Chapter 76
Drogen's laughter was low and humorless, a sound devoid of humanity. He stepped closer to Lily, his shadow stretching like the cold hand of death itself.
"You're right," he said, his voice calm yet filled with danger. "I became a monster. But do you know why, Kid? Because it's my job. They deserved every scream, every plea, every ounce of agony—they earned it. And when I finally take their souls, they understand what true punishment means."
Lily's expression hardened, but her voice wavered. "That doesn't make you better than me. It makes you worse"
Drogen tilted his head, the faintest smirk pulling at his lips. "Worse? Perhaps. But don't mistake my methods for mindless cruelty. I don't torture for pleasure—I do it to make them remember. To make them feel what they made others suffer."
His gaze bore into hers, dark and unrelenting. "You think you're a savior, but all you're doing is making yourself the monster the universe will punish instead, you're trading their fate for your own destruction." his words struck Lily like a ton of bricks, she knew deep down that he wasn't wrong, he was more that right infact.
She had already had her revenge, she had killed the people who made her life miserable, but she suddenly felt like she let them off too easily, they didn't feel the despair she felt, they were never punished for everything they caused her. Lily collapsed to the floor, feeling defeated.
"I.... I've messed up" she muttered,tears streaming down her eyes.
"I thought I'll feel better after killing them, after killing my father, after killing everyone, but it wasn't enough, it wasn't enough to satisfy my blood lust. I ended up becoming the one person I despised." She sobbed.
"Can you get out of her body right now, don't cry with her face, it's.....it's making me uncomfortable" Drogen said frowning. It was like watching Natasha cry, and it gave him a weird feeling of discomfort. He'd seen countless women cry before,so why did her's hit different.
Lily looked up at him, confused.
"Get out? But I don't know how," she said.
Drogen's brows furrowed, his frustration boiling over.
"Are you fucking kidding me? You got in without knowing how to get out?" he snapped.
Lily nodded innocently, making Drogen groan in exasperation. He brushed a hand through his hair, clearly annoyed.
"You're a real piece of damn work," he muttered.
With a frustrated sigh, he leaned down, his crescent dagger which he had put away earlier materialized in his hand.
"Hey, kid. Switch with her," he ordered coldly.
Lily didn't resist. She obeyed, and within moments, Natasha was in control. She blinked up at him, confused, her gaze falling on the dagger in his hand. Her lips parted, wondering what he was about to do.
"I'll be quick," Drogen muttered before pulling her close.
His lips crashed into hers in a deep, possessive kiss, stealing her breath before she had any chance to make sense of the situation. As the kiss deepened, sharp, searing pain shot through her stomach. Natasha's eyes widened in shock and agony as she looked down to see the dagger buried in her abdomen and then looked back at him, hee eyes wide with disbelief.
"D–Drogen, w...what" she groaned, her voice trembling.
"I'll be over in a minute. I won't let you die, you trust me right?" Drogens asked in an unusually calm voice, giving her a reassuring smile that immediately put her at ease. But that didn't relieve the pain one bit, the pain was unlike anything she'd felt before, what the hell was going on. Even with the dagger pierced inside her, there wasn't a single drop of blood, it was like he was piercing her soul and not her body.
Lily who has already merged with her soul started to scream from within as Drogen used his spiritual energy to force her out, after a minute of agonizing pain, Lily's spirit was finally pushed out of Natasha's body.
Natasha collapsed against Drogen, unconscious.
He held her protectively, his expression dark as he turned his burning gaze on Lily.
"What the hell were you thinking, merging your soul with hers?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.
Lily shrank back, fear flashing in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, okay? I just… I didn't want to be defeated that easily. I knew she was someone special to you, so I—" she stammered, guilt weighing heavily in her voice.
By now, the dark energy surrounding her had evaporated, she now seemed like a completely powerless teenager.
Drogen glanced around, noticing that the other grim reapers had surrounded them. Their awkward expressions made it clear they'd witnessed everything—including the kiss. As soon as he met their eyes, they quickly looked away, pretending not to have seen a thing.
"What are you all waiting for? Take her," Drogen barked, his tone firm, leaving no room for argument.
The reapers snapped to attention, moving forward to grab Lily.
"Wait! I have something to give Natasha!" Lily cried, stopping them in their tracks.
Drogen raised a hand, halting them. His cold eyes narrowed as he looked at Lily.
"What is it?"
"Something she lost a long time ago. Something she needs to remember," Lily said, stepping closer.
Drogen's expression darkened. He was in no mood for games.
"You're not serious. Take her," he repeated, cutting her off.
"I promise, I mean no harm. You both have met a long time ago and just don't remember. While I was inside her, I saw everything. She needs to remember, otherwise, your tragic pasts are doomed to repeat itself" Lily pressed further.
Her words froze Drogen in place. His heart skipped a beat.
We've met before? A tragic past? Repeat itself?
"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked, his voice low and hesitant. "There's no way I've met Natasha before. Unless she's been alive for 700 years."
"Look, old man, you've met her before. Whether you believe me or not is up to you," Lily snapped. "Now let me do this one last thing, and I'll go with these creeps without a fuss."
Drogen's eye twitched at the insult.
"Old man? Do I look old to you?"
Lily rolled her eyes. This reaper is impossible, was that what he was thinking of right now