Everything is falling apart. Including me. Twice, carrying Erza from my apartment I was stopped by concerned pedestrians. Twice, I told them she was too drunk. The lie came out easy and was embellished by the dress I put sloppily on her body. Now I just look like a self-entitled council member that gets his women drunk before he enjoys them. That's fine. My reputation can suffer. I'm only sad about Erza's dress, its zipper broken because my fingers shook too badly. Despite that, I am a good liar. I don't know whether to be proud of that or not. Erza believed me. I almost wish what I told her was true. When she looked at me like I could be redeemed… I believed her. Not only that, I wanted to believe her. But I know that Zeref needs me. Soon, Erza will know too. Soon, she'll see that this is the way things are meant to be.

The carriage I have at my disposal took Erza and me to the docks without question. The driver was a good man, one that believed in the government and the Magic Council. I killed him anyway. It truly does get easier with experience.

From there, I cradled Erza to my chest and climbed aboard the small sailboat I dubbed Quonteronk. Tying her up was hard. It wasn't something that I wanted to do. Laying limp against me, she looked so small and helpless… not Titania, queen of the fairies, but the scared girl I had called Scarlet so long ago. If I could tear out my heart, I would. I'm sorry, Erza. I'm sorry. Can we go back?

No.

This is a one-way track. I just hope that when I hold her tight and tell her that I love her, she believes me. Otherwise…

Otherwise what? I can't stop. Not for anything. No. I will use my projection, I will put on my best face and I will tell my best lies because that's what liars do. I will tell the council what they need to hear. Then I will hold Erza close and wait for the end.

We can walk into the night together.

Erza came awake a bit at a time, the sound of sniffling bringing her into the conscious world. Blinking her eyes, she looked into a bright, bright room. There was a splotch of black for her to focus on. Jellal knelt before her, his hands limp at his sides. He just stared. His cheeks were wet, his eyes red. Erza's heart drummed along at a good clip.

"Jellal?"

He refocused, his head tipped back so he could meet her eyes. "Erza…" He said her name like it actually caused him physical pain.

Erza swallowed; her mouth was dry. Her arms ached. Tilting her head, she saw that her wrists were tied firmly together, her arms wrenched over her head, the rope used to tie them looped around a metal hook. Being so restricted caused her physical panic. "Jellal, what's happening?"

He rubbed the back of his hands over his cheeks like a child and stood so he was face to face with her. His nose was red and his eyes puffy. "I'm sorry."

Erza's lungs felt too small. "Sorry? Sorry for what? What have you done?"

"I brought you home."

Erza blinked at him for too long. "Home?"

He nodded vigorously, looking half-excited and half-terrified. That's what scared Erza the most. That was the look of a zealot. Feeling hardly brave enough, Erza looked over his shoulder at the room she was in. It was wide and open to the stars, illuminated by the light of the bone-white moon. It can't be. She imagined the tower without all of the floorings, as it was the last time she'd seen it, barren exposed metal dotted with the blood of slaves.

Things started tumbling in place. "I thought you said you didn't complete it?"

"I'm sorry," he said again.

Her heart sank. "You're not better, are you?"

"I was never broken." He said it so vehemently, she almost believed him. "Soon, Zeref will be resurrected and we'll all be free."

Erza pulled at her magic then, trying to don some armour—anything to make this stop. She couldn't. The rope used to tie her up was nullifying. The first helpless tear leaked out of her eye. "You need help. This isn't right, Jellal. Untie me, please."

He actually hesitated. "Don't you want to be with me, Erza?"

More tears came. "You know I do. More than anything. I love you, I always have." It was terrifying how much she meant those words. "But this… it's not right. Untie me. I can't… This place—"

"It haunts your dreams still."

"Yes." Exactly. "Jellal, please."

"I can't, Erza. I'm sorry." How many times could he apologize? It wasn't enough.

"You can't, or you won't?"

He thrust his hands through his hair and pulled it in frustration. "I can't. Since you left, I have waited every day for this moment, Erza. Every. Day. Do you know what that's like?" He staggered to his feet and leaned in close. His eyes were brimming with tears again. "I wanted to see you so badly."

Erza swallowed. "I'm here now. You don't need to tie me up to get me to stay. Just come away from the tower. I won't leave you. We can get you help and—"

"I don't need help!" Erza flinched, all at once doubly scared even after Jellal composed himself and rested his forehead against hers. He cupped between his palms. "I'm sorry."

Erza wanted to recoil, but not only did she not have anywhere to go, she just couldn't. She couldn't explain it, either. She took a short breath. "If you were truly sorry, you'd release me."

"I can't." He sounded like he actually believed that.

"Why are you doing this, Jellal?"

"Because I love you."

She laughed humorlessly. "No. If you truly loved me, you wouldn't have me tied up." The fear was retreating and in its place, the anger was coming on strong.

"Don't tell me what I feel," Jellal returned. "You left me here, Erza. I needed you and—"

"Not this again," she snapped. "You've already told me your lies. You could have left the Tower of Heaven all those years ago. I wanted you to come. I begged you."

He smacked the wall beside her head so hard that the resounding clap left her both dazed and momentarily deaf. "I couldn't. I still can't. Zeref has hold of me and he won't let go until he is revived!"

When Erza recovered, she said, "When will you stop lying? Has anything you've told me been true? Where are the children you enslaved here?" She raised her voice. "Hello!" It echoed off the smooth white walls and was lost to the midnight sky.

"It's just us here. Ultear said she'd be along shortly," Jellal said. "I wasn't lying when I said I sent them all away, nor was I lying about Zeref."

Erza believed him. She started to cry again, unable to help herself. "Please, Jellal."

"Stop asking." He was clutching his head again, shaking it back and forth looking mad. "I have to bring him back. I have to. It's the only thing I've lived for. When you went away, Zeref led me through the darkness. He was there for me. I can't turn my back on him."

It sounded very much to Erza like he was trying to convince himself. She sought to dig the knife in further. "Zeref is dead. He's been dead for centuries. The only thing left of him is his poison magic that he uses to manipulate weak minded people like you."

He took in a breath. Two. And relaxed. "I know you're scared and you don't really mean that." He brushed her hair back from her face so, so gently and planted a kiss on the corner of her lips. Erza remained frozen. He broke away and rested his forehead back against hers. "but know that I love you too much to let you go alone—we'll do it together, Erza."

Erza thought nothing could pull her from that stupor. "Do what together?"

Jellal spilled, "Zeref needs a sacrifice. A mage of equal power to a wizard saint. I chose you."

Sacrifice. Sacrifice. The word whipped around her head as she assessed his meaning. When she finally could speak, her voice was whisper quiet. "You're going to sacrifice me?"

"I have to. But we'll be together."

The tears came faster. "I don't want to be together like this." How did this man have the power to unravel her so? She felt like she was breaking apart. "Jellal… Please. If I ever meant anything to you, you'd let me go."

"Even if I wanted to, I can't do anything to stop this, it's already set in motion."

It just kept getting worse. "What do you mean?"

He donned his zeal again. "In ten minute's time, the Magic Council is going to fire an Etherion blast at this tower that will activate the lacrima inside. Of course, they don't know that. They think they're going to destroy the tower with that shot. Afterwards, you'll be taken into the tower's core. When you're dead and it's done remoulding your body, Zeref will be resurrected."

Erza was absolutely stationary for two whole breaths, then she started to writhe, fighting to get off the hook. Jellal grabbed her around the waist and pinned her against the wall with his body. "Shh. Don't fight, Erza."

"Let go of me!" She tried to knee him but there wasn't any space between them.

He tucked his face into her neck and breathed deeply. "I can't."

The tears felt like they'd never stop. "I don't want to die, Jellal, please. Let me go. Let me go and come with me. If the council really has their Etherion cannon pointed this way, we'll both be lost." Erza leaned back to see Jellal better. So close, she could make out every detail of his face, right down to the straight lines used to make his tattoo. He looked confused. Her heart hurt. "I swear, I'll take care of you, Jellal. I promise. We'll fix this. Whatever is wrong with you—"

"Nothing is wrong with me." He sounded less sure than the first time he'd stated such. "You're the one that has the problem. Milianna, Wallie, Simon—they all saw my vision, they all wanted freedom. Why can't you see that and want it too?"

"They never knew what it was to be truly free," Erza replied. "They went from one tyrannical ruler to the next."

"No." Jellal shook his head so hard that his hair whipped in front of his eyes. "I took care of them. I made sure they had a purpose. I made sure that they were never left wanting. I said I was going to be a kinder ruler than the last and I kept my promise."

"You promised me that I could trust you, too, but here we are."

He looked stricken. "Erza, understand—"

She stopped listening to him because the air felt suddenly charged. The Etherion was coming. Desperate, she planted her foot against the wall at her back and kicked off. In seconds she lifted herself up and unhooked her wrists. Dropping to the ground was ungraceful, her high heels were still very much in place and nearly deposited her on her rump. Jellal was there to catch her. His arms were shackles and the Tower of Heaven was to be her prison.