Vivian calmly looked at Kafrik, who was screaming his throat off.

His face twisted in pain, his voice echoing through the hall.

Blood covered the ground beneath him, and yet Vivian didn't flinch.

He stood there quietly, his cold eyes fixed on Kafrik's trembling form.

After a moment, seeing that too much blood was spilling out, Vivian sighed softly.

He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

A red glow appeared as an artifact, Rokto, flew into his hand.

Without any hesitation, he threw it toward Kafrik's wound.

The artifact shone brightly, releasing a faint humming sound.

Slowly, the flow of blood stopped, the red light sealing the wound.

But the pain didn't fade.

That was clear from Kafrik's face, his body still shaking and his mouth opening in silent cries.

Vivian watched him for a while, then quietly said, "That should keep you alive."

His tone was calm, almost bored.

He had used Rokto on himself once before, he knew how much it hurt, how it burned through the flesh while sealing the blood.

Still, he didn't look away. His eyes were calm, his mind far from pity.

Vivian kept walking, lips curled into a cruel smile.

He moved slowly, as if he were enjoying each step.

Around them the hall felt quiet, only the drip of blood and Kafrik's ragged breath breaking the silence.

Seeing him, Kafrik's hands shook as he tried to move, dragging himself across the cold floor.

The pain from his lower body was unbearable, every tiny movement sent sharp waves of agony through him.

Still, he forced himself to crawl, leaving a faint trail of blood behind.

His voice came out broken, barely louder than a whisper.

"P-please... don't... kill... me... please…"

His eyes were wide with fear, filled with tears and despair.

He didn't even dare look up at Vivian, only stared at the ground as if begging it to swallow him whole.

Vivian stopped close enough that Kafrik could see the calm in his face.

He looked down at him with eyes that showed no pity.

"You will live for now," Vivian said in a soft voice that made Kafrik flinch.

"Not because I am kind. Because I have plans for you."

He crouched, fingers hovering near the wound but not touching it.

"When I end this," he continued, "you will think it was worth it. You will feel relief. You will even smile."

His grin widened like a blade. "Until then, I will make sure you remember every second."

Vivian's hand tightened around Kafrik's collar, lifting him easily off the ground.

Kafrik's legs dangled uselessly, blood still dripping faintly from his wound.

Vivian's face was calm, but his eyes, cold and distant, held a dark delight.

"Though it was only one year in the physical world," he said slowly, voice low but clear, "still after I went to that white void, it felt like an eternity."

His gaze drifted slightly, as if he were seeing something far beyond the room.

"During that endless time, only one thought kept me excited, how good it would feel to make you suffer worse than I did."

He smiled faintly, a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"And now, here we are."

Kafrik's eyes widened.

He didn't understand.

His voice broke as he struggled to speak through tears and pain.

"W-what did I ever do to you? Why… why are you doing this?"

His body shook uncontrollably, his face wet with sweat and snot.

The pain from his lower body didn't stop, it screamed through every nerve, but what terrified him most was the calm look in Vivian's eyes, as if tormenting him was nothing more than a quiet hobby.

Vivian cocked his head like he was trying to remember a smell.

"Oh—right," he said slowly, as if a small thought had come back to him.

"You wouldn't remember. Makes sense." He smiled, small and cold.

He continued, "Still, that won't stop me from making you feel it…ah by the way, do you have anyone who would miss you? A mother, a father… a brother?"

Kafrik didn't answer.

He kept his eyes on the floor.

He swallowed hard and tried not to cry out when another wave of pain hit him.

His hands closed and opened on the tiled ground.

He could only shake his head a little.

Vivian squinted at him, then laughed very quietly.

"Not that it matters," he said.

"I'm going to kill them all anyway." He leaned closer so Kafrik could smell his breath.

"But if you want, if you beg and make it worth my time, I can let them feel a taste of what you're feeling. The choice is simple."

At that time, Vivian looked like a real demon.

His long black hair moved with the wind, his horns caught the dim light, and his voice carried a cold, dark tone that sent chills down the spine.

Every word he spoke sounded like it came from someone who had already crossed the line between man and monster.

Charlotte noticed it clearly.

The man standing before her wasn't the same one she once knew, his aura felt darker, heavier, almost suffocating.

But she didn't say a word.

Whether he became kind or cruel, good or evil, it didn't matter to her anymore.

All that mattered was that he was still alive.

As long as he could breathe, speak, and stand before her, nothing else in the world held any meaning.

So she simply watched him, her eyes calm and steady, accepting the demon he had become without fear or judgment.

Vivian's eyes narrowed as he glanced at Charlotte.

For a second he looked afraid she might stop him.

When she said nothing, a small, relieved breath left him and his face smoothed back into that cold calm.

"Where were we again? Ah—now I remember."

He leaned in close to Kafrik, voice low and hard.

"You said you'd make me watch as you torture my little brother. You said my father would be a dog and my mother a slave, right?"

As Vivian spoke, his voice turned sharper, each word soaked in fury.

His eyes burned brighter with every sentence, glowing like embers ready to consume.

Kafrik's mind spun in confusion, he couldn't remember ever saying such things.

He wanted to explain, to deny it, to plead, but the moment he opened his mouth, Vivian's hand shot out and caught his tongue.

Kafrik froze.

His whole body trembled as pain shot through him, his eyes wide and wet.

He tried to pull away, but Vivian's grip was unshakable, like steel clamped around him.

Around them, the air felt heavy and still.

The useless swordmaster, who Kafrik had hoped would come to his aid, did not appear.

No one answered his calls.

In that silence, with Vivian holding him, every choice, every threat, every small hope, rested in Vivian's cold hands.

Kafrik could do nothing but watch Charlotte and pray, while Vivian watched him like a man deciding a cruel game's next move.

Vivian's lips twisted into a wicked grin, his eyes glinting with cold satisfaction.

"To make sure you never utter such disgusting words again…"

He said softly, almost like he was giving gentle advice.

Then his grip tightened.

With one long, steady pull, a wet sound tore through the air, sharp, final.

Ahhhhhhh!!!!

Kafrik's scream came out broken, muffled by his own blood.

His body shook violently as the pain hit him all at once, his eyes rolling back as crimson spilled from his mouth.

Vivian swiftly pulled out Rokto, and the artifact glowed faintly as he waved it over Kafrik's mouth.

The bleeding stopped almost at once, sealing the wound in a dull red shimmer.

Kafrik twitched weakly, his muffled groans fading into broken breaths.

Vivian smiled, calm and satisfied.

"Though I'd love to play with you a bit longer," he said lightly, "I can't right now."

Mana began to swirl around his left hand, glowing with an eerie blue hue.

His other hand still gripped Kafrik's collar tightly, pulling him close enough that their faces nearly touched.

"Let me make sure," Vivian whispered, his tone almost gentle, "that even if you survive… you'll never stand against me again."

Then his hand plunged forward.

A sickening crack echoed through the room as Vivian's arm drove through Kafrik's right chest, shattering ribs and piercing the mana core within.

The faint sound of breaking glass followed, then silence, followed by Kafrik's ragged, animal-like scream.

Without hesitation, Vivian pulled back his bloodied hand and summoned Rokto again.

The artifact's light flared, sealing the wound and halting the flow of blood before Kafrik could collapse completely.

"Alright," Vivian murmured, brushing off his sleeve, "after I take care of the rat, I'll come back to play with you some more."

He raised his other hand and muttered a single word. "Ice."

A chilling wave spread from his fingertips, frost creeping over Kafrik's skin, then across his limbs.

The air around them turned sharp and cold, mist curling in the dim light.

Kafrik's eyes went wide for a moment, then empty, as the ice consumed him fully.

In seconds, he was still, trapped in a thick crystal of ice, preserved in frozen silence, waiting for the torment yet to come.

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