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{3rd Pov}
The screen zoomed outward, slowly revealing Subaru cloaked in a long black robe.
His posture was unnerving, his expression unreadable, and just as the group began to murmur among themselves, the vision blinked and shifted again.
[A monster in my heart, a ghost inside my chest.]
The haunting words reverberated in their minds as the scene unfolded.
Subaru was now shown seated upon a throne, the image of authority and dread.
Two figures stood faithfully at his side like loyal guards.
His hand twirled a coin lazily, the metallic glint catching the dim light.
He flipped it, and when it landed tails, Cecilus—the Blue lightning himself—flashed forward in a blur of speed.
In an instant, he appeared beside an unfortunate man and decapitated him without hesitation.
"W-Wait! What was that just now?!" Tivey's voice cracked as his body trembled in shock.
Everyone gasped, their eyes widening.
The scene had played out so quickly yet so vividly, as if the screen wanted them to fully grasp the ruthlessness of what they were witnessing.
The vision shifted again.
[I am broken down, so broken down. The world surrounds my suffering.]
This time, the screen displayed an endless series of Subaru's deaths.
Over and over, his broken body was shown lying lifeless in different places—streets, forests, rooms—his blood staining the ground.
Each corpse was a reminder of the cycle of agony he alone carried.
[You smile and laugh at me, yet you don't see a thing.]
A disturbing scene followed.
Subaru stood with shattered eyes, his gaze hollow as he looked at people around him who were laughing, they were ignoring him who had expression of pain.
And there, beside him, floated a woman with long white hair and eyes black as night.
She wrapped her arms around his neck with affection, her lips pressing a soft kiss against his cheek as though claiming him.
"M-Mother?! Was that… was that Mother?!" Beatrice's voice broke into a horrified scream.
She trembled violently, unable to process the image of her mother embracing Subaru with such intimacy.
Inside the mansion, Roswaal had been watching the unfolding scenes with his usual calm posture, a cup of hot coffee resting elegantly in his hand.
But the very moment the screen displayed the shocking image—Echidna, his revered teacher, the woman he had admired and cherished above all others—leaning close and kissing Subaru with the tenderness of a devoted wife, something inside him snapped.
The porcelain cup slipped from his fingers and crashed violently against the floor, shattering into countless pieces.
The dark liquid splashed across the pristine carpet, but Roswaal didn't care.
His body jolted upright, his chair scraping harshly against the polished wood as he stood with eyes wide in complete disbelief.
His painted face contorted, no longer bearing the playful arrogance he always carried, but instead twisted into one of pure shock and unbearable pain.
Ram, who had been silently observing beside him, flinched at the sudden outburst.
It was rare—almost unthinkable—for Roswaal to lose control of his composure.
Her crimson eyes shifted toward him, noting how his entire body trembled as he stared at the screen like a man watching his entire world collapse.
The sight of Echidna kissing Subaru so intimately struck Roswaal like a dagger through his heart.
She wasn't just his mentor—she was the one he had loved, the one he had devoted his life to, the reason behind everything he had ever done.
And now, in front of his very eyes, she was embracing another man with the affection and devotion of a wife.
It was as if his very soul had been betrayed.
Inside his mind, he screamed in silent agony: 'Nooooo!!'
The sense of humiliation, of being robbed of the person he longed for, burned deeper than any wound.
To Roswaal, it felt like the cruelest form of betrayal, as though he had been utterly "NTR'd," watching helplessly as the one he loved gave herself to another.
Back to Priestella.
"What… what were those?!" Garfiel yelled, his teeth bared. "Cap'n was… was dead?!" His claws flexed as though he could tear the screen apart with his bare hands.
"We cannot assume anything yet," Otto interjected quickly, though his face was pale. "For all we know, this could be lies meant to confuse us."
But Otto's reasoning did little to reassure anyone.
The color drained from Subaru's face entirely. His breathing turned ragged, his legs trembling.
He could barely stand still as he stared in horror at the screen, his body betraying the truth of his memories.
Emilia noticed instantly.
Her hand reached toward him, her lips parting to call his name—but before she could act, the vision shifted once again.
[Damaged and broken as I am, I am trying not to breathe.]
The images accelerated, showing Subaru's corpses flashing in rapid succession, piling one after another until it was unbearable to watch.
[Unraveled, I am not unraveled by the truth I finally see!]
The vision focused sharply now.
Subaru was shown crying uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face as he stared at Rem's corpse.
Her body dangled lifelessly, suspended in mid-air, her limbs grotesquely bent at impossible angles.
Standing beside her was Petelgeuse, laughing hysterically, his face twisted in deranged ecstasy.
"I will kill you… I will kill you again!" Subaru's crazed voice rang out, echoing through the screen.
"F-Father Geuse?!" Emilia gasped, tears welling up in her eyes as she recognized him.
Her voice cracked, and the group turned sharply toward her in shock.
"Father?!" several voices exclaimed at once, their brows furrowed in disbelief.
"Peasants! Be silent for a moment!" Priscilla suddenly commanded, raising her fan dramatically.
Her tone was haughty, but her words cut through the noise. "Disturb me no further. The truth will unveil itself if we simply continue watching."
The others exchanged looks, then reluctantly agreed that it was wiser to remain quiet. They turned back toward the screen, bracing themselves.
[(freeze)]
The word appeared, and the vision shifted again. Subaru was shown encased in ice, his face twisted in pure terror as he froze into a lifeless sculpture.
The song, which had paused awkwardly, resumed once more.
[I'm breakable, unbreakable, I'm shakeable, unshakeable…]
The images changed rapidly.
Subaru was shown sobbing as Rem, her body mangled and broken, lay dying in his lap.
Her limbs bent unnaturally, her life slipping away as he cried helplessly.
Then, the scene shifted—Subaru now stood defiantly against the entire Witch Cult, his face resolute despite the impossible odds before him.
[Unraveling since I found you.]
The vision softened, showing Emilia smiling brightly at Subaru, her gentle expression lighting the bleakness around him.
Emilia herself trembled violently in the present, tears streaming down her face as she clutched her chest.
Seeing Subaru freeze to death, and then Rem—who bore such a striking resemblance to Ram—dying grotesquely in his arms, left her horrified beyond words.
The others too were shaken deeply, their expressions grim and heavy with confusion.
The screen pressed onward mercilessly.
[And now I'm turning to dust in a world that's twisted.]
An older Subaru now appeared on the screen, his features hardened and weary. By his side stood Elsa, the Bowel Hunter, her knife gleaming.
His expression was grave, filled with a regret that weighed him down like chains, as though he were remembering sins too heavy to atone for.
[Don't come searching when I go missing.]
The vision changed again. Subaru and Rem rode together in a carriage, the familiar outline of Kararagi's bustling city of Banan rising in the distance.
[Close your eyes or just try to look away.]
Subaru appeared next, laughing manically.
Blood streamed down his cheeks as his golden-colored eyes burned like fire.
His laughter echoed, a sound filled with madness and despair.
[Don't want to hurt you.]
The screen showed Emilia and Puck standing firmly before Subaru.
Emilia's face was filled with confusion, while Puck's defensive stance revealed clear hostility, as though ready to protect her from Subaru himself.
[We live in a world someone else imagined.]
The image suddenly expanded outward.
The royal capital of Lugunica appeared in full view, its familiar spires and streets captured in vivid detail.
Then the vision zoomed even further, showing the entire world of Od Laguna itself—revealed as a flat disc floating within the infinite void.
Suddenly, a massive gray figure appeared from the darkness. Its colossal hand reached out, grabbing hold of the disc-shaped world as though it were nothing more than a toy.
"W-WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!!!" Felt screamed in panic, her face pale as she pointed at the monstrosity.
"I… I have the same damn question," Aldebaran muttered, his usual calm replaced with dread.
The others were equally shaken, their eyes widening in horror.
Even the most composed among them felt their hearts lurch.
Otto swayed unsteadily on his feet, nearly losing consciousness from the overwhelming sight.
[The ghost of what's left of me all but vanished.]
The song pressed on, its rhythm echoing endlessly.
The screen cycled through rapid flashes of different scenes—images too fleeting to fully process—leaving the group confused, shocked, and awestruck all at once.
[Remember my heart, how bright I used to shine. Please just don't forget me…]
Subaru appeared again, this time holding a dark, ominous orb in his hand.
Around him floated six other spheres, each one pulsing with strange energy, orbiting him like planets around a sun.
[Can you tell me?]
The screen flashed violently, and Subaru's appearance shifted. His form morphed, his features resembling the Great Sage Flugel himself for a fleeting moment.
[Can you tell me?]
The screen split into two halves.
On one side stood the Great Sage, surrounded by the legendary figures of Farsale, Reid, Shaula, Volcanica, Satella, Hoshin, and Echidna.
On the other side stood Subaru, flanked by Emilia, Patrasche, Otto, Garfiel, Beatrice, Felt, and Reinhard.
[Can you tell me? Who exactly resides within me?]
The words reverberated through their minds, carrying with them both dread and curiosity.
And then, with one final lingering note, the song ended.
To be continued...