276: 6.36 Two Choices

6.36 Two Choices

Darkness was looming above him, pressing down on his chest and forcefully slipped into his mouth, rendering him unable to breathe. He could feel… something; emotions that didn't belong to him. Anger, sorrow, despair. And then amidst the suffocation where he couldn't find even the smallest speck of light, a pair of eyes peeled open, displaying pure black orbs more terrifying than the darkness itself.  1

"You saw through me…" The eyes narrowed threateningly.

Jillian snapped awake from the dream, gasping. Sweat dampened his sleeping gown and his heart thundered heavily inside his ribcage. The last vestiges of the darkness faded away as his eyes took in the familiar surroundings and the burning fire from the hearth. 

Jillian found himself slowly calming down albeit still a little apprehensive. What was up with that dream? He had had his fair share of nightmares before but none… had ever caused him to feel this way.

It took five full seconds for Jillian to sober up enough to realize that something was off. Years of instinct honed in the battlefield had taught him to read the atmosphere in the air and he realized that… it was too quiet. There was no wind howling outside, drizzle falling gently or even the rustle of dry branches brushing against each other. Only the intermittent crackle from the firewoods and his own breathing. 

"Regius…?" He whispered as he reached for the doll beside him.

Usually, Regius would respond with a cold brush to his cheek or directly materialize in front of him but Jillian waited and waited… there was no response whatsoever.

Jillian furrowed his brows and brought the doll to his eye level. Almost in an instant, he noticed something different with it. With Regius dwelling inside, the doll would look alive, animated, almost as if it was going to spring up and jump around at any moment. But right now, those beady silver eyes looked lifeless. Yes, just like that moment Jillian first saw him when he opened the cabinet in the dollmaker house.

Regius wasn't inside the doll, he concluded. So where was he?

Jillian tied his sleeping gown tighter and reached for his sword. Going out of his bedroom, his feet padded across the carpet and when he looked outside the window, a sharp gasp escaped his lips. W—What was that?! 

It was indeed late into the night but there was something strange with the darkness that concentrated outside the manor, almost as if it had sucked away the light around. He squinted to see the ever familiar torches that were usually lit outside houses to keep away beasts were extinguished, leaving the scenery in eerie pitch black. Jillian's breath caught in his throat when he was suddenly reminded of his dream earlier and without him realizing, he had rushed outside and braced through the thick snow.

Amidst the vast darkness, a figure in white robe stood strikingly. There was no way he could have mistaken that broad back, the pristine robe and the inky black hair that reached his knees. Jillian had just intended to call out when he realized that Regius wasn't alone. Who was he talking to…? A frown made its way to his forehead. He had never known that Regius would show himself in front of any other person than him.

A voice suddenly drifted to him, loud and clear. 

"Will you still love me even when I am like this?"

What. 

Jillian froze in his tracks.

What was that…? What was that person saying? Before Jillian could make some sense of it, Regius' voice answered, unmistakably, and the words made his blood run cold almost as if he had swallowed a few mouthfuls of snow. "Do you still have to ask? Haven't you known the answer to that?" 

Jillian stared at Regius' back, unblinking. Fuddled. Confused. Was he still dreaming? Had he not awoken from the nightmare yet? But no— Jillian closed his eyes and tightened his palm around his sword, feeling the curve of insignia dug into his flesh. He wasn't dreaming. 

Cold air rushed to his lungs and each intake of breath was akin to rock scraping on the tender flesh of his heart. Painful. His head was ringing with thousands of questions. Why are you speaking to him with that gentle and patient tone you only use on me? Why are you speaking to him with such blatant affection? Most importantly… who the hell is he?!

"REGIUS!!" He shouted loudly before he could even think about it. "Who is he…?" He asked, a hint of tremble in his voice. Please, please tell me that he isn't anyone at all, that he isn't who I think he is.

When that person stepped aside to show himself, Jillian immediately knew that he wasn't a human being. There was no mistaking the deathly pallor, the immaculate black robe and the strange vivid marks on his forehead. Another God? Someone from Regius' past? Who was he to Regius? When those pure black eyes laid on him, Jillian experienced full-body shivers and his heart abruptly skipped a beat. A brief flash of images exploded in his mind, sounds, faces, whispers. It finally stopped when those eyes left him. Jillian reeled himself backward. W—What was that…?

  Jillian shook his head and pointed his sword to the mysterious man. God or not, Jillian didn't have a good feeling toward him and he trusted his instinct. He ignored the sting of jealousy when he looked at them standing side by side — one clad in black robes with silver hair, the other in white robes and inky black hair, almost as if they complemented each other perfectly. "Let Regius go!" He snarled fiercely.

"Why should I?" The words were accompanied by an arm pulling Regius close. "He's my beloved." 

He's your what…?!

Jillian turned to Regius in disbelief only to find the latter looking back at him with a passive look. Why…? Why don't you say something? Why are you letting him touch you?! 

When the silver haired God leaned in to catch Regius' lips, Jillian felt as if the ground had caved beneath his feet. He was sinking, sinking and sinking… He didn't want to watch, yet he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away; didn't want to believe, but how could he when Regius didn't even resist and let himself be kissed? 

Venom surged inside him and it hurt, as if an invisible hand was blocking his airway and gripping his heart in a tight grip, almost crushing it to pieces. Why why why?! His mind kept chanting the question. Redness crawled over his eyes and for a few seconds, he felt the same emotions as the figure in his dream. Anger, sorrow, pain. So, so much pain.

His body moved before his brain could catch up, scrambling for the sword that he had dropped and gripping it tight. "I will kill you…" He forced out through gritted teeth and marched forward, sword unsheathed and sharp tip gleaming. "I WILL KILL YOU!!!" How dare he?! No one was allowed to touch Regius except himself!

Alas, before he could even step through the gate of the manor, something coiled around his feet and prevented him from moving. He glanced down to find two black vine-like shadows chaining him in place. He struggled desperately to no avail, eyes glaring dagger at the smiling man. "Bastard, let me go!!!"

But the silver haired God merely turned to Regius — unresponding Regius. With a startle, Jillian realized that something was off about him. There was no way Regius would have stood still without any reaction when something like this happened. He flicked his finger at Jillian, a mocking look on his face. "See? Weak, useless, crybaby." Regius' face rippled to something similar to a scowl before it turned serene again.

Realization dawned on Jillian along with the overwhelming relief. It wasn't Regius' own will. Right, he shouldn't have let the emotions get the better out of him. But then when he realized that Regius had been taken hostage, fury blazed in his golden eyes and he seethed vengefully. "What have you done to Regius?"

The silver haired God shrugged, still with that obnoxious smile on his glistening lips. The lips that had just kissed Regius. His Regius. The terrible feeling returned with a suffocating force and Jillian grabbed his sword so tight he might as well cut himself with it. 

"What are you talking about? How can I bear to do anything to him when I love him so much?"

Jillian's eyes widened angrily — how could he call this love?! — except before he could say it, he suddenly realized that… he was unable to talk! "Hmm! Hmph–mmm!" He clawed at his lips, agitated.

"Ah," The silver haired God exclaimed in a flat tone. "I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? My name is Izher, the God of Plague. Remember that."

The God of Plague? So he was the one Regius was talking about with Cyrus earlier! "Mm–mm…ah!" The binding on his lips suddenly loosened and Jillian blurted out. "You are the one who has spread the plague in this country!"

"Right, that's me," he answered airily.

Jillian hissed. "What the hell do you want?"

"Don't get me wrong." Izher snorted. "I have no attachment whatsoever with this country but as soon as I realized that my beloved is here—"

"He's not your beloved!"

"—getting chummy with another man when I was asleep, of course I have to come here and teach him a lesson." He wiped the imaginary tears on the corner of his eyes with his black-painted pinky finger. "How cruel. To commit infidelity when I am at my most vulnerable. I should have known not to put my trust in men."

"Shut up." Jillian bristled, hackles raised like a cat whose tail was stepped on. "Don't tarnish Regius' name with your dirty mouth."

"You're the one who has to shut up." Izher snapped, all expression wiped off his face and what remained was only a pair of pitch black orbs that bore down on Jillian heavily. "You puny human, do you know that I can make you suffer a torment worse than death before actually killing you? Do you want to try that?"

Jillian's body was trembling in rage. "You want to kill me so you can have Regius to yourself…?"

"Ha!" Izher hugged his stomach and turned to Regius, laughing out loud. "Listen to him yapping! Such an adorable little chirpy bird he is. Should I destroy his throat so he can't chirp noisily again? Or should I start with his limbs?"

For a while, Izher and Regius were engaged in a staring contest, an unspeakable conversation passing between them. Jillian stared at them spitefully. He hated this. He hated Izher so much! Jillian had had his share of bloodlust courtesy to years in the battlefield but never had he felt such a strong murderous intent to gouge those hideous eyes that had landed on Regius, sever that hand that had touched Regius and tortured him bit by bit just to see agony etched on his stupid face.

But he's a God, a voice inside him spoke, and you're just a mortal. What can you do to him?

"Kill me." Jillian gritted out, breaking the long overdue eye contact between the other two. "Kill me and I will return as a vengeful ghost to hunt you down. Mark my words."

"That's… not fun at all." Izher said in a fake grimace. "I will give you two choices. First, I will take Regius away and lift the plague in this country. You will be praised a hero and live the rest of your life peacefully. Isn't that good?"

Jillian glared. What kind of choice was it? Any choice that didn't include Regius in it couldn't be called a choice!

"Second…" A chilling smile slowly spread on Izher's face. "You get to keep Regius with you buuut I will destroy this country you have been protecting until nothing remains but ruin and corpses. What do you think?"

"Between Regius and your country, which one will you choose?"

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A/N: *cough* mean villain check. Feel free to strangle him if you want. 

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