"What's wrong with him?" Kalandra stared down.
Ace hadn't moved in several moments.
"I don't know," Michael said uneasily, "but we don't have time for this. We need to leave before Albaric gets here,"
"We should just kill him, Michael," Kalandra said severely, "I don't know why you're hesitating. Just let me do it"
Kalandra pushed past Michael.
"Kalandra!" he yelled angrily, "Just wait one more minute!"
"No." Kalandra pulled another blade, " No more waiting."
She thrust the blade toward his neck.
To her surprise, there was a click. She looked down to see the box opened. She snatched the necklace at once and delivered it to Michael. He let out a sigh.
"Finally," he muttered, "That wasn't so hard was it?" he added with a smirk.
Ace stared back without answering. He was completely still with tears still in his eyes. His hand was still outstretched as if frozen. Bird and Clover were still lying at either side of him. The snow was stained with blood.
"Let's go," Michael gestured for Kalandra to grab Bird.
He glanced at Ace once more apprehensively but pivoted swiftly and started walking.
"Why do I have to carry him?" Kalandra protested crossing her arms.
"You really are a delicate flower," Michael said sarcastically. He gave a sigh and turned back, reaching down for Bird instead.
As Michael walked towards them, Bird began to stir. He looked straight up at Ace who was straight in front of him. As he began to rise, Michael yanked him up, dragging him forward.
"What are you doing?!" Bird pulled back, "Let go of me,"
"You can argue later, Bird. We have to go," Michael pulled him once more.
Michael walked on ignoring him but Bird managed to get free. He instinctively went to Ace. Ace was still looking ahead as if in a daze. Bird glanced at Clover's bloodstained body beside and wrapped his arms around Ace. He stared back at Michael viciously.
"Just leave us alone,"
"Don't be a fool, Bird!" Michael turned back.
"We don't have time for this, Michael!" Kalandra argued.
Bird glanced up at Ace. What had happened? His eyes were so vacant, it was like no one was there. Michael began to pull Bird away but he clung to Ace.
"Ace?!" Bird cried.
Ace didn't respond at first. However, his eyes shifted downwards to his hand. The blade materialised in his palm. He wrapped his fingers around it. Then he held it to Bird's throat.
"What are you doing?" Michael froze.
"Give me the necklace," Ace said with a completely blank expression.
"Ace?" Bird searched his face in shock.
However, Ace's eyes didn't meet his. He pulled the blade closer to Bird's neck. This time he grabbed Bird tightly with his free hand.
"What are you doing?!" Michael snapped.
"He's bluffing," Kalandra remarked, "Bird's his best friend. He's not going to..."
Bird winced as the metal cut his neck.
"I said," Ace reiterated in a tone completely devoid of emotion, "Give me the necklace,"
"Ace, you're hurting me," Bird exhaled uneasily.
However, Ace didn't relent. He locked eyes with Michael. A flicker of doubt crossed Michael's face.
"Even if you take the necklace, where will you go?" Michael said in a low voice, "It won't just be us chasing you. It will be the Empire. It will be Clover. Everyone will be against you. Have you thought this through?"
"Michael!" Kalandra cut in, "You're not actually thinking about..."
"He's serious!" Michael snapped, "Can't you tell?"
Kalandra stared down apprehensively. The look in Ace's eyes caught her off-guard. It was almost unrecognisable.
"Even so," she dropped her voice to a whisper, "You promised me..."
"I know" Michael answered through gritted teeth. "I know,"
Bird watched Michael and Kalandra. At first, he thought it was just a scheme by Ace and he had played along, but the pain was real. Ace's grip was strong. His doubt was rapidly rising. He glanced back fearfully.
"Ace?" he said slowly.
For the first time, Ace met his gaze. Bird stared back in disbelief. Though it was the face of his friend. He couldn't see anything but darkness in Ace's eyes. His heart wavered. His life really was in danger.
Ace waved a hand. Behind him a portal opened.
"How did you do that?!" Kalandra's mouth dropped open, "Only Clover can..."
Suddenly Ace shoved Bird forward. Michael caught him in surprise and stared up.
"What are you..." his words trailed as he looked down. The box wasn't in his hand.
Ace held up the box inspecting it. Everyone gaped at him incredulously. He gave them no time to comment, for, within a moment, he stepped through the portal and disappeared.
The cold deafening silence of the demon world greeted him. Ace stared vacantly out into the burnt wasteland beyond. He was atop of the canyon cliffs looking down over the dark umber skyline.
He glanced down at the box in his hand. It was as Lucia had said. He could have the box at the price. And now he had taken it, this was his punishment. He was back in the demon world. Alone.
'Just give in to the darkness.'
Those were the words she had whispered in that sweet seductive voice. The words that made his blood curl but nevertheless offered him solace. He knew he ought to feel guilt, sadness, regret. So, why couldn't feel anything?
He could still faintly recall Bird's fearful eyes looking up at him as he descended into the plain below. He didn't know where he was going but he started to walk. He felt an unnatural pull. A providence that whispered in his heart.
'Go on.'
It told him to go and so he did. To where he knew not...
Ace's mouth felt dry. His bones ached from the cold, stiff and dead. Where was it leading him? All he had was a feeling that he would soon arrive. He was stumbling forward in a daze as a small figure shrouded by the storm of sand and dust came into view.
Ace held his hand against the cool stone. He had never seen such a thing in the demon world before. It was a statue carved into stone. A small childlike figure with a profoundly mournful gaze staring into the distance. Ace followed the line of its eyes.
His eyes came to a dip in the red sand. A black pit stared back at him. The closer he got, the worse and more turbulent the winds became. A chaotic miasma of whirling purple energy spewed out of it. Ace's eyes widened as he stared into the darkness.
His whole body was immobilised by fear. Whatever lay within had such a terrible energy it was all Ace could do to stand at the foot of this pit staring down with bated breath.
"Give me the necklace. I'll look after it for you - if you have need of it, just call my name and I will return it to you,"
Ace looked up. Suddenly, he was no longer staring into the darkness. He could see Lucia standing in front of him with her small white hand outstretched. They were in the garden under the sky that appeared to always be night. The moon hung over the white flowers illuminating them in pure white.
Ace handed the necklace to Lucia.
"What will happen now?" Ace asked.
Lucia stepped back, trailing a finger along the heads of the roses surrounding them.
"It grieves my heart but the gears of fate are already in motion - not even I can prevent them now," she said softly.
"I don't understand," Ace blinked confused, "I thought coming back to the demon world was the consequence of stealing back the necklace,"
"I'm afraid not," she shook her head with a smile. "This is only the beginning,"
Ace stared at her and inhaled deeply, "The beginning of what?"
"The old gods are cruel," she said, "but there is a method in their madness. I know that you will be my salvation. Of that I am certain. But that time has not yet come,"
"You're salvation?" Ace flinched. "What are you talking about?"
"This place you find me. It is my tomb. They buried me alive."
"Who did?" Ace interrogated.
"I cannot even remember her face anymore. She who blinds me. A terrible and cruel mistress of light. The one they call the goddess of love. An irony which haunts me still,"
"I don't understand what you're talking about. What goddess? What is this place really?"
"I sense your fear. Don't be afraid. I won't let anything harm you,"
"So, I won't die?"Ace hesitated.
Lucia stepped towards him and put a hand to his cheek, "Death is nothing to fear. Even if you relinquish this mortal coil, the soul is immortal. I'll carry your bones to my garden and wait for you to be born again,"
Her words, spoken so sweetly, made Ace sick to his stomach. He staggered back from her wide-eyed and afraid. He started to run. He fled the night garden and took off into the shadow covered hall. He carried on up the stairs, running and running. Before he knew it, he was once again staring into the black pit. He came back to his body with a jolt.
He woke from his daze like a child waking from a nightmare. He threw himself back almost instinctively, scrambling away from the darkness. He started towards the open red wasteland wildly. Why had he come here? What was he doing? What had he done?
He was still on hands and knees when his path was blocked by another hard form. At first, he thought it was another statue, but the piercing red eyes quickly rid him of that idea.
"I found him," a towering demon said flatly.
His companions circled as Ace watched bewildered.
"Who are you?" he breathed shakily.
"Take him," the demon instructed.
The haze cleared and the greater fight or flight impulse overtook his earlier fear. Ace came to a stand just as one of the crowd grabbed his arm.
"Get off me!" he screamed.
He kicked back, launching himself forward. With sword in hand, he turned to face the group. He could clearly see now there were several demons standing in front of him he didn't recognise. Four or five iron-clad demons with swords and spears glared at Ace. They weren't Clover's men. Who were they?
"What do you want?" he tightened his grip on the sword.
Ace had been so preoccupied with the events proceeding he had forgotten this was still the demon world. It was a place where anyone could become prey at any minute. Were they just some outliers looking for a good time? Discovering a human in the demon world was certainly a rarity. Most were forced over by some demon lord and kept in unimaginable conditions. But no one should have known he was here...
"You've been summoned," one demon replied with a smile.
"By who?" Ace demanded.
"By the Lord of the East," came the reply.