He sat there in silence, staring at his now dead friend with blurry eyes. No matter how much he rubbed his face, the tears wouldn't stop coming. Memories of their time together floated to the surface of his thoughts while he hugged Simon tight. He sniffled, then whispered in a hoarse voice, "You weren't supposed to die... no one was!"

He slammed his shivering fist onto the ground until it reddened from the cold. Even then, he wouldn't stop punching the snow as curses spewed past his chapped lips. The names of the lost ones flooded into his mind, along with the realization that he was responsible for their deaths. "All of them are gone, while I'm still breathing. They shouldn't have died like this!"

It's all that wretched king's fault! If he hadn't taken the deer from their families then―

He didn't dare finish that thought. For even acknowledging it would bring on more sobs. Instead, he yelled and cursed at the wind for not carrying them higher. Once his voice weakened and his tears stopped, he let go of Simon.

Krampus then stood with staggering legs, numb from lack of movement. He turned around, only to see the snowy land filled with deer, young and old. The stench of iron and fried meat infiltrated his nose, causing bile to rise from within. All of them were electrocuted to death, it seems. A shaky breath escaped him when he spotted Henry in the distance, or what looked like him, as his head was disfigured beyond recognition, lying in a puddle of blood.

The demon gulped, then ran. His feet pounded onto the ground while he dashed through the snow in an attempt to wipe the horrific scene from his mind. He didn't want to look at them. He couldn't. Instead, he watched from atop a hill feets away as the snow swallowed up the lifeless corpses. Gently and gracefully, it danced above them, offering the comfort of silence in the midst of Krampus' grief.

It didn't take long for his sadness to transform into anger. It pumped through his veins, riddled with the desire to destroy the land tainted by Santa's sins. To him, the king was to blame. He clenched his teeth, glaring at the mighty ice castle. The king wrote his death wish the minute he stole the life of the first fallen reindeer. However, something else needed to be done first.

Snapping his fingers to open the portal, he jumped in and landed right in front of Vanilla's cell, ignoring the creatures hidden in between. She bolted up, startled by his sudden appearance. Drool coated her lips as she clung to her pillow. She pushed her chaotic bed hair down to glare at him. "What the hell? Always popping up when I'm sleeping..."

Krampus didn't let her finish. He covered her mouth with his finger and whispered, "Simon's dead."

At first, she laughed. It was a back-bending one, loud enough to echo through each corridor of the dingy jail. It reminded him of the church bells he woke up to as a kid, allowing a wave of tranquility to wash his anguish away for a moment. She pushed her fingers on her cheek bone after she calmed down, her lips still curved into a smile. Amber curls wrapped around her shoulders when she looked at him with a crossed arms. "This isn't the time for jokes, Krampus."

Krampus shook his head. His voice cracked when he insisted, "No, I'm serious." He couldn't look her in the eyes. For in them reflected his own unforgiveable sins. "He... he died, along with the other reindeer."

Vanilla stood still. The pillow slipped from her grasp just as Simon's last words had escaped Krampus'. Her hands curled into a ball, then slammed the wall. "Fuck! All of them? Damn that king!" She crouched down, covering her mouth with her hand while glaring at the ground.

"Vanilla..." The demon could only respond in broken sentences, even when his throat was overflowing with unspoken words. Excuses, apologies, anything to take away the sorrow that possessed them. But that wasn't what he came for. He didn't care if she hated him afterwards, as long as she knew the truth.

So he swallowed his emotions down and spoke. "It wasn't him. It... it was me. Simon, Henry, Clyde, Dasher... I killed all of them." It was his fault, undeniably. Without his interferring, Simon and the others could've lived a little longer. Maybe they could've even seen their loved ones. Instead, their lives were cut short because of his foolish optimism.

In an instant, Vanilla's arms were through the gaps of the prison bars as she tried to land a hit on her old friend. "How could you? You promised me no one else would die, you fucking cunt. Simon was our friend―they all were!" Her voice was thick with raw emotions, slicing through any consideration he had of attempting to explain himself.

She growled and screamed, swinging her arms with all of her might as tears slid down her cheeks. "I should've never trusted you. You're worse than the king."

Krampus could only hold his tongue, letting her scratch and punch him as long as she wanted. Vanilla had every right to be angry; the friends she and Krampus grew up with were gone because of him. The pain was nothing compared to remembering how enthusiastic the deer were to see their families.

Families that would never be complete again.

Even the jail was silent; her angry howls had caught the attention of every prisoner. She gripped his tuff of fur, pulling his face down to hers. "How many people need to die before you get it through your thick skull that everyone's not as invincible as you?!" she spat, each syllable coating his face in a veil of saliva.

Krampus' face scrunched up in self-disgust. By then the tears were gone, replaced by the overwhelming regret of ever coming back. A part of his wish'd Simon never picked him up from the South Pole. He shook his head, raising his voice to protest, "I didn't mean to. They wanted their families―I didn't think this would happen! Why would I want to kill Simon, Lilith or anyone else other than the king? It was a fucking accident!" Nothing he said would ease her sorrow, that he knew, but at least he got to hear her laughter before crushing her heart. "I'm sorry. It's all my fault, and nothing will change that."

Her hands tightened around his neck. "Did... did you just say 'Lilith'? The cook? You fucking killed her too?" She squeezed harder for a moment before shoving him away. "She, she was my best friend. Now she's gone, because of you." Sniffles and coughs replaced her soft-voiced scolds for a moment. Then, her eyes widened as if she had come to a realization. "I get it now; you're on the king's side. Is that why you were friends with me and Simon, to keep an eye on us like Santa's lil' bitch?"

His eyes widened at the accusation. A dryness crawled up his throat, making it uncomfortable to speak. "What? No, that's not it, I just―"

She held her hand up to stop him. "Get out. I don't want to see you anymore."

"Vanilla, listen―"

"Get the fuck out, you monster!" she hissed, glaring at him hard enough to freeze him in place. "To think I was such a fool. Trust a demon and look what happens." Chuckles erupted from her, broken by her hoarse voice when she added, "I hope you die along with your master."

He watched her trembling shoulders, desperately wanting to wrap his arms around them. Fighting back the urge to do so, he stood with clenched teeth. Watching her hurt like this twisted his stomach more than Santa's sword ever could. "Don't worry," he croaked out through a bitter smile, "after this night, you won't see me anymore."

Death was the only way to redeem himself. So many people died because of him, even if it was involuntarily. He only wanted the best for them, but by thinking of their future he took away their present. They were forced to knock on Death's door early, and it was time for him to do the same.

Vanilla refused to speak with him. She was too devastated by the loss of her comrades. The image of her sobbing face engraved itself into every corner of his mind. His eyes lingered on her for a few silent moments until he muttered, "I still have things to do. Farewell," before walking away. Indeed, there was one last thing on his to-do list before he could rest in peace. If he was going to die, he'd bring Santa down with him.