It was quite dark at night, but soon it was disrupted with screams of agony and then a final gasp before voices were completely cut off. Anthony's fangs were drenched with blood, his hunger at bay, as he threw his third victim's lifeless body back inside Mayfair. In normal circumstances, one or three victims are enough to satisfy his thirst, but tonight he still needs more to last his trip to Aubrey Hall. Looking around in the dark night, he commanded once again while focusing on his next prey. "Come to me."

A few minutes later, two more men emerge from Mayfair, and Anthony smirks at Fife and Cho's faces, the men who were the reason for his Kate heard that conversation and formed her worst opinion of him. He did not give them a chance to scream, as one by one he pierced their necks with his sharp fangs and drained life out of their bodies.

As soon as he was finished with them, he summoned his next victims to pass the barrier, and unlike others, Anthony did not extend their mercy by putting them in a trance because he wanted to feel the horror and agony that they were about to face. "Good evening, Sharma Hags. How are you fairing in your miserable life?"

The ugly old hags whimpered in fear as they pleaded with him. "Please, Lord Bridgerton! Please kill us once and for all! We cannot take this punishment any longer." Anthony's dark eyes flared as he pulled Mary Sharma closer, and like always, she began to scream in agony, feeling Kate's agony all over again as her body, instead of ageing, began burning as if someone had poured acid on her. "You told her to leave, and my Kate was such an obedient daughter to you that she left this world by taking her life! You want death! No, death is merciful; it takes away all pain and disappointment in life, but you, Mary Sharma, are going to live with them for eternity with your ungrateful daughter, and that's my vow to you." "No! No! Please! Ah!"

Anthony pierced his fangs in her neck, and unlike other residents of Mayfair, he viciously fed on her until he all but ripped the flesh off her neck. Edwina Sharma screamed in horror, but she could not move a muscle because Anthony was holding her body frozen in place. She watched as he threw his mother's body on top of the pile of his victims before turning towards her. "Now it's your turn, you greedy, selfish brat.

With a snap of his fingers, Edwina felt unfrozen; she was about to move when his monstrous voice commands her. "Come here." She was shaking in tears as she crossed the barrier, and once again she screamed as she was again in her Didi's head. She saw all of Kate's sacrifices, her pain, her pure love for Anthony Bridgerton, but more than that, her purest selfless love for herself and her mama. She heard her accusation piercing her Didi's heart, and she saw how her Didi's soul completely shattered when she heard Half Sister's wretched mouth. She saw her will to live gone when Mama told her to leave, and like always, she fulfilled their wishes as she died in Anthony's arm. "Please stop! I am sorry! I am so sorry! I wanted to tell her we were wrong! Please, Lord Bridgerton! We have suffered enough already!"

"No, you haven't! Your suffering is my Kathani's happiness, and I will make sure that Kathani's soul will stay happy for eternity while you suffer until this world ends." With that, Anthony began to drain her blood, and once again, when she died, he felt triumphant laughter erupt from his mouth as he threw her lifeless body on the pile.

Anthony was hysterical as he realised how happy his Kathani was going to be in the coming days. He then reached out under his coat jacket and retrieved two gold bangles encrusted with diamonds as he gently traced his finger on them. "Soon you will be back where you always belonged, and Kathani will live her happiest life by my side."

Suddenly he felt the air around him shift, and sure enough, he turned around and saw that man again staring at him with his black eyes and expressionless face. "You know I have a more important job than this." Anthony shrugged as the man walked towards the pile and inspected today's collection. "Sharma woman again? You already killed them a few days ago."

"I did it because they tried to talk with my Kathani, and then I thought they would be perfect victims to scare her away." "Ah yes, that all-gruesome theatrical play you put up for Kathani to scare her away." "And it worked until earlier, when she was thinking about returning to this cursed place. It was great that my powers helped me to hear her conversation and mind about Mayfair. I am taking her away from London so that she could drop her plans to return here."

The man sighed because he knew what he was planning to do next. "So you already set a plan in motion to move back to India with her, didn't you?" Anthony gave him a guilty look as he confessed. "I am scared of her staying in London, especially of her returning to this place. You know my powers do not work on her like they do on others, and so to protect her, it's important that I take her away from this place, making sure that she never sets foot on it for as long as she lives."

"And once again, you will make sure the cycle continues spinning without any problems." The man inquired, and Anthony gave him a long look as he stared at his victims. "Enjoy your souls, Death; I will serve you again when I return from Aubrey Hall."

With that, Anthony turned his back on Death, and in a second, he disappeared from Death's side. Once alone, death sighed weary of this game as he flicked his hand, and soon all souls erupted from the piles of bodies. The souls trembled at sight of him, but death has to keep his side of the deal, even though he now stared to feel sorry for these poor, unfortunate souls. "Enjoy your trip to hell." "No!" The soul wails, and death snaps his fingers as souls are sucked into the darkness.

He only waited one second as he snapped his fingers again, and the men's souls returned from hell, enduring one life of punishment as their lives were restored in their bodies. Well, not everyone has returned yet, as Sharma women still did not return, and death has to wait for six minutes until they return from hell after enduring punishment for each lifetime Kathani Sharma has existed on this earth. Once their lives were restored, both women looked shaken to their cores as they stared fearfully at his face. "Please just kill us! How long will this punishment continue?"

The death sigh, as he plainly told them. "As long as you are not forgiven, there will be no forgiveness for your soul." He watched as they hobbled away back into the darkness of Mayfair, and his mind went back to a place far away when he met Anthony Bridgerton for the first time.

( Flashback)

Death was roaming on the green fields, enjoying this day as he waited for his next delivery. Suddenly he heard three young boys running, and it seemed two younger boys were chasing the older one. Hoping to get some amusement out of this, he suddenly made himself visible, and the oldest of the boys collided with him. "Ooof!" He looked up, and Death saw deep brown eyes staring back at him as the boy craned his neck to get a good look at him. "Be careful there, boy, or you could be hurt."

Behind them, two younger boys halted in their steps, and they both huddled behind the oldest boy, who seemed like he was the elder brother. Death noticed the oldest boy was clutching what seemed like a black mallet that seemed a little heavy for an eight-year-old. "Are you three brothers? If yes, then why are you chasing your elder brother?"

"They want my Mallet of Death!" The oldest boy complained as he clutched the mallet closer. "My uncle told us to choose one Mallet from the set, and these two fancy the same Mallet I chose first, especially when I named it already." The Death burst into laughter as he watched an angry look on his young face, and somehow his laughter managed to scare off the younger two boys who ran away, but the boy remained unfazed as he stood angrily clutching the black Mallet in his two hands.

Once he composed himself, he held out his hand for Mallet, but the boy stepped away, shaking his head. "I do not know you, sir. If I did not give my Mallet to my brothers, then what makes you think I will give it to you? Who is a complete stranger roaming in our lands?" "Your lands, I apologise, my Lord, but I did not mean any harm to you; I am actually here to see Mr. Perkins." The boy gave him a sad look as he informed him. "Mr. Perkins is gravely ill; he has been our family steward since my grandfather's time. It make me sad to see him in pain, and they say he will die because of it."

Death kneeled down so he was on level with the boy. "Are you Anthony Bridgerton the son of Edmund Bridgerton?" "It's Viscount Bridgerton, sir, and some day I will be Viscount just like my papa." Death gave him a sad smile as he put his hand on his shoulder. "In that case, you must always remember something, and that is that death does not bring pain; it ends it once and for all, and no matter how much your steward is in pain right now, his suffering will end once he is gone in a better place."

Anthony frowned at him and then tilted his head as he innocently asked. "So his suffering will end, but his family sufferings will begin. I know everyone will be sad to lose him, especially Mrs. Perkins, who is as old as him. If he dies, then what will become of them?"

Death was speechless because, for an eight-year-old boy, he seems to feel deeply in his heart. Before he could even say something to ease his worries, a woman's voice reached their ears, which the boy recognised as his mother. "I have to go, sir; my mother is calling for me." He was about to leave when death called him. "Wait a minute, can I ask why you named your Mallet, Mallet of Death?" "It's a powerful name, and since no one can defeat death, I thought no one would defeat me." With that, the boy ran away, not being aware of the fact that he had gain himself special place in Death's existence."

(End of Flashback)

Death appeared at Anthony's house and watched him quietly slip beside his Kathani as he soon fell into peaceful sleep. He crept closer, and it was remarkable that after all these years in sleep, his face turned into the same carefree Anthony that he was before that fateful day.

(Flashback)

Death watched it all—the hunt between the father and now his young son, soon to become a man. Unlike other times, Death wanted to stop this from happening, but there are things that are absolutely set in destiny, and one of them was the death of Edmund Bridgerton. So he watched as the bee stung him and how his face changed as his breathing became difficult. By this time, Edmund's wife has joined them, and death watched as Edmund Bridgerton took his last breath in the presence of his wife, his firstborn son and last soon-to-be born daughter."

With his powers, he made it quick and pulled out his soul. Edmund Bridgerton, like others before him, was shocked to see his fate as he watched his family cry over his dead body. "No, no! Not like this! Please, my wife will not be able to live without me! My child has not born yet! My son is not ready to take care of all this! My other children are too young! Please let me return to them." "I am sorry, my friend, but your destiny was written the day you were born; it's time for you to move on." Death flicked his fingers, and a door opened with great light. Edmund was about to step towards it when they heard his wife scream as she pushed her eldest son towards his siblings. "They cannot see him like this! Anthony, go to them! But mother! Anthony go!"

"She did not let him stay; he deserves to stay; he deserves to mourn.' Edmund was trying to embrace his son, but Anthony walked right through him, and both Edmund and Death watched as Anthony Bridgerton opened his arms to embrace his young siblings. "He is going to take care of them; you can now feel at peace and move on." But Edmund stared brokenly at death as he asked. "But who will be there for him?" With that, Edmund Bridgerton stepped into the light, but Death did not leave the place, as he had been wondering the same question for a long time.

(End of Flashback)

"O!M!G! This place is so awesome!" Sophia squealed as she all but ran towards the beautiful country house, and seeing her enthusiasm, Newton barks as he runs after her. Anthony, however, was stepped back in time because, like always, Kathani was completely mesmerised as she took in the beauty of the house. Wrapping his arms around her, he whispered into her ear. "Welcome to Aubrey Hall, my lady." "Oh Anthony, this place is so beautiful and feels like I am home." Anthony smiles as he holds her closer while they admire the house. "This is your home, darling; you have no idea how long it has been waiting for you."

Kathani thought she misheard longing in his voice as she turned to stare at him and once again found the deepest, purest love for herself in his eyes. She was about to pull him in for a kiss when a familiar and unexpected voice reached her ears. "Kathani! Beti!" "A gift for you, my love." Anthony smirked at her confused face before turning her around, and Kathani gasped when she saw two people emerging from the house, followed by Sophia and Newton. "Amma! Appa!"

Anthony watched as Kathani beamed tearfully before rushing into her parents embrace. Anthony gave them a moment to embrace their daughter with all the pent-up affection they must have been keeping for days. Kavari was prepping small kisses on Kathani's face as she hugged her tightly in her arms. Milan Iyer was holding both of them. "I missed you so much! Your Appa and I were completely hopeless without you." Kathani wiped her Amma's tears and heard her Appa sniff as she wiped his eyes too under his glasses. "I missed you both too, but how did you arrive here?" At this, both of them turned to stare at Anthony as her aunt informed her. "Your Anthony sent his private jet for us to surprise you; that was one of the fastest plane rides of our lives. Your Amma was praying the whole time, but in the end, it was worth it to see this look on your face."

Anthony then stepped forward to greet her parents, and to their surprise and delight, he touched their feet in respect. "வணக்கம் Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, and welcome to Aubrey Hall."

Milan was completely surprised, but Kavari put her hand on his head before affectionately touching his cheek, as she sincerely said. "Thank you, Beta, for bringing us here and for taking such great care of my daughter." Anthony blushed, feeling overwhelmed by their praises, and soon that emotional moment was over as Sophia joined them. "Thank God Amma, you are here. Now please get them married soon because I cannot stand their gooey romantic looks they give each other all the time. Do you know she has been living with him all this time? And don't make me start on the damage she caused to Anthony's things."

"Sophia! You tattle tale!" Kathani screeched as she ran after her friend, and Newton chased them, making Kavari laugh as she followed after both girls. Milan was laughing as he turned to Anthony and seriously inquired. "Are you sure you know what you are getting into? These women kept me on my toes for more than three decades."

Anthony smiled as he clutched Kate's bangles in his jacket pocket. "It's my greatest wish to take that responsibility from you, Mr. Iyer. There is more than one reason why I brought you both here." Milan looked curious as he finally took out the bangles from his jacket and the small box from his other pocket. Milan stared at these century-old gold and emerald bangles, and when Anthony opened the box, he found a matching gold ring with huge emeralds encrusted between them. "These have been in my family for a long time, and sir, I need your blessing so I can present these jewels as a token of my love and propose Kathani for marriage." Milan gasped, feeling happy but also shocked by this sudden request. "I am happy for my daughter, but isn't it too soon? I mean, if you are worried we are a traditional Indian family and frown upon you dating our daughter, then do not worry, my son, because truth be told, we only want Kathani's happiness."

Anthony sighed as he stared at his home. "Trust me, sir, there is no one in this world who wants Kathani's happiness more than I do, and as for your concern about this proposal happening soon, tell me, sir, why should I delay making her my wife when I found my soulmate in her?" Milan tilted his head because this was her daughter's greatest wish that this young man was saying in front of him. "How do you know for certain that she is your soulmate?" "I just know, sir; just like I know I existed only for her, I know for certain she was born just for me, and that's why I beg you for your blessing." It was then that Milan Iyer smiled as he patted his back. "You have my blessing, son. I am happy that my daughter finally found her soulmate, just like she always wanted. Now come, let me fill you in on the craziness of these Iyer women and how to handle them because, as you said, they are your responsibility from now on."

As they walked together inside the house, they did not know someone was watching them. Death was impressed because Anthony Bridgerton worked fast, and over the centuries, he saw how determined that man could be when it came to his Kathani.

His musing was disturbed when he felt another presence beside him. She was more beautiful than any woman and more dangerous than any being. Her dark violet eyes were fixed on Anthony's retreating form. "Watching over your prodigy, Death? Aren't you bored with him already?"

"Hello, Curse, How are you doing today?" He greeted the woman, who yawned in boredom. "I am bored; people these days are not much fun; they all are reeking havoc on their own without needing my help; at least you do not have to face that kind of problem with your job." Death sighed as he offered her instead. "You can always take my job; I am sure you will thrive in it."

"Na, you know I cannot hear the cries of all those souls who were forced to leave this world." "Not all of them cried; don't you remember how peaceful Kathani Sharma was when I took her soul?" Curse eyes were lost as she clearly recalls that day when Kate Sharma died, but at that time no one knew, not even Death and Curse themselves, that her peaceful death would steal the peace of many, especially of one particular person. "I remember Kate Sharma, but what I most remember is how you intervened for the first time in existence, all because you were trying to protect Anthony Bridgerton from his fate."

In that moment, Death felt a shiver of unknown horror as he was forced to recall what could have happened if he had not intervened that fateful day.