Chapter 22
"You want me to be your girlfriend?" She asked, finding it hard to believe.
"Yes, for three months" he added, his breath grazing her ears.
So just for three months and he would loose interest in her. It was a short time but would be worth it. Three months and they will say goodbye. She felt a pang in her heart, but she just smiled.
"Alright, I'll be your girlfriend, but...what happens after 3 months?" She asked hesitantly.
"After 3 months...I want you to stab me Nat, I want you to kill me" Drogen said, pulling away and looking into her eyes
"Are you still talking about that, I said I won't... besides, I doubt I have the ability to actually kill you... seeing you that day was just a coincidence... maybe we were fated to meet, thats all" she said firmly.
"I've lived long, too long infact...my life has no purpose, except that I live to take souls... souls of fucked up humans who have committed all sort of shitty sins. I can feel your emotions, I know you burn for me, and that's also made me feel the same for you, I suddenly feel like i have a purpose in life.
But once the blood pact is broken after 3 months... I'll go back to being a cold heartless person without any will to live. So please, just try...if it doesn't work, I'll let you go." His words were full of emotions that he couldn't even explain.
Natasha could feel the pain in his voice, the weight of a thousand lifetimes etched into every word. How much suffering had he endured all this time? Immortality might sound like a blessing, but it was the cruelest curse. Humans were created to live, to die, and to find meaning in the fleetingness of it all.
She didn't know what to say. And what if she really could kill him? What if she was the one who could end his torment? The thought left her cold, her heart sinking at the possibility. Suddenly, a flash of memory sliced through her thoughts, a scene that didn't belong to her, yet it felt so familiar. She stood as Lilith, gripping a bloodied knife, its tip buried in his chest.
"I hate you, Drogen. I wish we never met," Lilith spat, her voice laced with anguish and venom.
Natasha gasped, snapping out of the vision, her chest tightening as though a phantom blade was lodged there. Her breaths grew shallow, panic clawing at her.
"Nat? Are you okay? You look…"
"I'm fine," she cut him off quickly, her voice sharper than she intended.
Drogen frowned. "Natasha, your emotions are... chaotic. Something's wrong. What's going on?"
"I said I'm fine!" she snapped, then paused, guilt flickering in her chest. She couldn't let him see her like this—not now. "Just go. Finish your mission. I'll reconsider your request when you're back."
He didn't move. "Natasha, you're not fine. Did you see something? Tell me." His voice softened, and for a moment, she could almost feel the concern in his tone. Why did he care so much?
She hesitated, her heart pounding. "Drogen… have we met before? I mean… a long long time ago? Before all of this?"
His brow furrowed, confusion shadowing his features. "What are you saying? Do you remember something?"
"No, never mind. I probably just need food and some rest," she lied, brushing it off with a forced laugh. "Go. I'll be fine."
She forced her emotions to steady, pushing down the panic and the rising tears. Reluctantly, Drogen nodded, though his eyes lingered on her, searching for something she wasn't ready to share. "Alright. But promise me you'll take care of yourself."
She watched him leave, her chest tightening for an entirely different reason now. Her stomach fluttered as she realized how worried he had been. If he could feel her emotions so clearly, then maybe… maybe she could change his mind. If she loved him fiercely enough, made him feel it, then he wouldn't want to die. He wouldn't want to break the pact.
But her mind kept returning to the memory. The knife. The hate in Lilith's voice. Why had she turned on him? Did she believe something untrue? Or was Heather right about him all along? Questions swirled in her head, fragments of a past life clawing at her like ghosts. None of it made sense, and it was annoying
Recalling a past life wasn't as exciting as people made it seem. Especially not when that life ended in heartbreak and betrayal.
She took a deep breath, steadying herself as she pushed the whirlwind of emotions aside. With each step she took, her resolve grew stronger. She wasn't going to dwell on the past anymore, these memories were long gone. She had made up her mind, she was going to love him with everything she had. If Drogen could truly feel her emotions, then maybe, just maybe, he would come to love her too.
It was a dangerous gamble, and she knew it. What if, after three months, he still insisted on breaking the blood pact and walking away? What if he refused to see a future with her, leaving her to pick up the pieces of her broken heart? The thought terrified her, but deep down, she knew it was worth the risk.
She couldn't ignore the feelings already blossoming inside her, and pretending they didn't exist wasn't an option. Loving him felt inevitable, like trying to stop a storm with bare hands. Even if it ended in heartbreak, at least she would have tried.
A few moments later, Natasha felt a familiar, chilling presence, a grim reaper. Her body tensed instinctively as she braced herself, waiting for them to appear. When Gracie materialized in front of her, Natasha's concern deepened. Her friend looked shaken, her face pale and her movements hesitant, as though she'd seen something that left her rattled.
"Hey, babe, you're back!" Natasha greeted warmly, trying to lighten the tension. "How did your first mission go?"
Gracie didn't respond right away, her wide eyes fixed on Natasha. Then, in a shaky voice, she blurted, "It's you, Nat. You've been summoned… to the Underworld."