The Last Step-Chapter 71: Heartbreak Part 4 (Final)

----- All Mine -----

11:39 PM - Unknown Forest, underneath the stars.

Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, lashes twitching as consciousness returned to him. My hands were already on his shoulder—right where they belonged.

His eyes blinked up at me, sleepy, confused... beautiful.

"Uhh... nice angle...?" Kaiser muttered, his voice low.

"You're awake... Kai," I whispered, smiling down at him.

"...Kai?" he echoed.

"I'll call you that from now on, okay? Always." I reached down, cupping his cheek, the warmth of his skin tingling against my palm. "Only me."

He chuckled faintly. "Yeah, yeah..."

Then he tried to move. Sit up.

No.

No, no, no.

I pressed him back down to my lap, my hand on his chest, the other threading through his hair because he was mine.

"Stay... on my lap forever." My voice didn't ask. It commanded. Sweetly. Murderously.

His eyes flicked up to mine. "Celia... your eyes..."

They were glowing. A darker red than before. Like the early night before the murderous bloodmoon. I could feel it. I could feel my pupils dilate with every breath he took, every twitch of his fingers.

This. This was what being alive felt like.

"You love me, right?" I asked. My voice was soft—almost fragile. Almost.

"Huh?" Kaiser blinked.

"Say. Yes." I leaned closer, my breath brushing his skin, my nose nearly touching his.

He went quiet. His brow furrowed, his lips curling.

"...What's wrong with you all of a sudden, Celia—?"

"Don't you see?" I whispered, still smiling. "It's how much you love me. That's why I act this way."

He smirked.

"Oh? Trying to tease me now for all the flirting I did today?"

"Yes." I nodded slowly.

"Then try me," he said as he lay back down on my lap.

I leaned over, eyes locked with his, so close he could feel every syllable.

"I love you so much..." I whispered, voice trembling with sincerity, "I'd carve your chest open, slide my hands into your ribs, and feel your heart beat against my palms—just to know it's really mine."

The smile never left my lips. Not even as his expression froze.

Yes, love... I'd do that. I'd keep it in a jar next to my pillow.

"I see... that's how it is, huh?" he muttered.

"Don't fall in love with people like me," he said with that cocky, neutral grin. "Trust me... I'm a natural heartbreaker."

"Then break me. Choke me until I can't breathe," I whispered back. "Let me tell you I love you until my throat bleeds."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Do you really want your heart shattered that easily?"

I leaned in, brushing his ear with my lips.

"My heart's always been yours to break."

His eyes widened.

"Okay... are you even teasing?" he asked, his voice a bit shaky now.

"Am I?" I said back, voice airy, innocent, terrifying.

I pulled him closer, my nails brushing down his neck to his collarbone.

"It's okay to love me," I whispered, desperate and delicate. "Please love me. Please."

"Careful, Celia..." he muttered. "If the other girls hear about this—"

"They won't be alive to see tomorrow when I'm done." I cut him off with a smile. "They won't be an issue. Just you and me."

I cradled his face like it was made of glass.

"You're not allowed to see them anymore," I said, possessively. "You're mine."

I leaned closer to him.

"I'll provide for you. I'll do everything. Just stay in my arms forever."

I brushed his lips with my thumb.

"You won't ever be going out without me."

He stared at me, wide-eyed now. Silent.

"Celia..." he said at last, serious now. "What's wrong?"

"I'm cursed," I whispered, leaning closer, our foreheads pressed together. "Cursed to love you forever."

I tilted my head, smiling as my hand slipped down his chest again.

"You're mine. Mine alone."

Kaiser tried to sit up again.

He still doesn't get it, does he?

He still thinks I'll let him go.

No.

A chain slithered out from behind me, fast and cold, latching around his wrist in a tight grip. My power. My love.

He froze.

"You. Can't. Leave. Me," I said, murder in my voice, tightening my arms around him as if letting go would kill me.

"What are you doing?!" he shouted, startled.

Oh, Kai... Poor thing. You're confused.

"You like attention, don't you?" I purred, tilting my head. "I'll give it to you. I'll give you all of my attention."

"W-What?!"

He looked so adorable like that. Helpless. Tied down. Mine.

"I'm allowed to be obsessed with you," I said, my voice quivering with manic sincerity. "I'm yours. Only."

I leaned down more, lowering my lips to his cheek, then to his ear.

"I will strip away all that you know... all that you love... until you have nobody but me."

I said it sweetly.

Murderously.

And I meant every word.

I could feel his body tense—maybe in fear, maybe in disbelief, maybe because he knew deep down that no one would ever love him like I do. Not like this.

"Celia—!"

"Shut up and kiss me," I whispered, and before he could speak again—

I kissed him.

I kissed him hard.

His lips were warm. Softer than I imagined. A little surprised at first... but he didn't pull away.

I held his face with both hands, fingers trembling, heart clawing through my ribs.

This—this was all I ever wanted.

This was the only thing I've ever needed.

All of him. His lips. His breath. His eyes. His smile. His thoughts. His soul.

Mine.

He was mine.

Mine to keep. Mine to protect. Mine to love in ways the world would never understand.

I would ruin everything just to preserve this moment.

I'd burn the entire world to keep him in my lap like this.

As the kiss slowly broke and I pulled away, my lips still brushed his—soft, lingering, desperate.

My heart felt like it was about to shatter in my chest from how fast it was beating.

The chain around his wrist dissolved into flickers of light.

My fingers trembled as I let go of his face.

His beautiful face.

My vision blurred for a moment—and when I blinked again, my eyes no longer burned that deep, dangerous crimson. The lighter red hue returned, delicate and fragile like rose petals.

...My mouth fell open slightly as I realized what I'd just done.

Oh no.

I—

I really just...?!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

I screamed and threw both hands over my face, blushing harder than I ever had in my entire life.

I wanted to die.

No. I wanted to run.

No—wait—I wanted to pull him in again and never let go.

...WHY AM I LIKE THIS?!

----- Split Personalities -----

12:02 AM - Unknown Forest, underneath the stars.

We sat in silence, the moonlight touching both our backs.

He didn't look at me.

I didn't dare look at him.

My heart was still pounding.

My cheeks were still on fire.

My lips... still remembered the kiss.

What... what was that?

That wasn't me.

I mean—it was me, but... it didn't feel like me.

I—I love him, yes, more than anything—but I'm not like that. I'm not... obsessive. I'm not crazy.

Am I?

When he went unconscious... something took over. My thoughts weren't my own. I didn't feel like myself. It was like... like something else wore my skin. Spoke through my voice.

And kissed him like I did it.

I turned, just slightly, to glance at him. To check if he was okay.

But his back was still turned to me.

My stomach twisted.

Why did I kiss him? Why did I say those things?

I covered my face with both hands and growled softly to myself.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid...!"

What if he hates me now?

What if I scared him?

What if I ruined everything?

What if...

...he leaves me?

My only happiness... gone?

No, no, no— I can't take that. I can't lose him.

My vision trembled.

The red in my eyes deepened, darker, twisted with desperation.

Maybe—maybe I should chain him again. Just for a little. Just until he understands. Just until he forgives—

NO. WHAT AM I THINKING?!

I shook my head violently and pressed my palms to my cheeks, trying to cool the heat in my face.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Why am I like this?

"Celia?" his voice broke the silence like a knife through cloth. "Can we speak now?"

I flinched.

My head whipped around, startled.

He turned toward me at last.

I thought—maybe—just maybe—his face would be a little red.

Blushing, flustered, anything!

But his expression was neutral.

Calm.

Unbothered.

My stomach sank.

Why am I always the weird one?! Why do I have to blush just looking at him?! Why do I fall apart the moment he says my name?!

"I-I... I'm s-sorry—! I didn't mean to— I wasn't trying to—"

I swallowed hard.

"I... something was wrong, okay?! I didn't mean to k-kiss you like that! I-I mean I wanted to, but not like... like that!"

My hands curled into fists in my lap.

"I—I think something was controlling me! N-not like possession but... like, I don't know—my thoughts weren't normal! And I-I would never tie you up unless you wanted me to, I swear—!"

He didn't say anything yet.

I stared at the ground.

"I'm sorry..."

My voice cracked.

"I'm so, so sorry..."

My eyes burned, vision wobbling as the tears came uninvited.

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to scare you. I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

The tears rolled down my cheeks now, warm and fast.

"Please... don't leave me..."

My voice dropped to a whisper.

"Please..."

"P-Please, Kaiser... don't go... don't hate me, I—I can't—" I hiccuped through a sob, my throat tightening.

"I didn't mean to be like that, I didn't mean to scare you, I swear I didn't—!"

He stayed still, watching.

My voice trembled harder, so did my fingers, clutching the fabric of my dress like I could tear the guilt out of it.

"I-I don't know what came over me, I just—when I saw you unconscious, and when you smiled at me, I—I just lost it, I couldn't— I just wanted to keep you close, that's all, just close forever..."

I looked up, tears streaming down my cheeks, face burning with shame and fear.

"You're the only thing that makes me feel alive! Do you get that?! I d-don't care about anything else...! If you leave me now I— I don't know what I'll do..."

My knees touched his as I leaned in closer. "I'm not asking you to forgive me—no, no—I just... please just don't hate me, not you, not you..."

I sobbed into my hand, wiping at my face even as the tears kept falling.

"I'll do anything... anything you want... j-just... just say the word and I'll do it, I'll make it up to you, I'll prove it to you..."

I reached toward him slowly, hesitantly, trembling. "I'll never hurt you again. I promise. I promise... just don't look at me like I'm disgusting... please..."

My voice dropped, breathless.

"Please..."

Suddenly, I felt his hand on my head—gentle, warm. He patted me once, then brushed a tear from my cheek with his thumb. My breath caught.

"Aren't you being a bit melodramatic, Celia?" he said with a teasing smirk.

I shook my head, still sniffling. "I-I still forced it... and I don't know if you'll even want to be close with me anymore..."

Kaiser just laughed under his breath. "Pay attention, sweetheart. I'm here for you. Always."

My heart slammed against my ribs. Thud. Thud. Loud and helpless.

He wasn't mad.

"You're... not angry with me?" I asked, my voice barely holding together.

Kaiser's gaze softened, his smirk turning into something gentler. "If I were able to love someone... I'd want it to be you."

My lips trembled. "Y-You're truly not mad with me?"

He looked back at me and winked. "I can't really be mad at you... I've liked you since I met you."

My chest exploded with warmth...

For a moment I smiled... as tears of happiness flowed down.

I launched forward, throwing my arms around him and burying my face in his neck. I held on so tightly I felt like I could melt into him, like I'd never let go again.

"Celia—! You trying to strangle me now?" he chuckled.

"I'm hugging you. Forever," I mumbled against him.

"Forever's a bit much, y'know. I do need to breathe."

"Nope. You'll live." I tightened my arms.

"Are you planning to kill me again?"

"If it means I can stay like this... maybe."

"Oh, you're dangerous."

"You've known that since the day you met me," I whispered, grinning.

"Unfortunately, I find it kind of cute."

"Unfortunately?" I pulled back just enough to glare playfully at him, still clinging tight.

He grinned. "Yeah. Dangerous girls tend to break hearts."

I blushed. "Then I'll just have to protect yours."

He tapped my forehead with his finger. "Then don't squeeze it out of my chest first."

I giggled and hugged tighter.

"I'm not letting go."

He sighed dramatically. "Guess I live here now."

After a bit... we looked at the stars together, just like the first day we met...

The sky was endless again. Soft, scattered, quiet. The same moonlight that once touched us both still lingered, bathing us in its gentle silver. I glanced over at him. Kaiser... He was leaning back slightly, arms behind his head, eyes half-lidded and calm. God, even like this he looked—

No. Don't say it.

But if I could stay like this forever... just like this... it'd be enough. Even if he never said he loved me, even if he never held my hand again. If he just let me stay next to him for the rest of my life, that would be the happiest I'd ever be.

The happiest day of my life... might already be now.

"Hey," Kaiser said.

"Mm?"

"I think I figured it out."

"Huh? Figured what out?"

"...Why you were acting like that earlier."

I blinked. My smile twitched. "W-What do you mean?"

"You might have split personalities."

"Split what now?!"

He chuckled lightly. "Listen. Right now you're you—normal, cute, adorably awkward, and honestly nicer."

I puffed my cheeks. "Nicer? What's that supposed to mean?"

"But the other side..." he continued, ignoring me. "She's... different. She's sadistically in love with me. Obsessive. Possessive."

I froze.

He doesn't know I already love him normally. Let him think that... That'll be more fun. More satisfying... when I make him fall completely.

"And I don't blame you for any of it," Kaiser said. "I think that side—your darker half—was the one talking and taking control earlier. The one who acted out. Not the Celia sitting with me now."

I looked down slowly, then touched my chest, right over my heart.

"...Whenever I can't remember something... whenever I feel like something just took over... it must've been her. I don't know what's happening in those moments but... I feel happy. Like... warm. Like something I want... is close."

He patted my head gently. "Then maybe try being calmer. That way... she won't come out and kiss me next time."

My face immediately flushed. "D-Don't bring that up again!"

He smirked, eyes dancing with mischief. "Ah yes. My free kiss. Haven't had one of those in a while."

My smile dropped. My entire body stilled.

"...You had some before?"

He blinked, his teasing grin still up.

My face slowly lowered, shadowed by my bangs.

...My eyes turning dark red.

Kaiser immediately caught on and quickly pulled me into his arms, hugging me tightly.

"I'm joking! Relax, relax—" he said hurriedly.

My eyes blinked wide, and for a moment... I felt it. That twist again. That sickeningly sweet heat rising in my chest, that eerie clarity, that voice in my mind whispering to just chain him again, to never let him go.

But his arms around me...

They grounded me.

I took a shaky breath, trying to find my balance.

"...Thanks," I muttered, my voice still a little shaky. My head leaned against his chest, calming again.

"Phew, that was close. You really do tap into that suddenly," he said, a small chuckle in his voice.

"...It wasn't sudden," I replied.

"Huh?" he looked down at me.

"You said... you had kisses before."

"Uhh—! I never said that!"

"Then what did you mean by 'Haven't had one of those in a while'?! EXPLAIN." My voice came out lower... darker. My eyes narrowed accusingly.

Kaiser paused. "Ugh... is this your other personality?"

"It's ME!" I snapped, tightening my grip on his sleeve.

"Ughhh this is tough to think through—can't we just go back to Levinton? I'm tired..."

"You didn't answer!!" I barked back, glaring.

Kaiser tried to scoot away, but I grabbed his arm tightly, almost desperately now.

"Tell me..." I whispered. "I was your first... right?"

He sighed—then suddenly, with no warning, scooped me up into his arms like a feather, holding me against his chest.

"You're just tired right now," he muttered. "So relax as I take you home."

I pouted. I didn't want to let it go, but... I didn't argue either. I didn't speak. My fingers gently held onto his shirt as he carried me through the cool night.

Jealousy still burned in my chest.

He had someone before... maybe. Maybe not. But while it was my first... he smiled like he had done it before. It felt unfair. I should've been his one...

Still, his arms were warm.

His steps were steady.

And somehow... I felt safe.

The wind whispered around us. My eyes grew heavier.

"Hey, Celia?" he asked quietly.

"Mmm... I'm sleepy..." I murmured, nuzzling lightly into him.

"Even if you weren't my first time..." he said softly, "You'll be my forever."

As he slowly strokes my hair to make me fall asleep on his arms.

...He did it again.

He melted my heart.

Over and over today... he kept finding ways to break through every wall I had. To make me fall more. To make it impossible to not want to be his, wholly, endlessly.

As I felt sleep crawl into me, my mind whispered the truth I couldn't say out loud—

...I'll always stay with you, Kaiser. Even if time ends. Even if eternity burns to dust. I'll never leave you.

Because I love you.

Because I've always loved you.

...

The Void Stopped Staring back at me.

--------------------------------------------------- Back To The Present ---------------------------------------------------------

Slowly... my eyes opened.

Everything hurt. My body screamed in silence.

The ground beneath me was cold and damp, painted red with blood—my blood, still drying from earlier. I stared at it, empty, like the mess belonged to someone else.

Why...?

Why wouldn't I just die?

Why couldn't I have just gone with him?

My hands trembled as I pressed them weakly to the floor. I wanted to vanish—no, I wanted to follow him. Hell or heaven, or whatever lies between—I'd go anywhere if it meant being with him again.

My heart ached in a way I couldn't describe. It wasn't just grief.

It was guilt.

I should've told him. I should've confessed sooner, held him tighter, never let him walk into danger alone.

Why did I wait?

Why did I play pretend with my feelings like they were some game?

A sob slipped from my throat, sharp and broken, and I slapped myself with what strength I had.

"Stupid... idiot..."

I curled forward, crying again—but nothing came. My eyes were dry. I had no tears left to cry for him anymore. I'd run out somewhere between losing him and losing myself.

And then... I saw it.

A glint.

A flash of silver on the cracked, blood-stained.

My fingers reached for it slowly, as if my body moved on its own.

The star-shaped trinket.

The words engraved were still clear, even with dried blood on the edge.

—"Forever Yours."

My breath hitched.

The note.

The woman who gave it to me... she said if anything ever happened to him—if he ever died or was hurt beyond saving—a letter would reach me instantly. It was supposed to be triggered the moment his soul left the plane.

But nothing came.

No message. No sign. No goodbye.

Does that mean...

Is he still alive?

A spark flared deep inside my chest, blinding and desperate.

He has to be.

My Kaiser... my love... He wouldn't die.

He promised to stay with me.

Because he has me.

And I—I'll save him.

I'll bring him back.

No matter what it takes.

Even if I have to destroy everything between us and eternity.

He'll come back. And when he does, I'll never let him go again. I'll keep him close, so close he can't breathe without thinking of me. I'll wrap myself around every corner of his life—because he belongs with me.

Forever.

He'll see. I'll make him see.

We'll be happy again.

We'll make our own ending.

My fingers curled tighter around the trinket.

And then—It hit me.

The pull.

The voices.

"Ahahahah.."

A laugh, not mine, echoing faintly in the back of my skull.

My personalities... they were bleeding into one another again. The cracks were showing.

She was coming back.

The version of me I had locked away behind smiles and soft words.

"...Hey," I whispered into the silence, not to anyone outside... but to her.

"...You still there?" I asked.

A breath—cold, sharp—danced in my chest.

The answer came not with words but with certainty.

"...I need your help."

Silence.

"...Let's bring him back."

And then—her voice.

Velvet. Icy. Mine, but not.

"Let's go get what's ours."

I smiled.

A slow, eerie grin stretching across my lips as I pulled myself to my knees.

I raised both hands.

One still mine. Gentle. Scabbed with love.

The other? The darker side.

I finally knew her name.

"Obsession," I whispered.

She didn't flinch. She didn't answer.

She just completed the shape with me—our two hands forming a perfect heart.

My cracked self, and my obsessive self. My love, and my madness.

Together.

We vowed.

"To bring him back."

"To take back what is ours."

Kaiser... I'm coming for you.

And She was too..

We Love You.