Love Me Love Me Love Me Love Me Love Me Love Me Love Me More

Somewhere else enshrouded in the thicket, a man waltzed with a wooden puppet under the night sky. He danced slowly and gently, his eyes closed off from reality as he gripped firmly with his limp partner and swayed around with it.

“Lala, la, lala, lala…” Monty hummed a melodramatic lullaby, a song of old he once heard. It was a song of someone finding solace in the night’s darkness while suffering from an undying longing for the one they loved.

This song described him perfectly. He couldn’t help singing it.

Ahh, Fiona, how could one be so divine… and yet be so damning?

At least twenty years had passed, but his feelings never wavered. To be frank, they blossomed even more than before.

Even though his eyes remained shut, he could still see her—his beloved Fiona dancing right here with him. Her gentle eyes, her hair the color of wine, her scent, her enchanting voice, her figure… He never forgot that day her warm, soft hands held onto his for the first time.

That day, when he should’ve escaped from his parents, the injuries they ever gave him caused his legs to tremble with each step, and before he knew it, his malnourished state caused him to collapse.

He didn’t even bother trying to get up. If he couldn’t escape them, then he could at least escape that hellish life. That was what he had in mind.

Instead, an angel—no, a goddess—descended upon him and brought him back to his feet. She found him unconscious just as she finished her day’s work. She brought him to her tent, treated his wounds, fed him, and clothed him.

Not even his parents did that much for him. Were they not family? Were they not supposed to love their children?

And yet, this beautiful stranger did all that for him. This was a show of love. This was what that so-called “love” felt like. It felt strange and sickening at first, but oh did it quickly feel so wonderful, so incredibly addicting.

It felt amazing. Too amazing. He wanted more. More. More. More! All this attention, all this love and care… Fiona was his salvation!

But because of her career, she couldn’t take him in—only the employees could occupy the circus's tents. Once she nursed him back to health, she was forced to send him off.

“It’ll be okay,” she told him. “Just be strong. You’ll get through it.”

With those departing words, his savior left him as suddenly as her arrival.

Why?

No, no he couldn’t just let her go either. Not so soon. Not when she gave him such new hope.

Don’t go. Don’t go anywhere. Don’t leave me. Don’t abandon me. Don’t forsake me so soon. I need you. I need more. I want more…

It was as if she left a massive, hollow hole inside of him. It felt like an empty stomach, scratching out of hunger—but worse.

Oh, Fiona, how could she leave him after she drugged him with love?

And how could she, after all his hard work to stay by her side, get swooned away by that Ren? What did he have that he didn’t? Wealth? Power? Fame? That repulsive trash didn’t deserve her.

And right when he anguished over their marriage, and when he planned to burn down his world, she disappeared as if she condemned his sinful thoughts.

Oh, dear goddess, how could she damn him as much as she had blessed him?

If it meant he’d feel her love again, then he’d burn everything in his way. Everything. Even if it meant destroying the whole kingdom to reach her.

“Ahh, Fiona,” Monty cooed, gripping the puppet tightly. “I’ve missed you so much. Wait for me...” He cackled while embracing the puppet closely, drooling and blushing as his sanity spun him around.

Obsidian stood in the shadows by the trees, watching him with folded arms. Another cloaked figure leaped down from the branches and landed beside him. “We’ve finished pouring the train with alcohol,” she said. “We’re all ready.”

“Good,” said Obsidian. “Summon everyone here then.”

“Yes, sir. By the way, what’s he doing?”

“Erm…” He cleared his throat. “Relieving stress.”

“Ooh, I see. That makes sense. Monty Starman has been working so hard these days. But he still always loves to be so flamboyant no matter where he is!”

“Ugh, are you one of his fangirls?”

“Who isn’t?” She cupped her cheeks and swayed her shoulders. “I’ve been to dozens of his shows! It feels like a dream now that I’m finally working with him! Oh, to relieve stress by dancing! How romantic!”

Obsidian scrunched up his face and shuddered. “Oh, if only you knew…” he muttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing. Just go.”

“Aww, can’t I stay?”

“You don’t want to disturb and make him mad, now do you? Go before he sees you.”

“Oh, fine.” With a grunt, she scurried to the bushes.

With one last twirl and a bow, Monty finished his dance with a sigh. He tossed aside the puppet and dusted his hands. “Obsidian,” he called out. “Is the serpent ready?”

“Hmm, it depends on what you mean by ‘ready,’” he said. “Its brain already decomposed centuries ago, and although its nervous system is still in one piece, it still went under brumation after all this time. To stimulate it all of a sudden would mean to risk falling victim to its impulsive wrath.”

Monty pulled out Ortrone’s crest and played it around at his fingertips. “That's what happens if we shove this thing back inside, yes? This little heart fragment stores enough power to awaken it again. Isn’t that what you’ve told me?”

”That I did. But I suggested it before Ren decided to clear its insides, including the engine. Without anything to stabilize it, I doubt a mere fragment can last long.”

Monty hummed and tapped his chin. “In other words, Ren had deprived it of its machinery and left the creature bareboned. That means nothing would stop it from venting its frustrations against humanity, yes?” He gradually stretched a demented grin as he spoke. “Haha, now that I think about it, this outcome is even better than what I intentionally had in mind!”

“Oh? Are you willing to set it free?”

“You know what? Maybe I should! I pity the poor creature—it’s been trapped for far too long. I say we should let it entirely loose!”

“And what of your men?”

“There will be some adjustments, but they’ll still have plenty of fun.” Monty chuckled and playfully flipped the crest in the air as if it were a coin. “Rest assured, Sid. Tonight's show shall be the biggest one yet!”

Obsidian chuckled, baring his fangs in the process. “That does sound exciting,” he said. “Very well. Show me what you have, O brilliant Starman.”

The ringleader mirrored his grin, snatched the crest back into his grasp, and turned around. He pulled out a dagger, entered the train’s engine car, and slashed its walls—at the spot where the engine should’ve rested. He shoved the crest right inside the gap, the orb illuminating pure red at instant touch. The wall swallowed it whole, and as he left, the train began to quiver.

He extended his arms high and gazed wildly at the night sky. “Then let the party begin!” he hollered. “Light ‘em up, ladies and gentlemen! It’s shooowtiiime!”

On cue, a roaring wave of fire engulfed the train within seconds. A massive wall of flames grew taller moments later, illuminating the sky like an aurora. It roared and hissed with rage, gradually transforming its bright orange hue into a menacing shade of crimson.

Something other than the fire began to hiss.

A puff of steam shot out from the train’s head car like an animal blowing air from its snout. As the flames continued to warm up its body, the scales hidden within its walls started to glow as brightly as the flames.

The hollow train began to twitch around.

With each slight jerk, it moved faster than before until it began to briefly slither around.

Of course, since the creature was already dead, no pairs of eyes opened. Instead, an ear-deafening roar filled with pain and agony screeched toward the sky, shaking the nearby trees. Birds flapped away, deer and rabbits sprinted for their lives, and the human and vampire witnesses covered their ears as they watched in awe as a massive dead snake writhed around.

Monty cackled all the while, still extending his arms high with his right hand tightly gripping onto the crest. “Ahahahaha! Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful and stunning! You poor, poor creature! Shout and scream until the gods above can hear you!”

As if the serpent understood him, it opened its massive jaws again, its monstrous roars jumbling together with the sound of the train’s blaring horns.

“Ohh, what a lovely, sorrowful voice…!” Monty clapped his hands, grinning like a maniac. “Go, my friend! Be free!”

Whether or not the giant serpent understood him didn’t matter in the slightest. It jerked around briefly longer as if it was warming up its muscles, and when it finally felt satisfied, the serpent zipped through the thicket, instantly crashing through the trees and running over a few unfortunate spectators in the process.

Obsidian couldn’t help but burst into laughter while the others gawked at the blood stains on the ground. They were already repeatedly warned that they could get randomly killed out of nowhere during this mission, but to think it was this sudden. They turned to their leader only to see what sort of reaction he’d make.

“Oh,” Monty simply said. “Poor lads.”

With a simple shrug, he grinned and raised an arm. “All of you, follow the serpent!” he bellowed. “Tonight, we eliminate King Carmin’s champions!”