XIBEL watched Jasia's car get farther and farther from his grasp, at the same time, wishing to all the heavens she would meet someone who can love her without any restraints. Someone who wouldn't hesitate, ready to put out the sincerest and purest intention imaginable, for that was what she deserved.

And he could only whisper it for any pursuit of good from his mouth shall turn into a curse.

He had to bear the weight of a necromancer until the dawn of his story.

When he could no longer see the figure of her car, his shoulders groan low as he let go of a subtle sigh. He glanced at the progress bar.

[Character Restoration progress: 98%]

They wouldn't see each other again.

Sinara na niya ang pinto at balak na sanang umakyat sa kuwarto ni Imris, ngunit naabutan niya si Isabella sa hagdan.

"Where's Imris?"

"Nakatulog." Tuluyan itong bumaba at umupo sa isa sa mga sofa. Tinaas nito ang kamay at pinagmasdan ang sinulid na nakakonekta sa kanila nang buong pagtataka. It was degrading, glitching into the unknown. "What's happening here?"

Naglakad siya papalapit sa manunulat at umupo katabi nito. "I am going home. You wouldn't being seeing this thread after tonight."

"Y-you're going back to Fictosa? Iyon ba ibig mong sabihin?" She glanced at him with a troubled look.

"What is that expression?" He squinted his eyes and continued with a hint of tease. "Am I your favorite that it troubled you about my departure?"

"Of course not! Kahit lumayas ka pa r'yan!" Inirapan siya nito at bahagyang tinabig ang kaniyang braso.

"What a relief to hear then." He chuckled. Leaning against the sofa, he focused his thoughts on the things he had been meaning to say. After meeting her, it made him understand the sheer existence of his, of why he ended up as a vengeful monster.

Isabella used his character as a mirror of her pain. The endless disgust and the continuous horror of her past, she engraved everything to him, in hopes that it would make her feel better, or just be heard.

He wasn't stupid enough not to see the end his creator had planned to do.

"Isabella," he called out to her. Inayos niya ang pagkakaupo. Sinalubong niya ang naluluha nitong mga mata, halatang hindi natuwa sa kaniyang binalita kanina.

"Ano?"

"You already have a route of my end, so do not stop yourself from doing it." Pinahid niya ang nakatakas na luha sa pisngi bago nagpatuloy. "Find a way to kill me."

"What makes you say that?" Isabella's eyes circled in shock.

"What makes you continually grieving is because you cannot let go of your past. As someone who has your wretched self, you will have a new beginning when you kill me." Xibel figured that his end would signify Isabella's moving on too. She needed a starting point, and that is by killing him. "Finish the story now and put an end in me, okay? It would help the both of us. I will no longer suffer, and you will be free."

Hindi kaagad sumagot si Isabella. Pinahid nito ang sariling mga luha bago iniwas ang tingin sa kaniya. "You're wrong."

"Huh?" Napakurap siya. How could he be wrong? What was the other purpose of his creation if not death?

"Besides, do you really think I will still have the guts to kill you after meeting you? To me, you are now a real person." Muli siya nitong nilingon at hinablot ang iilang talutot ng patay na bulaklak sa kaniyang pisngi.

"Hey!" angal niya at umusog. "What are you, a child?"

Isabella just giggled and blew the petals on his face. "Can I thank you Xibel?"

"For what?"

"For being here." Napakamot ito sa bangs at hindi makatingin nang diretso sa kaniya, nahihiya sa mga susunod na sasabihin. "No'ng unang beses na sinabi ni Jas ang tungkol sa 'yo, hindi kaagad ako naniwala. How could I believe that, anyway? Imposibleng mapunta ka rito. But here you are now, and I didn't expect you to help me in many things. More than that, you found my daughter. Thank you, Xibel."

"Is saving you from that kidnapper already considered to be many things? I just did what I needed."

"You saved my life too. If it wasn't for your power, I wouldn't be here."

"Well, you gave me this power. It's safe to think you save yourself."

Napasimangot naman ito sa kaniyang sinagot. "Bakit hindi mo na lang tanggapin ang thank you ko? Nakakainis ka na!"

"If that pleases you."

She sighed. "You see, you're not supposed to be a villain. So let me apologize too." Pinagsaklop nito ang dalawang kamay. "I made you this way on a whim so I'm sorry. You could have been so happy with Celestialiana but I ruined it for you."

On a whim? Xibel doubted. Isabella was in too much pain to call it on a whim. Nevertheless, he would let her call it whatever satisfies her.

"If you're really sorry, then finish the story already. Do not make me wait for another year." It was tiresome to bear the loving pain he had for the woman who abandoned him. The continuous questioning from that day, and the enormous scorn of vengeful spite was never a pleasing thing to feel. It was burdensome too. After all, that was the very thing making him unhappy.

"Promise! Tatapusin ko ngayong taon!" Tinaas nito ang kanang kamay. "And pangakong hindi ko rin pababayaan si Imris."

A smiled presssed on his lips. At least this odd place made him feel happiness again.

"I will root on that."

The progress bar appear once again, making his body glitched. For a moment, he lost his vision and a hard blow on his chest made him wince in pain.

[Character Restoration progress: 99%]

"Xibel?" Isabella held his arm. Her voice was filled with worry.

"I am fine." Tumayo na siya sa pagkakaupo. Nais niyang makita si Imris bago siya tuluyang umalis.

"Wait, Xibel." Hindi nito binitiwan ang kaniyang braso. "Don't you want to ask me anything about the story?"

"About what?" He tilted his head.

"Kahit ano!" She sprang from her seat. "As a thank you gift ko na rin, baka may gusto kang malaman?"

"A spoiler?" Xibel remembered the day when Jasia tried to tell him something about the story and ended up not hearing anything. He thought that it would be impossible as the system would forbid any spoiler from his ears.

However, the woman in front of him is a priviledged one. She was his creator, and thus, had the ability to tell him anything.

"Then let me ask you this one thing." He gulped as his heart started to go haywire. It always made him nervous as he thought of Celestialiana. Even hearing her name earlier puts him in a seat of flashbacks of their memories, at the same time, reminding him of the very question he kept wondering the moment she pushed him away. "My bounded soul, Celestialiana . . . d-did she really love me?"

Isabella was taken aback. Hindi nito inasahan ang kaniyang tanong. Ilang saglit bago sumilay ang ngiti nito at tumango. "Celestialiana did love you Xibel. In fact, you're the only one she loved."

Xibel's heart crumbled as he heard those. It felt as though he was rescued by a sudden turmoil. The chaotic mind which had been shouting the moment he was destroyed was hushed for the first time.

He might be able to sleep well the day onwards.

"The earth and the heaven know how much that made me happy, Isabella." He gave her a smile of thanks. "I have confusion on the last thing you said, but I wouldn't ask for more. Knowing her heart is already enough for me."

Tumalikod na siya para umakyat patungo sa ikalawang palapag kung saan naroroon ang kuwarto ni Imris. Nang makarating ay kaagad niya iyong binuksan. Naabutan niya itong mahimbing na natutulog sa kama.

Dahan-dahan siyang lumapit at umupo sa kama upang hindi ito magising.

He caressed her hair as he remembered the day they first met. After everything that has unfolded, it was hard to believe that all of it was a coincidence. He couldn't help but think what if the system brought her to him because of their connnection? Or maybe, they were just bound to meet.

Whatever reason, however, it didn't matter. He was thankful to meet Imris, regardless. After all, she made this odd place playful for him. She made him feel hopeful of the world again.

His Imris who never ran away nor was afraid after seeing him. His Imris who always finds him pretty regardless of how he looks.

Imris, his only daughter.

"I will miss you, my child." He caressed his cheek which was a wrong move because Imris now has awaken.

Imris stared at him, one of her eyes was still half-opened. "Papa? Why do you look blurry?"

She was talking about the glitches. Now that he was one percent away from being transported back, his body was turning into less and less visible.

"You're just dreaming. Why would I look blurry in your eyes? Unless you have become old." He pinched her nose, making her giggle.

"Will you still be there if Imris becomes a granny then?"

"I am immortal. Of course."

Imris giggled once again. Hinawakan nito ang kaniyang kamay bago nagsalita. "Papa, we haven't played in a while. Let's play again!"

"That chasing game again?" Napangiwi siya. Mauubos na naman panigurado ang hangin niya sa baga.

Masigla itong tumango. "Let's play tomorrow, Papa! Play! Play!"

Xibel turned silent for a moment. He stared at her hopeful face, clueless of what was to come. He would not reach the tomorrow she was talking about.

"Papa?" taka nitong tanong nang mapansin ang natigilan niyang mukha. "Don't you want go play with Imris anymore?"

"Of course, I do." Of course he would always be willing to play with her. No matter the times he would lose his breath, she would always be willing to say yes to her.

Unfortunately, he could no longer stay.

"Then promise me!" Imris raised his pinky finger. "We'll gonna play all day tomorrow! All day, Papa, okay?"

His heart ached as he reached her finger with his and uttered the hardest thing in all his life to say. "I p-promise."

"Yey!" Imris put both her arms up as a means of celebration.

Him, on the other hand, fixed the blanket to distract himself from crumbling down. "Now, you sleep."

"Good night, Papa!" As Imris closed her eyes, the progress bar appeared once again.

[Character Restoration progress: 100%]

[Character Restoration is now complete. Villain, Xibel Gregory August Thelonius, will be restored in Fictosa in a few seconds.]

A tear fell from his eyes as he watched his daughter for the last time.

"Good night, Imris."

---

Winty's note: See you bukas for the last chapter!