Trigger warning: Some scenes can affect certain audiences who are sensitive to blood and violence, but I have tried to minimize the sensitive scenes.

8:00 PM.

I unlock the door of my apartment as I step inside. My apartment was, as always, gloomy and filled with loneliness. As I lock the door behind me, I take off my shoes, put them aside, and walk straight into the bathroom for a shower.

A shower is the only way to refresh myself from the tiring hours in the office. I took off my clothes, turned on the shower, and let the water run from my face down to my legs. Taking a deep breath, I shake my face with both hands.

As my mind began to blur from today’s office day, another memory took over their place. The memory I don’t want to remember-- and it never stops haunting me.

I shut my eyelids tightly as I counted one, two, and three, and took a deep breath in and out. As I opened my eyes again, I turned off the shower tap and stepped out of the bathroom in the towel.

I went to my closet, changed into my grey nightsuit, and tied my hair with the towel. I walk to my kitchen, and I wonder what I should make for dinner. Then I remember, I forgot to buy groceries this month. All I have left is a cup of noodles.

I opened the upper cupboard, and I found two remaining cup noodles there. I picked up one cup of noodles from there as I shut the cupboard and went to heat up the water in a kettle.

As the water was boiling in the kettle, I sat at my small dining table with my tablet as I scrolled through my social media — when I received a notification.

New chapters have been uploaded of 'Celestia’s Fall into the Duke’s Trap'. I have been reading this webcomic for a year now.

Now, only the last three chapters are left. I quickly tap the notification and start reading. In the third-last chapter, the Evil Duke's secret is exposed. Now everyone in town knows he was the one who was trying to murder Leon, the honorable knight, out of jealousy.

I smiled as I was reading the chapter. I was happy that, finally, he had been caught. The king has even announced his execution, for attempting to kill the knight who helped defeat the neighboring country.

But still… I’ve read the Duke’s backstory. And I can’t help but feel a little bad for him. He never received love in his entire life. When he finally fell for someone, he became overly possessive. I’m not justifying his actions… I just wish someone had truly understood him. But it’s too late now. He’s going to die anyway.

My attention shifts when I hear the kettle whistle; the water has boiled. I get up, turn off the kettle, and pour the hot water into the cup noodles. I bring it back to the table and let it sit for ten minutes while I continue reading the comic.

I placed the cup noodle on the table for ten minutes as I again started reading the comic. An hour later, I finished reading the comic and ate my cup of noodles. I stood up and checked the time.

CURRENTLY THE TIME IS 9:30 PM.

I toss the empty cup into the trash and head to my bedroom. I turned on the AC and lay on the bed, wrapping the blanket around myself.

My mind was still filled with the story of the comic. I had grown attached to it after reading it for a year. As I finished the final chapters, I felt a little empty inside, but I knew that feeling was temporary. I turned over to my side, finally feeling comfortable enough to sleep.

I was near falling asleep when I heard a knock on my door. I quickly opened my eyes in confusion. I turned on the lights as I checked the time.

THE CLOCK WAS SHOWING 10:00 PM.

“Who can be here at this hour?” I wondered as I approached the main door. When I reached it, I peeked out through the peephole. My eyebrow raised in surprise as I spotted a figure dressed in black clothing and wearing a black mask standing outside my door.

“Who are you?” I said in a raised voice as I clutched the doorknob in my hand.

That person didn’t reply. Instead, the figure started to slam himself on the door to break it down. My eyes widened as I started to panic.

“What the hell are you doing?” I shouted as I pressed my body against the door, trying to prevent him from entering my apartment. However, he was much stronger than I was and slammed the door with a force that surprised me. After a few more attempts, he succeeded in breaking through the door, causing me to fall to the floor.

My heart was pounding so loudly in my chest that my breathing became husky and shaky. I said, “Who… are… you?”

The person remained silent, but I could see they were trembling, and fear was evident in their eyes. I was initially unsure whether they were a man or a woman, but it became clear when they spoke in a trembling voice.

“You… ar…e my… only… hope. Hope… you… can change his fate,” he said in a very shaky voice as he took out a knife from his pocket.

My eyes widened as I tried to run away, but his lingering figure stopped me on the way as he jumped on me.

Then everything started to blur for me as the blood rushed from my stomach. The hand in which he held the knife was shaking terribly as he stood up and ran away, leaving me behind on the floor. I screamed aloud as I felt the sharp pain in my stomach. I clutched my stomach, trying to stop the blood flow, but it was only increasing.

And then, finally, everything fades away completely, and I am engulfed in darkness.

To be continued...

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