Emily turned her head slowly. Her hollow eyes locked on his face. They were empty, drained of light, as though she had given up on the idea that warmth even existed.
"I need to die," she whispered. The words weren’t shouted or forced. They were spoken as though they were simply a fact, as if she had already accepted it long ago.
Isaac frowned, his grip still unrelenting. "No. That’s not happening."
"Isaac...." Her lips trembled, but her eyes didn’t soften. "You don’t understand. You have no idea what I’ve done. You don’t know what’s inside me. I’m dangerous. I should have never woken up."
"Is this about your parents?"
A flicker of emotion broke through her hollow stare. Her eyes widened just slightly, surprise breaking the mask.
"The vice principal told me," Isaac added softly.
Emily looked down, her shoulders tightening.
Her whole posture seemed to shrink, as if the memory weighed so heavily that it pushed her into herself. She grabbed her free arm with her other hand, as if to hold herself together.
"I should leave," she muttered. "If you stay near me, the same thing will happen to you. I can’t risk it. I won’t watch it happen again."
Isaac’s expression softened. He let go of her wrist only so he could reach up and brush a strand of hair from her face. Then he pulled her against his chest in a firm embrace.
"You won’t hurt me. There is no need to worry about that." he said.
Her eyes welled with tears.
For a moment, the mask cracked, and she looked like a girl on the verge of breaking.
Her hands pressed against his chest as though she wanted to push him away, but her strength faltered.
"You don’t understand," she said, her voice breaking. "There’s a monster inside me. It killed everyone. It killed them all. Even my parents couldn’t stop it... and they—"
Her voice trembled, "...they were so strong. Stronger than anyone else. And it still killed them. If it wakes again, if it takes over me, you’ll..."
Her voice trailed off into sobs.
Isaac tightened his arms around her, cutting off her words. His chin rested lightly against her hair as he held her closer.
"Did you forget what I told you once?" he asked.
Emily froze, her breath hitching against his chest.
"I said that since we’re married now, I wouldn’t let you go. Even if you wanted to leave me." His lips curved into a grin that she couldn’t see, but his tone carried it all the same.
Warmth flickered in her chest, like a fragile ember struggling to survive. It was enough to hurt. Enough to make her angry that he could still make her feel that way when all she wanted was to push him away.
Her tears fell harder.
She shoved weakly at him, her fists pressing against his chest.
"Stop it! You don’t understand! I told you to let me go!"
Her words grew sharper, tangled with desperation.
"I want to leave! So what if you don’t want me to? I have my own will. I... I am leaving!"
Her struggles grew frantic, but his grip remained firm.
He caught her wrist again, holding it gently but inescapably. His eyes met hers.
"Then let’s start your trial," he said.
Her tears slowed for a moment, confusion cutting through her anger. "What?"
"You’re worried about me, right? You’re afraid of the thing inside you. Fine. Then let me prove it. Your parents couldn’t stop it. I know. But if I defeat them in your trial, then doesn’t that mean I can defeat the monster too?"
Emily blinked, stunned by his words.
Her lips parted as if she wanted to answer, but nothing came out. She had not expected him to say anything like that.
Defeat her parents? They were strong, impossibly so.
Isaac’s grip on her wrist loosened, his thumb brushing across her skin with a comforting touch.
"If I can face them and win, that proves I’m strong enough to face whatever’s inside you. And once I prove it, you won’t be able to say I don’t understand."
Emily’s chest tightened.
The warmth inside her spread wider, clashing against the hollow despair that had filled her for so long.
She wanted to believe him, but fear coiled around her heart like a snake, whispering that hope was dangerous.
Her lips trembled. "And if you can’t? If you fail?"
Isaac smiled faintly. "Then I’ll stand back up and try again. Until I win."
Her tears broke free again, falling down her cheeks as her body trembled against him.
She wanted to scream at him for being reckless. She wanted to curse him for giving her hope she wasn’t sure she could hold.
And yet, as his arms stayed firm around her, some small part of her heart—fragile and wounded—began to believe.
Emily closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against his shoulder. Her voice was small, almost a whisper. "You’re a fool."
"Maybe," Isaac said softly, resting his chin against her hair again. "But I’m your fool. And I’m not going anywhere."
For the first time since she had regained her memories, Emily let herself cry without holding back.
Her body shook as years of fear and guilt poured out.
"Emily...."
Isaac held her the entire time, never loosening his grip, never saying a word that might break her down further.
And though her voice trembled with the words she had tried to bury, he didn’t let her go.
Eventually, her sobs grew quieter.
The shaking in her shoulders faded, and the exhaustion that always came after crying finally took hold. Isaac eased her back, making her sit on the bed.
"Alright," he said, brushing a hand across her damp cheek, "let’s get you prepared for the trial."
Emily blinked at him, her hollow eyes still dulled by everything she had remembered.
She looked confused when he pulled out a small vial of potion from his spatial ring.
In his mind, Isaac called to the System. System, show me Emily’s stats that improved from due to her advancing to Apex rank.
A screen appeared before his eyes.
Strength: 65 → 111
Agility: 100 [20] → 210
Constitution: 76 → 145
Spirit Power: 100 [58] → 373
Mana: 100 [80] → 301
Her stat increase is good.
Holding the vial up, he smiled faintly. "Alright, open up."
Emily drank the All Stat potion that increased all stats by 10.
"Thank—"
"Alright, now another one." Isaac didn’t let her finish before pressing another All Stat potion vial into her hands.
Her lips parted slightly. "...What?"
"Drink it." He guided the glass toward her lips, and when she hesitated, he tilted it until she swallowed it down.
Emily coughed lightly, then spoke, "Isaac, where did you get so many potions—"
"Drink these too." He cut her off, holding out another vial.
Her eyes widened. "Wait—"
He fed her another All Stat potion, then another, then the last two in rapid succession.
By the end, she pressed a hand against her stomach. "That was... a lot."
"There are more." Isaac didn’t pause as he pulled out another set.
Emily stared in disbelief as he uncorked a potion and placed it in her hand.
"...Is there more? There can’t be more, right?"
"There are."
She groaned, closing her eyes as if surrendering. Still, she drank it. Then another. And another. He gave her five Strength +50 potions in a row.
"That was—Isaac, I think that’s enough—"
"There are still more."
Her shoulders slumped when he took out another set.
"...how?"
"Drink."
He handed her five Agility +50 potions.
She forced them down, her face scrunching with every swallow.
When he pulled out the Constitution potions, she looked at him with tired defeat. "I-Isaac, I’m full now."
"Just a few more."
He held out another one. She groaned but obeyed again. Five Constitution +50 potions disappeared into her.
"Okay... that’s... that’s enough." She panted slightly, clutching her stomach. "If you give me one more—"
Isaac didn’t let her finish.
He brought out a Strength +100 potion.