Warning: suicide inducement, mentions of torture
Your mother's mind is getting delirious at this point. Indeed, she filed a bail to fix some stuff and sent some cash to Kuchel anonymously for your hospital bills. However, as soon as she got out, she felt like she was being followed, as if there was an eye lurking around the air, watching her next move, hunting her down.
And she's right because as soon as she opened the supposedly empty house and turned on the lights, there was food prepared on the dining table. It smelled like soup, the same one she had cooked that day. Someone's here but she couldn't see it yet. Perhaps it's Levi or his siblings who are up for some serious talk. It's okay. She's prepared to face them. She just wants to sort things out until her verdict comes. She's willing to pay for it, at the very least.
She examined the house then. It's cleaned nicely, maybe it was them who did. What daunted the dining table wasn't just soup, though.
There's a kitchen knife beside the bowl. Her stomach churned.
It doesn't take long for her to realize that the person in question is standing just beside your bedroom door. He's leaning on the wall with his arms crossed.
The man was Erwin Smith, the reason she became hysterical that day.
Erwin does not move at first. He's just blankly staring at her. He's benign, unnervingly so. When he realized she wasn't planning to greet him, he did it himself. "Pardon my intrusion. I came here on Levi's behalf to grab some stuff. Seems like the one you stabbed needs to stay in the hospital for a while." The blonde said. It was tranquil, gentle even, but with a completely perilous gleam in his eyes. It tells a lot about how he intends this night to go.
Indeed, she's ready to face her sins but she prefers it to be by the law, which is bloodless and doesn't entail the need to resolve whatever emotional dispute she had with her estranged child. After all, what she did will not erase the fact that her child is still the one who instigated this world and the reason why her life is designed to be full of suffering. A condition she's not in control of, all because of the man standing right now.
"Sit down, madam."
"What's the knife here for?" She gestured to the thing beside her.
"Oh, that. Consider it as a bargain. You can have a peaceful dinner with me where I'll ask a handful of questions and forge some sort of arrangement, or you may use it to stab me, the same way you did to that girl."
She sighed tiredly, "Just tell me straight on what you came here for. I'm not an unremorseful murderer like you think, even if my child—"
"She's not your child." He interjected, no hint of spite or lament, just a flat remark. A harmless correction. "You are in no way worthy of being associated with someone like her."
"You're not the one to speak here. You're the reason why I lost myself that day." She spat.
"Then you might as well use that on me or choose the bloodless path. What do you think?"
He doesn't look like messing around with this bargain. She doesn't know what'd happen if ever uses this weapon and doesn't want to do so again. "Fine, let's talk. But I'm not comfortable having this knife as we do, I'll be putting this—"
"Don't touch that." He cut her off. It's not benign this time. It's a command, a warning, and just like anybody who'd hear such a tone of voice, your mother followed by instinct.
Erwin slowly walked towards the table, sat down on the chair in front of her, and had the knife rest beside him instead. He gestured for the woman to do the same. "I also made dinner, a small act of gratitude for letting me in your home."
She definitely did not let him in. Despite the forming derision, however, she still sat down. "I don't have the appetite to eat. I told you to be straight to the point in this talk."
"That's unfortunate. Why? Is it because I offered the same food you used to kill her?" Erwin sounded very curious and even before the mother could retort, he added. "I dreamt of that girl crying while eating soup. She clearly didn't have the appetite too but she still ate. I wonder what makes you think that you have the privilege to follow what your appetite speaks of."
The calmness of his voice jabs the woman like a knife, deep enough to spurt what's churning inside her stomach. She has important questions to ask, one of which being his own remark, but she just couldn't utter that so easily. Not when Erwin is resting his palm on top of the knife as if to silently tell her that since she had chosen not to use that on him, he holds that privilege now instead. She shakily reached for the bowl of soup he prepared.
"Is this drugged?"
"Did that girl ask you that question when you served her the same dish?"
"Don't act as if you got the ascendancy here. My daughter—"
"She's not your daughter."
"Stop!" She banged her hands on the table. Erwin's still unmoved. "That girl existed because of you. She had this world and she's not supposed to exist anymore but because of you—" She let out a shaky exhale as if attempting to tone down her disdain. "Everyone tied to her by blood suffered."
If Erwin's utterly shocked at the revelation, he didn't show any sign of it. The agenda of this dinner completely turned the other way and he's now beyond interested to see how this would turn out. "Tell me more as you eat." His demeanor changed for good. He's done messing around and it doesn't take the mother's astuteness to realize that.
"Is she back in that world? If she is, then what I did must be predestined. All in favor of her motives. All of it to save you. So don't speak to me as if you're completely in the right. She's doing all of this because of you." She spat out. He's expecting Erwin to act enraged by now but that's beyond her concern anymore. If she'd be killed tonight then at least she'll be free from this life, an existence that had nothing but suffering.
However, Erwin clicked a smile instead. A deranged one.
That face alone transcended the fear of her own demise. She gulped down then. She knows better than to speak in that tone again. The man in front of her is not in any way normal. If she were to be killed by him, it might not go the way she prefers it to be.
"Now I'm completely interested to know. Elaborate it, then. Don't let any details slip." Then finally raised the knife. No, he didn't point it at her. He just played a finger on its spine casually. As if it's just a silly toy.
So she did. She told him about the parallel, what's granted for Wahren's descendants such as them, the conditions needed so the bearer could use it, and lastly, the reason why you still existed in this world. She doesn't know everything so there are still so many questions to be answered.
"So you're saying," Erwin rested the knife again. He's still holding the handle though. "That since she intended to preserve the will of the people from that world and had us live those here, she'd cease to exist now?"
"She is not supposed to exist in the first place. That's all I know."
"And so since she existed, the condition applied for those who remember the other world is what's bestowed upon her instead?"
"That might be the case. Anyone who remembers that world will be subjected to suffering including those tied to them by blood. Also, that condition is in line with her goal to save you."
"The situation revolving around saving me in that world, how did that work?"
"Wahren took pity on her so the power he never used as the founder was used for her instead. And if you're telling me that she's now partaking in changing your fate, then she'd be gone here for good after doing so."
She had to avert his gaze away from Erwin after saying that. He looks utterly grim and it doesn't help that he's holding a knife. "Are you really thinking that what you did was predestined? That you're devised to stab her with a knife so she could go back and use the power Wahren had granted her?" He sardonically remarked.
The extreme mock in his voice almost shrank down her entirety. Whoever he is in the other world, he's definitely a dangerous one. "O-of course. What other reason would be there if not that?"
"That if you controlled yourself and you're not a fool, she'd live longer in this world and perhaps die due to natural causes or accident. Do you know what you are in that world?" He taunted.
"I'm not interested to know."
"You're a convicted criminal. A serial killer in the underground. You left your two children to die. They were kept in by a damned-in-the-head officer handling your case, left on the road to die again because she fought back, then enlisted in the military so they could have food to eat and clothes to wear." It was as if a cold bucket of water was thrown at her, and when she shot a look of disbelief at the man, she realized how utterly deadly he looks right now. "So what's the rage for? You think you deserve to be with your son? Tell me, if that boy were to face you right now, what do you think he would say?" She didn't respond. She can't even bring herself to speak. When the silence got too much, Erwin huffed a wry chuckle as if he just realized something. "What's with the face? Finally realized how arrogant you've been all this time? Thinking as if that girl is the one who did you wrong? I bet you really think her death is nothing because she's not supposed to be here in the first place, as if your existence is way beyond her. That's why you're so desperate to justify what you've done to her all this time. I hate to break it to you, then."
The mother's composure finally faltered. She started to shake and in an attempt to tone it down she clenched her fists. She wasn't able to hold down her cries, though. Erwin watched her blankly and waited for her cries to be louder until throwing another dagger. "She gave you another chance to live, to redeem yourself and become the mother you failed to be. What have you done instead? Do you think you could have a new life if someone were to use that power again?" This time, he genuinely waits for a response. When she just kept on crying, he tapped on the table two times. "I asked you a question. Answer."
"I didn't mean it!" She shrieked. "That's why I kept a distance from her all this time. Because I don't want to be the wicked person that I am now!"
"Now? I see you're still thinking so highly of yourself. Your existence is inherently wicked and the circumstance subjected to you had nothing to do with it. You must consider your son lucky he wasn't born as your child. It's quite amusing that you really thought of blaming her for that considering how indebted you are to her." Erwin then slid the knife onto the table towards her. "You're going to pay for these debts for countless lifetimes but you're as good as dead in this one. That's what I came here for. Consider this as my parting gift."
"No, I can't. I'm sorry. I'm afraid to—"
"To die? I told you, you're as good as dead. I'm just giving you the leverage to do it yourself."
And despite all that, she realized she couldn't lead herself towards her own demise. That's why she begged Levi to do it instead and when Isabel remarked that the police were on the way, it was a desperate act to end her suffering.
But now? She can't do it now. She's afraid of how painful it'd be. Stabbing herself with a knife will make her bleed to death.
"Are you scared?" Erwin gently asked as if to comfort her. She almost threw up out of terror. Upon not getting an answer again, he stood up and walked towards her trembling figure that can't even raise a finger because of how horrified she is. Erwin knelt down, reached for her hand, and gently held on to them. His thumb glided on her knuckles. The gesture was almost sweet and sympathetic. "The only good thing you've done in this world is giving birth to that precious girl so I would be more than glad to help you."
"Yes, please." The mother shut her eyes tight and tears continuously pooled down her face. "I can't do it myself."
He then opened her hand and grazed her fingers. "It's good that you don't tend to spend money to fix your nails. You have twenty of this and I have pliers in my house." He reached for the knife but didn't point it at her. "Or I could use this and just wrap your mouth up with a cloth to keep people from hearing you. You stabbed that girl in her stomach so that's where I'd go first, but I'm not getting you drugged. I'm not that low. I prefer you to feel it raw. I'm quite a busy man but I'm willing to allot a whole day for you as well. We'll start by morning and end by dusk."
The woman immediately swatted her hand from him then, jumped back in panic, and fell on the chair. She scurried away from him until her back bumped into the wall. Erwin stood up and walked a few steps until he was in front of her again. When he crouched down and faced her on the same level, he wasn't sneering anymore. "If she wakes up in two weeks, then you live and pay for it in court. However, if she stays unconscious and you're still alive on the fourteenth day, your death will be slow. If you dare run away then prolong your suffering. I could dedicate the rest of my life here to hunting you down." He finally stood up again and walked to get his things. The agenda's accomplished now. "It might not be obvious but my profession in that world revolves around sending people to hell and the only being that kept me at bay until now is struggling in the hospital bed as we speak. If I'm the reason she existed again only for you to take her away from me then the only choice I could give you is what slow method would you prefer to die." He finally gestured to walk out of the house but glanced at her for the last time. "The food's not drugged. I intended that to be your last tranquil supper after all. It'd be a waste if you wouldn't savor it."