LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 33
Chapter 33
I stumbled back.
“…You knew I was going to kill myself? How?”
I remember her noticing the rope hanging from the ceiling.
But there’s no way she could’ve known I planned to end my life today.
“It’s my ability.”
“Your ability was supposed to be… Were you lying about it? Was it all a lie?”
Sophie murmured softly.
“It wasn’t a lie. I just didn’t tell you everything.”
“What do you mean…?”
“My ability is to calm people’s minds and slowly make them dependent on me. Once they’re completely under my influence, I can read their thoughts.”
You read my mind? Made me dependent on you?
My legs gave way, and I staggered, feeling dizzy.
Is this… a dream?
Is this really reality?
No, it can’t be.
It’s a dream.
This isn’t real.
Where am I? Is this a dream?
Who am I talking to?
My breathing became shallow and fast.
My vision blurred into a bright white haze.
“…I’m sorry for deceiving you. But please trust me now. You can’t kill yourself. Not now, at least.”
Suicide.
Right, I remember now.
I was going to kill myself.
To gain power and return to the academy, just like I promised Sophie…
I wanted to become a star.
“There’s no time. We need to escape now.”
“…Escape?”
“Hana, please trust me.”
Sophie’s desperate plea.
I wanted to say something, but no words came out. My legs refused to move.
It felt like I was sinking into a deep abyss.
Sophie’s face grew increasingly urgent, as if she were being chased, terrified.
“If they find us, it’s over… Let’s hide somewhere nearby for now. Si woo will come to save us soon.”
“Si woo… is coming?”
Kim Si woo.
A name that always felt awkward and uncomfortable.
But strangely, it didn’t feel that way now.
Instead, it brought a faint sense of hope.
The protagonist who overcomes any trial in the story.
The childhood friend who always tried to help me.
Please, wake me from this nightmare. Please.
But despair quickly overwhelmed me again.
“It’s already been over 10 minutes. The gate’s closed.”
“The gate… is closed? But the magic stone core wasn’t destroyed.”
“Huh?”
That can’t be.
The intruder must have destroyed it.
Even this has changed? Why?
Everything was a confusing mess.
What if Sophie was lying?
Should I trust her words?
She’s already deceived me once.
“Ugh…!”
My head throbbed painfully.
It felt like bugs were gnawing at my brain, like I was being scorched by Hong Yeonhwa’s fiery flames or stabbed by Han Si-hyun’s sword.
The intense pain made me fall to my knees, clutching my head.
In that moment, Sophie’s frantic movements came to an abrupt halt.
She stopped breathing and fixed her gaze in one direction.
“They’re here.”
A chill ran through me, a warning from every nerve in my body.
Something was behind me.
Ignoring the pain, I slowly turned my head.
Someone was walking toward us along the dark forest path.
With every step, the trees around him withered and died.
Life vanished from the area where his footsteps touched.
“…Ah…”
A gasp escaped my lips as I recognized him.
There was no mistaking his appearance, his attire.
His face was hidden.
A grotesque animal mask took its place.
A black cloak and a goat mask with horns.
Now I understood why the gate hadn’t closed.
This wasn’t the intruder from the original story.
This was him.
But why?
Why is he here?
The Archdemon’s chief servant.
The final boss of the original story—the Black Goat.
The silence was suffocating.
Only his calm footsteps filled the air.
Sophie walked over to him with a welcoming smile on her face.
“Sophie…?”
Ignoring my words, she walked past me and knelt before the Black Goat.
“You have arrived, my lord.”
“….”
What… is this?
“Yes. It’s been a while, Trainer.”
Trainer.
That was how he addressed Sophie.
“Did you enjoy your time at the academy?”
“No, it was tedious.”
“I see. But you trained the Savior well. You did well.”
“Thank you.”
My brain refused to accept what was happening.
Yet fragments of memories from last night floated to the surface.
A traitor.
Why does it hurt so much?
The pain should be in my head.
So why does my heart ache like this?
“The plan went slightly off track, but it doesn’t matter. The Savior is safely in our hands, thanks to you.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
Sophie stood up slowly.
Then she turned and looked me directly in the eyes.
A cold, mocking smile.
Sophie sneered at me.
“My lord.”
“Speak.”
“With your permission, I’d like to explain the process of training this foolish girl.”
“Interesting. Go ahead.”
I didn’t want to hear any more.
It hurt too much, it was too painful.
This must be a dream, right?
Sophie would never say things like this.
She’s a kind person, a dear friend.
This isn’t real.
I’m just seeing an illusion from the pain.
A delusion, nothing more.
Disappear.
Please disappear.
Please.
Please…
“Thanks to her incident, I was able to approach easily. I pretended it was a coincidence and transferred to her class, even arranged to stay in the same dormitory.”
“Oh. And then?”
“After that, it was simple. Her mind was already broken and weak, so I could approach naturally. It was hilarious how quickly she dropped her guard and wagged her tail.”
Sophie’s harsh words continued.
No, they weren’t just harsh; they were curses.
A dreadful curse that would haunt me forever.
How long did it go on?
Five minutes?
Ten minutes?
The story was so specific, so cruel.
The hardest part was that every time Sophie spoke, I remembered the happy memories we had together.
Falling asleep together on the single bed.
Having dinner with Hong Yeonhwa and Sophie as a group.
The bus ride to visit my hometown.
The club activities we enjoyed in the infirmary.
And even the conversation we had on the rooftop last night.
When it was finally over, Sophie smiled in satisfaction.
I could only cry helplessly, broken.
After listening silently, the Black Goat spoke.
“Is that everything?”
“Yes, thank you for listening.”
“Not bad. It was almost pitiful how desperate you were.”
“Thank you for understanding my efforts, my lord. At least I was able to gain your approval…”
Sophie’s voice trailed off.
“Is your stalling over?”
“Pardon?”
“No more denials.”
Only after a long pause, Sophie spoke weakly.
“So… you knew all along.”
“Why did you betray me?”
“…Because it became real for me.”
“A wistful love, huh?”
Sophie’s expression changed in an instant.
The ruthless, cruel villain turned into an innocent, pure girl.
The Sophie I had known.
“…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Hana… I’m so, so sorry…”
“Sophie. Why are you crying…?”
“Please, don’t forgive me. It’s all my fault.”
Sophie cried.
She cried far more than I did.
She looked heartbreakingly sad.
“Did reading her mind make you pity her?”
“It’s not a pity… It’s because we’re friends…”
“Friends. I see.”
The Black Goat nodded and slowly approached Sophie.
“Are you ready to face the price of your betrayal?”
Sophie didn’t answer her master.
As if he wasn’t even there, she looked only at me and spoke.
“Hana… Can I ask one last favor…?”
“…”
“Live. Live on. And forget about me…”
Squelch!
A gaping hole opened in the girl’s chest.
Through that hole, I saw the man’s arm.
A hot liquid splattered across my face.
Black blood.
Clutched in his hand that pierced through her chest—
a black heart.
Thump.
Thump.
“The price of betrayal is the heart.”
No.
No.
No.
No.
When he withdrew his hand, there was a wide hole in her chest.
Sophie’s lifeless body collapsed, leaning against me.
“…”
Only a faint breath tickled my ear.
It was so weak, as if it would stop at any moment.
“Sophie.”
There was no response.
The blood that touched my skin felt icy cold.
Sophie’s body gradually grew colder.
“Sophie.”
No response.
“Sophie…”
Still.
No response from Sophie.
Perhaps, forever.
Sophie would never respond again.
“Thanks to her, there’s been a delay. We must leave before any interlopers arrive.”
“Sophie. Please answer me. Sophie. Sophie. Please?”
“Has her mind shattered? It doesn’t matter. The ability is what’s important.”
“Sophie. I’m sorry. I won’t be selfish anymore. I won’t joke around. I’ll stop oversleeping. I’ll eat better. I’ll even drink less milk. So… Please…”
She hasn’t even answered.
So please, please.
Thud.
Thump.
“It’ll be easier to take her like this. At last, we’ve secured the Savior. Now, let’s…”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“An interruption? And three of them, no less.”
“Put her down immediately.”
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