The white-robed person started crushing the fluffy creature he had put on the pedestal. He crushed the creature to bits as it shrilled, yet the person took no mercy.
He gathered its blood in a goblet and presented it to me.
"Drink", he ordered.
My tiny body shivered at the heavy commanding voice. I had been looking at my surroundings trying to find a way to escape. This person was bad news through and through.
But the giant from before stood with an enormous axe in hand as if waiting to slice my head off if I even thought about escaping.
I looked at the robbed person with distrust and disgust.
"... This exiler will save your life..."
"Ah thanks for the offer but I'm good". Never take shady drinks from shady strangers.
"...If you wish to save your brother, then this must be done. The demon in hell will not show you mercy."
I was tired of this person's roundabout way of talking. Is he saving me or trying to kill me anyway?
"What do hope to achieve by giving me this? And why should I trust you in the first place?"
As I spoke the giant in the corner seemed to get agitated by my bold questions. But before it could move forward the person told it to stop. The giant silently obeyed.
'Omg he was going to kill me!' I grew pale.
"...Being in this realm for too long has disrupted your sense of reality. I am not here to gain anything from you, rather I am only fulfilling a forgotten promise. That is all. This exiler will allow you to walk among demons without being harmed by them."
'What promise? What is this?'
"...There is only one consequence of taking it..."
"Oh so there is a catch!"
"...Yes, but it will not affect you much... it seems that you have already gone beyond the point of return..."
"What does that mean?!" Something wasn't right. He knows something. Why am I scared to hear what he has to say? No, I don't want to hear it. Something inside me repulsed.
"It seems that your body remembers, yet you have deluded yourself"
Suddenly the goblet was in my hands. Reflexively I wanted to throw it away immediately.
"Drink!" he commanded louder this time.
My hand suddenly forced the drink down my throat. I gagged and fell to my knees.
'AGHHHH! WHYYYY? WHYY MEEEE? I am TIRED of this nonsense. I can't think straight. I feel empty. Why should I worry about being perfect? Why does everyone expect that from me? Am I not human? Then can I be what I want? Can I say what I want to say? Can I hurt you? Can I break you? Can I laugh when I see you fall apart? Can I be a monster?''
It seemed that something broke inside me.
"Now Appointed One. Go back. My promise has been fulfilled."
I blinked and the next moment I was back at the beach. I was covered in dirt and sweat. I was exhausted and I collapsed. I had no energy to stand up anymore.
There was a strange key in my hands. But I was too tired to think about it. I just lay there hoping I would not be woken up anymore.
But the world is never that kind.