Special thanks to my fiancée for reading multiple books' worth of anime fanfiction, all to make this fic the best it can be. Here's to 281K+ words and counting.

A Deal with the Devil

That soft voice spoke to him, filling him with relief. His long search was over; finally, she was here. Reunited once more, they could do nothing but gaze at each other with intense familiarity.

Finally, their feelings reached their peak. He stumbled out of his chair and tackled her in a hug.

"I'm s-sorry," he whispered, the alcohol slurring his words. "I-I'm so sorry, I'm such a f-failure; I just wanted to save you, and I…"

… He what? He didn't…

Who was this person? Why did she feel so much like home?

The strange girl tightened her arms around him. "Ah… Our first interactions in a new worldline are truly special, are they not? To be in your arms once again feels so… right."

… No, no, no, no! Everything was wrong!

The colors, the face, the age, the words, they were all so wrong!

But… why? These feelings weren't his. These memories were false. He didn't know this person!

He tore away from her, retreating to his desk. "Wh-who are you?" he asked, trying to gather his mental faculties. "H-how did you get in here?"

With her smile unwavering, she told him, "I am always watching over you, my treasured one. As for my name… I've had many, but I've disregarded all but one." As if in prayer, she closed her eyes and whispered, "Please, call me Pandora."

Pandora. It sounded right.

He shook his head vehemently to clear it. "What the f-fuck are you doing to my mind?" He narrowed his eyes, but her serene demeanor didn't falter. "I don't know wh-who you are!"

"But you do," she said, her sapphire eyes shimmering with affection. "One of these times, you will accept me into your heart, and I will make you mine."

"Sh-shut up," he spat, fighting the urge to fall asleep. He was way too drunk for this shit. "Do me a favor and get the f-fuck outta my house. I don't have time for some stalker wearing only a cloth."

He went back to his notes, but her hand darted out. She placed a finger under his chin and brought him to face her. He shivered as something intangible tried to dig its way under his skin, but Satella's artificial body deflected it. Nonetheless, Pandora's Touch was unpleasant, so he slapped her hand away.

"You wound me, my treasured one," Pandora said playfully. "I said I would help you save my princess, did I not?"

He glared at her. "Please, please tell me that's not a pet name for my wife."

She raised an eyebrow. "Is it not to your liking?"

He snorted. Why was he indulging this freak? Was it because he was drunk? Was it because he knew looking at his notes was hopeless? He wasn't sure.

"It's… weird," he said at length. "It's the kind of thing you'd call your kid."

"I see," she said, clearly amused. "My most sincere apologies, but I will not change it. The name means too much to me."

She circled around him, eyeing him like a hawk. Her bare feet sloshed through a puddle of his vomit, but she either didn't notice or didn't care. "Your efforts to save my princess are admirable," she admitted, "and your thoughts are pointed in the right direction. A true reversal of the process would be successful, yes, but you have not accounted for something critical."

"And what would you know about any of this?" he challenged.

A smile danced upon her lips. "I told you already, did I not? I am always watching over you."

He shivered, averting his eyes from those otherworldly sapphires. It was all so… wrong. Her words, her actions, these feelings, everything.

But… if she knew something about Satella… It was worth a shot, right? He had vowed to save his wife, and he would prove it, even if he lost everything along the way.

He forced himself to meet Pandora's enraptured gaze. "Where did I go wrong?" he asked. "There wasn't any other way to save her."

Her eyes grew sad. "How prideful," she murmured. "Truly unbefitting your beautiful, delightful soul."

Casting aside her sorrow, she said, "As you know, when Satella's soul was split, the Witch of Greed placed a seal of sorts on one half of it. It is too late to replicate it exactly, but you can make something similar. You can, essentially, create another half-soul and attach it to your beloved's."

Subaru glared at her as his hopes were crushed. "I just tried that," he said with clenched teeth. This idiotic girl was wasting his time. "I used a real soul, too. What the hell would a fake one do?"

She shook her head with a tinkling laugh as if he had said something especially silly. "Echidna made the seal using her essence, not another's soul. A Witch's essence, filled with the world's loathing, should have clashed terribly with Satella's love. However, guided by the Book of Wisdom, she subverted all that should be impossible. Incredible, is it not?"

It was disturbing, not incredible, but Subaru said nothing. He was too busy berating himself for not realizing any of that.

Pushing aside thoughts of Echidna's disgusting essence coating Satella's soul, he looked at Pandora and asked, "What about now? How can I save her?"

Pandora's smile widened, and her eyes gleamed. She took a deep breath, spoke a few words…

…and was promptly ejected from the mansion.

Subaru panted, but not from the exertion of teleporting her outside. Merely hearing what she had told him was enough to make him sick. He said he'd do anything for Satella, but that was too much, right? He couldn't ever do something like that, even if it would save his wife, even if he could have a child of his own flesh and blood, even if he could have a happily ever after, even if everything would be okay, even if –

He groaned and pounded his fist into his head. He needed a bath. The alcohol and the smell of ash, death, and vomit were getting to him. Yeah, that had to be it. He just wasn't thinking rationally. He wouldn't normally consider making a choice like this.

But… he had always said that Satella was more important than anyone else. He needed to put her first. He'd do anythingfor her.

'Anything.'

Even long after he had finished bathing, that word echoed through his mind, stuck in an endless loop. By questioning this, did that mean he wouldn't do anything for her? There was a limit, right? Was… was his love a lie?

No. It wasn't a lie. Some actions were just too unfathomable, right?

…Nothing was unfathomable. He couldn't live without her. He was nothing without Satella. He had to remember that, or he had no chance of saving her.

'Pandora could be lying,' he reminded himself, but the thought was tossed aside. She'd never been able to lie while looking into his eyes.

For what felt like the hundredth time that day, he shoved his head in his hands and groaned. He had met some psycho stalker an hour ago, and she was already messing with his mind.

And yet… he was actually considering her horrifying proposition. He had to. He had no other option.

Geuse sat down on the couch beside him, interrupting his thoughts. Subaru wondered when he himself had sat down. Was he that deep in thought?

The spirit cleared his throat. "It didn't go well, did it?"

Subaru brought the bottle to his lips and drank greedily, drilling holes into the wall with his eyes. "T-take… take a fuckingguess," he snapped.

Geuse frowned. "Lady Satella would not approve of you being in such a state."

Subaru wiped his mouth with his sleeve and glared at Geuse. "T-tell Lady Satella that she… that… ah, fuck! Don't l-look at me like that! Her! Look at her! Tell her that she's g-got two weeks left to live, and it's all my fucking fault!"

With that, he vanished, leaving behind a shocked, heartbroken spirit.

He appeared in a white, snow-laden forest clearing. The rest of the forest was bright and lush, but this one area felt like it didn't belong in this world. At the center of the space was a massive black door from which the feeling emanated. Part of Subaru wondered if it was Hector's power, and if the Warlock could escape at any point.

'His melancholy sure spreads from it,' Subaru thought. He always felt like a failure when he sat near it.

But he didn't come here just to be melancholic. Instead, he wished to speak to the one person who might possibly be able to understand what he was feeling.

"Back again?" the familiar voice asked, announcing his presence.

Subaru sat down and leaned his back against the Seal, closing his eyes as he did so. "Y-you know it," he said, holding in a hiccup. He felt so… lethargic. At least it would be over soon.

'It doesn't have to be,' he thought, but stubbornly ignored it. He'd be gone regardless of what he did.

The cat-like spirit, residing on the outskirts of Elior Forest, wrinkled his nose at Subaru. "You're drunk," Puck accused. "I've never smelled more than a drop of liquor on you, yet now, I'm surprised you're conscious."

Subaru scratched roughly at his arm. "I've s-sobered up a lot," he said defensively. "Look, it's… My life is a mess, all right?"

Puck flew down and sat on Subaru's shoulder. He leaned his head back against the Seal, mimicking the Sage's position. "Satella still isn't well, is she?"

"Do you really have to ask?"

Puck sighed as he contemplated their unfortunate position. "She saved my life," he said quietly. "I don't… I don't want her to go."

Subaru laughed bitterly. "You're preaching to the choir here."

They were silent as they submerged themselves deep in their thoughts. Then, Puck meekly asked, "How can I help?"

Subaru closed his eyes as Pandora's poisonous words came back to him. He wasn't really considering this. He was still drunk, that's all. He hadn't sobered up that much. He refused to say these next few words. He'd never say something like this.

…But he'd do anything for Satella.

"Stand by, Puck. I might need you soon."

Puck nodded grimly. Immediately after, he vanished into thin air, having sensed a familiar, powerful, and very angry presence.

A blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman looked down at Subaru with her face set in a deep frown. Not only had she not seen him in over a month, but now he shows up outside of her home, looking like he got in a tavern brawl and lost miserably.

"This pisses me off!" she yelled, stomping her feet and creating shockwaves. "My friends aren't allowed to look so sad!"

Subaru kept his head down. "Hey, Minerva," he mumbled. He was the shittiest person in the world for talking to her like everything was normal. "Been a while since you last visited."

She glared at him. "I've visited weekly for the last five years. That hasn't stopped since you decided to hole yourself up in that dingy old lab."

He closed his eyes and mumbled, "Right, sorry. I'm just a fucking idiot who wasted time trying to save someone who can't be saved."

'Even if there is a way,' he thought, but it just made him feel worse.

Minerva's anger faded away in the face of reality. She took a deep breath and sat down beside him. "I'll miss her, too," she said quietly. "I'd use my Authority to heal her, but…"

"But it wouldn't work, anyway," Subaru finished for her. They had already tried that. "She's now only got two weeks to live, and then I'll be alone, and it's not worth living, and I don't know why I bother waiting two weeks, and –"

Oh.

"It's going to be okay," Minerva soothed, holding him to her chest. Utterly stunned, Subaru could say nothing in response. Her mere touch was enough to bring him to complete sobriety, but the sorrow remained in full. "Remember that there are so many people who love you, just like you love them."

In an almost motherly gesture, Minerva began to rock him. "In the beginning, it may have just been Satella, but your family has grown. You have Shaula, and Daphne, Geuse, me, and I'd say that even Typhon wouldn't mind being considered amongst that group. They need you now more than ever."

Tears threatened to leak from his eyes. He had promised Satella that he would save her. He had abandoned Beatrice, so why should he care about Minerva, or Typhon, or…

…or Daphne.

He didn't deserve to call Daphne his daughter; he had lost that privilege the moment he considered Pandora's harrowing proposition. He deserved nothing but the most painful of deaths, as befitted a monster like the Sage.

And yet, the way he was being held right now… He felt so loved; how ironic, considering that they were both loathed by the world.

Could he really do it? Could he follow through with his promise and put Satella first? He… He had to, right?

Part of his vows passed through his mind. "You are everything to me, Ella. I can't live without you. No matter what life throws at us, I vow to always protect you. You can count on me."

Hot tears soaked Minerva's shirt, but she ignored it. She stroked his hair as he mumbled to himself – something about sickness and health. For the most part, however, she was content to let him cry it all out; she had grown more patient in the last couple of years, after all.

Eventually, Subaru gathered his thoughts enough to speak. "I need her," he croaked. "I'm nothing without her."

"That's not true. You're a father," Minerva corrected, squeezing him tighter as he flinched. "Daphne shows it in weird ways, but she loves you and Satella so much."

He paused as her words washed over him. "…You're right," he said at length. "Daphne loves Satella. She's just like me. She'd do anything to save my wife. Anything, anything, anything!"

Minerva pulled back, looking at him in concern. "Flugel?"

"You would, too," he proclaimed with wild eyes. His breath hitched as a lump formed in his throat. "I'm not crazy for considering this, right? You'd all do anything to save her! I'm not alone in thinking this! I love her! I'm not crazy!"

She placed a hand on his shoulder, frowning deeply. "It's getting late," she said with uncharacteristic quietness; she was gentle, as if knowing that he was fragile and could break at any moment. "Why don't you go home and get some sleep? Spend some time with your wife."

She looked guilty, like she had something to tell him, but couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she put on a wavering smile, saying, "Satella and I have a lot in common, so I bet that her husband's presence will mean a lot to her."

He couldn't meet her eyes. With his breathing still heavy, he nodded absentmindedly and disappeared.

He found himself in one of the mansion's many guest rooms – there was no way he could face anyone at the moment. How could he, when he was considering this? He'd lose his resolve. Did he even have resolve? Could he do this? If he didn't, then that meant he didn't love Satella, but he loved her more than anything, and he couldn't live without her, and –

He slammed his head into the wall in an attempt to silence his racing thoughts. It didn't hurt nearly enough. He reached for his dagger but found himself interrupted.

Ice-cold arms wrapped around him from behind, sending a shiver down his spine. "This is the only way forward," Pandora murmured. She turned her head to the side and leaned into him, pressing her ear into his back. She closed her eyes as she listened to his heartbeat. "The joy she will feel upon finally being saved… Why, that's a payoff to remember for millions of years."

He whirled around, tossing the stalker off him. "Get the fuck out of here," he growled. "You disgust me."

If anything, she seemed excited at his words. "To hear your wonderful voice filled with such passion… It's almost enough to make me forgive you."

Subaru scoffed. "For what? Kicking you out of the mansion?"

She shook her head at what she deemed a silly response. "It is your ignorance that hurts the most. I was everything to you, my treasured one, yet you do not know me."

"Not my fucking fault."

Her otherworldly sapphire eyes, brimming with emotion, pierced through him. "You're right," she said quietly, surprising him with her sincerity. "I meant everything to you, yet I shattered your heart into a million pieces. I destroyed our chance at a happy ending… and I'll do anything to get it back."

Instinctively, he reached out, intent on taking her in his arms and telling her that it was okay. Her happy ending was right here with him and Satella.

Suddenly, he jerked back, disgusted with himself. "Stop it," he seethed. "Leave my mind alone, or else I'll –"

"Or else nothing," she said calmly. "To fight the feelings in your soul is futile."

She strode up to him and placed a hand over his heart. She closed her eyes, reveling in the pulse beneath her fingertips. "Fourteen days… The clock is ticking, my treasured one."

He lunged towards her, but she was never there to begin with.

Bereft of vengeance, he gripped his dagger with white knuckles and took his anger out on himself. The smell of iron replaced the ash, but he didn't feel the pain he deserved. He moved further up his arm, slicing into his charred torso. The agony from Echidna's flames had never diminished, but that just enhanced his relief.

Still, no matter how deep he cut, the thoughts wouldn't leave him. It was more than just a consideration now; he was planning.

He angled the knife, turning a cut into a stab. He couldn't trust himself to make the right choice. She was his daughter, and she meant everything to him...

…but so did Satella.

Shaking hands brought the dagger up to his neck. A single movement, and no one would be hurt. He wouldn't have to decide.

He would protect Daphne from the monster he had become.

He tried to plunge the dagger into his throat, but, in his drunken state, he couldn't hold onto the knife. It fell to the floor, clattering for a moment before it went still. It was mocking him, he could tell; he couldn't even kill himself to save those he loved.

He reached for it again, but he soon succumbed to the blood loss and fainted. Looking back on it, he realized how much better things would have been if he had succeeded in killing himself then and there.

Thirteen days remained. He hadn't left the guest room. He simply laid on his back, his blood-caked arms outstretched as he stared up at the ceiling.

Perhaps he could utilize Priestella? The city was in its infancy, and its denizens owed him a great debt. Surely, the land could easily be repurposed. When Typhon visited the mansion in a few days, he could take her there and –

"Flu-Flu looks hungry!"

Subaru quickly gathered the blankets around his body, hiding his wounds. Daphne had eaten the door and was now standing at the edge of the bed, looking at him with her wide, golden eyes. He used to always tell her how pretty they were and how some boy better not take her away. Now, he couldn't even bring himself to look at them.

"Hey, Daph," he mumbled. "Thought you would have left for the Tower by now."

She ignored his comment, choosing instead to take a deep breath through her nose. "Smells like food," she said with a face-splitting grin. "Flu-Flu is planning to eat a lot soon, isn't he?"

With a start, he realized that she wasn't talking about breakfast.

"I would never!" he yelled abruptly. She wasn't fazed. "I wouldn't even consider it!"

'You're lying,' his mind whispered. It sounded like Pandora.

Daphne knew it as well. She shrugged and said, "As long as I'm full, I don't care who Flu-Flu eats."

Of course, she'd say that. She had eaten her entire species, likely after driving them all insane like she had done to her birth parents. She was a monster beyond human comprehension. She was a calamity and would have been hunted down without Subaru sticking up for her. Hell, one day, she would probably eat him, too.

He smacked himself across the face. He shouldn't think like that – shouldn't try to make some stupid justification for his plans. Daphne hadn't done a damn thing wrong since she had made that promise to him. She wouldn't hurt anyone, let alone her family. She would do anything for them.

'Anything.'

Subaru scratched roughly at his arm. "Daphne," he called out quietly. She stopped munching on the bedpost and looked at him with wide eyes. "You'd do anything for Satella, right?"

She gave a fanged grin. "Tella-Tella is nice and gives me lots of food."

That wasn't enough. "Would you give up eating to save her?"

Daphne froze. She looked like she was about to instantly deny it, but then she thought about it. At long last, she let out a quiet, "If it's for Tella-Tella or Flu-Flu, then I think so."

He darted forward and embraced her, catching her off guard. "Thank you," he whispered. "You're so… God, you're incredible, Daph."

She looked up at him strangely when he said that. For a moment, he wondered why… and then he realized he hadn't said anything like that in almost a year.

Well, that was about to change.

"I love you so much, Daphne. I swear on my life and my own name that I will always protect you, no matter what. You mean everything to me."

She cocked her head to the side, visibly confused. "But… Tella-Tella comes first for Flu-Flu."

Subaru's mouth dried up, and he shut it with an audible click. He wanted to tell her that she was wrong, that she was also his number one, but he couldn't.

Daphne shrugged, unbothered by his silence. "Flu-Flu wants to feel full. Tella-Tella is Flu-Flu's hugs and tables."

She said it so matter-of-factly, it left him speechless. All he could do was hug her tight as his mind raced.

Was this approval? Would she not hate him? How was she okay with this?

'She isn't okay with it. She has no idea what's going on.'

He shoved that thought down. This was her approval, and it was enough. It had to be enough.

But… why? Why did he need approval? He wasn't going to do this. There was a limit to his "Satella first" philosophy, and Daphne was that limit. He refused to take action.

He balled his hands into fists. It wasn't fucking fair. He shouldn't have to decide. He loved Satella, but he also loved Daphne. She was just a kid, she was his kid, he couldn't do this to her!

The young girl opened her mouth to tell him something important, but Subaru had already disappeared from her arms.

In the courtyard outside of the mansion, the air itself felt heavy with power. A gigantic dragon raised itself off the ground, creating earthquakes that could be felt the world over. Glittering blue scales gleamed in the sunlight as Volcanica looked upon the Sage.

"What troubles thee, child?" it rumbled. The words themselves were thick with mana, and Subaru shivered as they passed through him.

The former human grimaced and tugged on his sleeves, hiding last night's activities. "Ella's going to die," he said in a flat voice, "unless…"

Volcanica lowered itself to the ground until his massive head was nearly touching the stone. It let out a puff of air, and, for the briefest of moments, Subaru's torso didn't burn. The pain came right back as Volcanica prodded, "Unless…"

Subaru averted his eyes. "Satella saved your life," he said, knowing full well what kind of debt that put people in. "If I, hypothetically, had a way to save her, would you help me?"

As he proposed the basic outline of a plan, Volcanica's serpentine body shifted with discomfort. "Thy mind is twisted, Sage," it said, "and thy heart is of dubious purity."

"It's for Satella," Subaru said, even as Daphne's eyes appeared in his mind. "What the hell is purer than the desire to save my wife?"

"Thou misunderstands mine hesitation. 'Tis not whom thou wishest to save, but whom thou mustest sacrifice."

Subaru narrowed his eyes as he held in a flinch. "You're the Divine Dragon. This plan is perfect for you. You hate them."

"Thou dost not, and neither doth thy wife."

Subaru didn't know how to respond. After all, he wasn't actually planning this, right? He was just… throwing things out there. He wasn't going to let any harm befall Daphne or anyone else he cared about. At the end of it all, he would find another way to save Satella, or he'd kill himself.

Volcanica sighed, enveloping Subaru in steam. Inching its snout closer, it said, "Mineself shan't deny thy request. The one who saved mineself must be saved, and mine goals align with thine own." It leaned in even further, letting one golden eye stand as tall as Subaru. "However, knoweth this, Sage. If thou takest this path, then thou shalt lose thyself to the shadows."

Subaru let loose a bitter chuckle, surprising Volcanica. With a wry grin, he said, "I lost myself the moment Satella collapsed in front of me, barely able to breathe."

At length, Volcanica said, "The world loveth the Sorceress above all else. To forceth this unto her wilt bringeth about a darkness beyond the most dreadful of nightmares, the most unspeakable of horrors, the most terrifying of monsters."

"That won't happen," Subaru said heatedly.

"Thou cannot seest the consequences through thy grief." Volcanica's words shook the earth beneath them. "Canst thou truly promise that, in the end, Satella will be freed from her sorrow?"

Subaru wanted to shout "Yes!" but couldn't. Besides, this was all hypothetical, right? He wouldn't do such a thing.

...That wasn't true, was it? Perhaps… he should stop deluding himself.

"She'll be sad," he said quietly. "She won't fully get over everything that happened, but with time, she'll be able to heal. We'll have a family of our own, even if it won't replace those we lost. Maybe she'll resent me, or maybe she'll forgive me, but she won't leave me. No matter what happens, we'll always love each other. Even if I should be dead, even if I don't deserve her love, even if I should have followed through last night, I'll still wake up by her side. She'll smile at me and wish me good morning, and then we'll go to check on our daughter."

A small smile spread across his lips. "A baby quarter-elf with silver hair and dark-brown eyes. As she grows up, we'll worry about some boy trying to take her away, but she'll always come back to her mom and dad. Maybe she'll even get some siblings. Wouldn't that be amazing? All of us, just living our lives together.

"I don't deserve to be a father, especially now, but… I don't think that Ella and I can die from natural causes. We have a pretty long time for me to change and atone."

Suddenly, he laughed, but there was no mirth. "That's a fucking lie. I'll never change. I'll never deserve a kid. Satella will leave me. She'll curse my name, and rightfully so… but she'll be alive. Even if it's not with me, at least she'll be around to take another breath.

"I'm not the hero of this story; I never have been. I'm just a guy who'll go through hell to see her smile." He raised his head and held his ground. "Stand by, Volcanica. We will save her, no matter what."

The mighty dragon, worshipped by millions as their god, lowered itself to Subaru's level. "Mineself's goals align with thine own, and mineself wilt putteth mine trust in thee, Sage."

Subaru gave a sharp nod in response, but doubt flooded his mind. What the hell was he talking about? He couldn't do this. Satella wouldn't just curse him; she'd kill him, and he would await her condemnation with open arms. The mere thoughtof doing this to Daphne made him want to vomit.

Screw his speech; he had just been rambling. There was no command to give. He'd find another way.

The next day, he sat in his lab, but he wasn't looking for any alternatives. 'This is wrong,' he thought. He tried to scratch his arm, but it was difficult in his drunken stupor. 'I'm not doing this. It's not just some prisoner this time. It's just a plan, right? Yeah, just a plan. I'm not really doing this.'

He downed his whiskey to silence his traitorous mind. It tasted like shit, but it did its job.

"Twelve more days," he murmured. He clenched his pen tight as Pandora whispered it back.

The ethereal woman encircled her arms around his neck, placing her lips close to his ear. "Your resolve is beautiful, my treasured one. The dedication… The desperation… This is who you are supposed to be."

He shook her off, uninterested in her advances; even the strange feelings she had placed in his mind didn't include any attraction to her whatsoever. "Get the fuck away from me. I'm just brainstorming."

"This is quite detailed for a mere brainstorm," she said drily. She leaned in over his shoulder and looked at his notes; the gesture was more reserved and far less intimate. He found himself relaxing at the familiarity, much to his bewilderment.

"Ingenious as always, my treasured one," she extolled. "Well-thought and deliberate, unlike my trial-and-error methods. But when we worked together… Oh, what a pair we made."

He ignored her ramblings. Stalkers often constructed a narrative of a life with their victims, believing them to the point of delusion. He and Satella had seen it in a few of their admirers, though he'd never met one so… off. It was probably her weird mind magic thing.

He paused. Come to think of it, he was completely unaffected by Authorities like Daphne's and Carmilla's. Why would some weirdo – albeit one with teleportation – be able to affect him so powerfully? Then again, magic was different from Authorities, and Subaru was most certainly vulnerable to that; Echidna had proved it with a single word.

Pandora placed her finger on his notes, circling part of it. "This one won't work," she said, taking him out of his thoughts.

"And why not?"

"You need fire."

Subaru blinked. "Fire? Why would – oh. Yeah." He scratched out part of his diagram and wrote a few notes. "Thanks, I guess?"

She looked euphoric, the fucking creep. Who the hell gets excited over premeditated murder?

She regained her composure and pointed to some other spots. "Your writing is shaky," she noted, "but mostly for these two sections."

Her eyes flashed with inexplicable emotion as she circled a blank part of the paper. "And this… Why, one spot is completely empty. Is the mere thought of losing that child so inconceivable to you?"

Frustration boiled beneath his skin. "It doesn't matter," he said curtly. "I'm not implementing any of this."

"Is that so?" she asked with that same ever-present smile. "Then, surely, it should not be so difficult to merely theorize?"

He grit his teeth. Why couldn't she leave him alone?

She barreled onwards relentlessly. "It's difficult because you love them. Wonderful, is it not? You cannot bear the thought of harm coming to them, let alone inflicting it yourself."

"Bullshit," he spat, hating himself more with every word. "They can all go to hell. I only love Satella."

Her smile faltered slightly. "And me, once," she whispered. "Again and again, I will prove my love until you remember our bond."

She tried to cup his cheek, but he batted her hand away. With fire in his eyes, he commanded, "Out. Now."

She shook her head, putting the smile back on her face. Getting back on track, she looked at his notes and said, "Your plan makes sense, but we cannot reach our desired future as it is."

He narrowed his eyes, silently demanding that she stop. She didn't seem to care.

"You need all of them," she said softly. "To falter is to fail. Besides, the child gave her approval, did she not? You can now –"

"Goa."

A single word, calm and collected, turned his notes into ashes. "I'm not doing it," he said in a dead voice. Pandora's plan was no longer an option. "Screw what I've been saying; I'll protect her from myself if it's the last thing I do."

Pandora simply stood there with the same knowing smile.

"I'm going to say goodbye to them all," he said. "It's the least I can do for them, even if they won't understand what's going on."

He looked disparagingly at Pandora. "Fuck those notes, and fuck you for putting these disgusting thoughts in my head. Now, get the hell out of my sight."

Fuck his former indecision. He had only twelve days left to live, and he needed to make the most of it. He turned on his heel and left the room.

He found Shaula first – or, rather, she found him. With a crash and the sound of shattering glass heralding her presence, she picked herself up and tackled him in a hug. As her excited babbling washed over him, he wrapped his arms around her and mumbled, "Hey, Shaula."

This was wrong, unfair. He didn't deserve her affection. She was going to despise him, just like Satella… but he was selfish. He wanted to experience her warmth for just a little longer.

Shaula nearly melted into his embrace, but soon put on a glare. "It's been two days, and Master hasn't given me any attention, nope!"

He flinched. "I mean, you can live without talking to me, right?"

She gasped and looked at him in horror. "Live without Master?! Not possible, nope! I need you, and Mother, and Other Mother, and Geuse, yup!"

Subaru had thought that his heart was already broken, but something shattered inside of him at those words. Through the lump in his throat, he said, "N-nah, you'd be fine. You're Shaula. Y-you're the strongest person I know. You're incredible, you know that?"

She pulled back, disturbed. "Master?"

For some reason, her face was getting blurry, but he kept moving forward, speaking words he didn't know he was still capable of speaking. "I know it's not the way you wanted, but I do love you, Shaula. How could I not? I created you. You're everything I could ever want in a daughter. You're kind, and perfect, and strong, and loyal, and –"

Shaula jerked away, plastering a smile on her face. "M-Master is acting reeaally weird, yup!" She backed away from him slowly with her hands held protectively in front of her. "Wh-why don't you get some sleep, and then everything will go back to normal, and Master will love me for real, yup!"

He wiped his eyes with his sleeve, molding his face to match hers. "Y-yeah, don't worry; I'll take a really long nap soon, all right?"

She wasn't appeased.

A bead of sweat dripped down from his forehead. Why was she so freaked out? Did he say something weird? Was she…

Ah. So, that was it.

He forced out a scoff. "Look, I'm busy right now, so why don't you… I don't know. Go do something until I need you."

To his great disappointment, that seemed to make her feel better. She skipped away, saying she was going to play with "the big lizard outside, even if he's a massive cynic."

He waved goodbye, perhaps for the last time, but she didn't see it.

He took a deep breath. Weren't dying men supposed to cherish those? Wasn't he supposed to marvel at the blood pumping through his veins, the oxygen filling his lungs, and the cool air on his skin? Why didn't he feel any of that? Why did he feel like he was already dead?

'Because you only feel alive with Satella.'

If he had any other option, he would keep fighting for her. He'd keep trying to save her without violence… but there wasno other option. His plans had turned to ash, just like the prisoner whom he had pointlessly sacrificed. He refused to destroy the home that he had so painstakingly cultivated. He –

He walked into his room.

Satella lay sprawled on the bed, somehow having lost even more weight. Her skin, usually a creamy white, was almost grayish in hue. Her breathing was ragged, as if she had run for hours.

She hadn't gotten up since he had set her down two days prior.

A familiar presence came up behind him and set a hand on his shoulder. "She woke up for a moment yesterday," Geuse said gently. "She thought I was you. To think she's so ill that she would fall into delusion…"

Subaru's mouth dried up. He couldn't say a thing. All he could do was look at his wife's weak, prone, unmoving figure.

"You really should visit her more," Geuse continued. "I know it is unbecoming of a lowly spirit to advise the Sage, but Lady Satella needs you. Surely, your search for a cure could be put on hold for even a few minutes every day?"

Subaru barely heard the spirit over his raging thoughts. To think he had almost given up and left her to die… He didn't deserve her. He didn't deserve a damn thing.

This was what happened when he allowed himself to care about other people.

"There's no time for a simple visit," Subaru said coldly.

Geuse sighed. "I suppose you're right. Lady Satella's life comes first to you, and understandably so. I cannot fathom what actions the Od Laguna would take upon her death."

Subaru grimaced. "Nothing good," he muttered. When Satella's soul had been split, the Od Laguna went crazy, giving massive amounts of its "love" to a few random people. Reid Astrea was one such person, and thousands died as a result. Subaru didn't want to think about what would happen if Satella actually died.

He closed his eyes in pain. It seemed that, either way, he had to make a choice. Unfortunately for some, he had made that choice a long time ago.

Without a single word of parting, he teleported to the kitchen, grabbed a few bottles of liquor, and went into his lab. On his desk were his notes, completely intact. Normally, he would question such things, but he was already finishing off his first bottle.

He scoffed when he didn't even feel tipsy. Had he already started building up a tolerance? That was fucking stupid; he hadn't been drinking that much. He quickly started on his second bottle, and only then did the buzz take hold.

He held out his arm and looked at the glass critically. He'd need to buy a lot more of this shit if he were to get through the next two weeks.

As he drank, he found himself writing once more. The details were cold and objective, though his hand shook like crazy.

'It's just because of the alcohol,' he told himself.

The plan was simple. He wanted to kill himself for writing it.

He abruptly slammed the bottle into the desk, shattering it. Glass shards littered the floor, but he didn't give a shit. He held the jagged remains of the bottle up to his throat. It was the only way to protect his family.

...His family. He would have a family in the future, but only if he took drastic action.

He had no real will or resolve. The last couple of days had proved it. Could he really follow through with this? Would he be able to save his wife?

He needed to be held to his decision, or Satella would die. He needed someone to do that for him, but who? He couldn't ask Geuse, of course. Shaula would say something to destroy his resolve. He couldn't ask Daphne for obvious reasons. The thought of asking Satella was laughable. Farsale would lecture him, and Volcanica probably would, as well. He didn't even consider Reid.

He had only one person he could trust. Through the fog of his mind, he gained just enough bearing to call out:

"I need your help, Pandora."

He subconsciously reached out as if trying to take her hand, but she had never stopped grasping it. She looked at him with excitement and desire, like all of her dreams were coming true at that moment. Like the chime of a bell, she said, "I am here, my treasured one. To hear your gentle voice call my name is a blessing that cannot be understated." She kneeled between his legs and took his hands in hers. "To have a moment like this… This world may indeed be the one I was searching for."

He tried to wrench his hands away, but her grip was firm. He snarled and said, "Don't get any ideas, you freak."

Her eyes flashed with a strange emotion he couldn't quite identify. "Such aggression, and with such scary eyes… I'm afraid such things frighten a sweet girl like me."

What, so now she was scared of him? The same action had seemed to almost arouse her when he did it before. Just how unstable was this girl?

She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, just like he had done to Daphne when he healed her all those years ago. However, that same disgusting feeling tried to creep under his skin. It was almost like looking into Daphne's eyes, or standing anywhere near Carmilla; if he didn't know better, he'd think Pandora was a Witch.

"Let's put our animosity behind us for a moment," she whispered. "A fight between us would be marvelous indeed, and the heavens themselves would shake with our loathing and love… but we are almost out of time. You need to enact your plan, and fast."

Now that one of his hands was free, he grabbed another bottle and took another lengthy swig. Gasping for some much-needed air, he panted, "I-I need… resolve."

She tilted her head in confusion. "But you are defined by your dedication and desperation, my treasured one. You are… Ah." Her smile faltered slightly. "The Witch of Gluttony's influence is stronger than I had anticipated… The similarities are a bit uncanny, come to think of it."

She bit her lip as she thought. "A contract," she said at length. "You must see your task through to the end. In return, the optimal future will be made available to us.

"Normally, we would tie the contract to one of our souls, but you don't have any regard for your own life, and I… Well, the Od Laguna might not like that. It pains me to do this, but I propose we use my princess's soul as collateral."

A slap resounded through the room. The mere suggestion filled Subaru with burning rage. This time, however, he didn't throw her out of the mansion. He wanted to blame it on the alcohol leaving him more open to her suggestions, but he knew that wasn't the case.

Pandora let the stench of whiskey overcome her before putting a hand up to her reddened cheek. She then looked down at herself and the vulnerable position she was in. "O-oh," she breathed. "I-I didn't expect you of all people to… W-well, I suppose I deserved that reminder."

Subaru felt a pang of regret in his heart, and it pissed him off. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Stop it," he growled. "This stupid mental magic thing of yours – just fucking stop doing it."

Her eyes flitted to his, and she quickly put her smile back on. "I cannot change your feelings or your innermost thoughts," she confessed. "Your soul is filled with the world's loathing, and that lets you remember your love for me."

He grumbled about stalkers and their delusional fantasies, but let it go. Talking to Pandora was like talking to a brick wall. Bringing them back on track, he asked, "Why should we use Satella for our contract? She's been through enough."

In a soft voice, Pandora said, "No harm will come to her through this contract. You will make sure of it. This will merely prevent you from straying."

At her words, he slumped in his chair; he couldn't deny any of that. She looked at him with eyes filled with understanding, but he doubted that she understood a damn thing. She then stood, gesturing for him to do the same. He eyed her warily, downed the remainder of his drink, and joined her. She was only about a head shorter than him, which once again filled him with a distinct sense of wrongness; she was supposed to be only a bit taller than Beatrice, and she certainly wasn't supposed to look like an adult.

He shook his head to clear it; the alcohol was supposed to lower his inhibitions, but it came with the unfortunate side effect of making him more susceptible to delusion. He rubbed his eyes and blinked, finding himself in the Forbidden Library. Had he even teleported? Or had Pandora done it instead?

The platinum-haired woman crept towards the sleeping Satella, brimming with excitement. "Beautiful," she murmured. "The love of the world shines from your soul like a star on the cusp of a supernova. You are mine to claim, to control. You are magnificent, my princess."

Subaru almost vomited upon witnessing Pandora fawning over his wife. He had already strangled Reid for this kind of thing, and he'd gladly do the same to Pandora, but he had a feeling that it wouldn't have the intended effect. All he could do was grouchily ask, "Are you done? You're freaking me out."

Pandora's eyes twinkled, but she didn't look away from Satella. "My sincerest apologies, but I need to show my princess how much I love her."

Then, without an ounce of hesitation, she leaned in… and pressed her lips to Satella's.

Subaru darted forward and pulled the psychotic bitch off of his wife. He pinned her to the wall by the throat, hating how she was completely unfazed. "What the fuck was that?! No one, and I mean no one assaults my wife and lives!"

Lidded sapphire eyes gazed back at him. "Truly, a wonderful taste," she whispered with a blush. "She is indeed a soul worth fighting for."

He slapped her again, threatening to kill her once more, but she didn't react quite as strongly as she had in the lab. She merely gave a shaky smile and quipped, "Y-you know, people typically had to pay before behaving in such a way, but I suppose I can make an exception, just this once."

"The fuck are you talking about?"

"P-please, don't worry about it. It is merely the mutterings of an ungrateful child who doesn't know her place."

He felt anger at her vague statements, but he didn't move to slap her again. Her eyes, often filled with eagerness, serenity, or rapture, looked so… dead. Who the hell was this girl? Why was she so insane and unstable?

Why was she so… broken?

Even though he hated her and wanted her dead – even though she had assaulted both him and his wife and had tormented him for the past few days – his soul reached out to hers. He cared about her, and it sickened him. It didn't make sense; he wouldn't feel sympathy for some other girl in this situation, so why this one?

'Who are you, Pandora?'

He let go of her and stepped back. He didn't know how he felt. Defeated? Resigned? Confused? Angry? Some strange amalgamation of all those and more?

No, that was wrong. He didn't feel any of that shit. He merely needed her for his goals. He'd use her, then he'd throw her at Farsale's feet to be executed.

He stood between Pandora and Satella, acting as a shield. "Look, can we just… get this over with? We're running out of time."

Pandora took a moment to collect her thoughts. "Y-yes, of course. Stupid, careless me, always making mistakes."

He ignored her mumblings, knowing that nothing of substance could be gathered from them. Gazing directly at those unnerving sapphires, he held out his right hand, and she grasped it eagerly. "A contract," he began, "between Flugel –"

"The Sage," she interjected. "Bind it to your very soul, my treasured one."

He frowned. Wasn't that just his title? Nonetheless, he amended his statement: "…between the Sage and Pandora."

Pandora continued, saying, "Abandoning this task will result in the death of the Sorceress. Her death will not occur while she sleeps, as it does now. Instead, she shall slowly burn, experiencing pain of the highest order. Her soul will shatter into nothingness, so she will never return to the Od Laguna."

Subaru's mouth dried up; the thought was too much for him. Yes, it would give him resolve, but could he really do that to Satella? There was no way he could risk her soul like that.

Pandora's smile remained fixed, but her shining eyes glimmered with her unshakeable faith in him. "I only suggest this because I know it will never come to pass; you will make sure of it, my treasured one. You will save her."

He took a deep breath and nodded. He could do it. He'd save her. He'd keep her safe. This was only for his own internal motivation.

Come to think of it, could they even do this to Satella? Did contracts work like that? For all intents and purposes, they shouldn't; the Od Laguna required consent from all parties involved. Then again, the Od Laguna gave a "free pass" of sorts to Satella; that was what made her so valuable to Echidna, after all.

He gulped. This was it. This was the moment that decided his fate. No matter what he chose, his family would be broken. The world would never be the same. He felt like he couldn't breathe, he didn't want to breathe anymore… but he knew what to do. His soul belonged to Satella, now and forevermore.

'I'm sorry, Daphne.'

With a broken heart and an unwavering voice, the Sage spoke:

"I swear on the Od Laguna to kill the Witches of Sin."