magic power, the greatest we’ve ever seen in this kingdom’s history.” Suoh patted my head. “With that power, we can achieve whatever we want. Even if it means taking over the throne with brute force.”

My eyes widened. “B-But I thought you don’t want to be the king…!”

“What kind of nonsense is that?!”

A crack appeared in Suoh’s composure for the first time. He grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. His brilliant golden eyes flickered with ambition and greed, showing me another side of him I’d never seen before.

“I am the crown prince of this kingdom!” Suoh snarled. “Who cares if my mother is a low-born concubine?! I am still the first prince! And yet, those foolish nobles supported my idiotic younger brother instead! As if I’ll hand over the throne that easily! I’m the one who will be the king! Not that bastard! With your power, no one can shake my position anymore!”

“Ngh…!” I frowned in pain as Suoh’s grip tightened around my chin. “You keep saying that, but it’s still my magic power! How will you—”

I stopped abruptly as I realized something. My gaze turned upward, to the ominous magic circle looming on the ceiling.

“No way…”

My magic teacher’s voice echoed in my mind.

“There have been a number of research dedicated to transferring magic power from one person to another, in the hopes of strengthening those who lack the ability to use magic, but they discovered that the process is highly dangerous and thus it was declared forbidden.”

“You can’t possibly…”

“Yes, we can.”

Hijiri interrupted calmly.

“Using this ancient magic circle, we’ll transfer your magic power to the prince—or anyone you are most attached to.”

“…!” I looked at Hijiri in shock, my gaze tinged with fear. “C-Crazy…you guys are crazy…! What will happen to me if you do that?!”

“You’ll die.” Suoh answered indifferently. “That’s the key to the ritual, after all.”

Those words chilled me down to the core. They weren’t treating me like another human. In their eyes, I was simply an object—a wish-granting sacrifice that would be disposed of once I’d fulfilled my purpose.

“N-No…no, you can’t do this to me…I…I don’t want to die…!”

I inched away from them, but Hijiri easily cast a spell to bind me on the spot.

“Your Highness, we better start the ritual now.” He suggested.

Suoh nodded, taking out a ceremonial dagger from his pocket. “Sorry, Akari, but please die for me, okay? I’ll make sure to remember your sacrifice for the rest of my life.” He smiled at me with his usual sweet smile.

“No…”

I opened my mouth, but no voice came out. It seemed Hijiri added a silencing spell as well when he bound me earlier. He started chanting in ancient language and the magic circle on the ceiling reacted, shining in an ominous red color.

“Is there anything I can do?! Anything that can save me?!” I desperately glanced around, but in this barren room deep underground, no one was going to come and save me.

Because everyone wanted me dead.

“Aah…from the very beginning, no one is on my side.”

That realization sent me sinking into despair. They took me away from my village, killed everyone that I knew, isolated me from anyone that could help me, and eventually strangled me to death.

“Except…for one person.” My eyes snapped open when I recalled that person.

Himemiya Miyuki.

My half-sister, who risked her own life to save me from this hell.

“If there’s no way to stop my magic power from being stolen…”

The magic circle was shining brighter with every passing second.

“If there’s no way to stop myself from being killed…”

Suoh raised his ceremonial dagger, aimed exactly at my heart.

“Then I’d rather give this power to Onee-sama.” I shut my eyes closed and prayed fervently. “If I could, I would turn back time, give this accursed power to her, and let her live happily this time. God…if there really is a god in this world…”

Another magic circle suddenly appeared under the altar, its color was pure white. Hijiri let out a perplexed sound, but the ritual was nearly complete.

“…then I beg of you, please grant this dearest wish of mine.”

Stab!

The smell of blood filled my nose, along with the burning pain in my chest. The last thing I saw was two magic circles shining brightly in tandem, then everything turned dark.

That was how my life ended.