Chapter 2

The dread creeps over him like an icy chill, numbing his brain.

“How dare this b*tch….”

But when he came back to his senses, that fear quickly turned into anger.

“How dare you try to kill me!”

Aria had little to no rights as she was the only Siren remaining on the land.

“I saved you from the brink of death, and this is how you repay my kindness?” he ranted.

Sirens live for the purpose of singing. They are not allowed to do anything else.

“Today, I will surely break your will to live. I shall punish you for disobeying me!”

He took one of the knight’s sword and lunged towards her.

Suddenly, a black shadow cast over her.

After living inside the cage her entire life, she finally gained freedom.

She closed her eyes.

‘Sweet death, blessed rest.’

It was then that the door suddenly swung open.

A man with black hair said, “What a sad song.”

He moved closer with those hollow eyes that stared so deeply into her own, and as Aria raised her head, their eyes met.

‘The Grand Duke of Valentine….’

The man who sold his soul to the devil.

The man who was not supposed to be here actually came.

His red footprints stained the white marble floor as he approached her.

‘He really came.’

Aria couldn’t believe it.

The duke took out his sword which was drenched in blood.

The blood on his sword danced merrily as he drew a semicircle on the ground.

“If you seek salvation from the devil, then now is the time.”

Beyond the wide-open door, the blood-stained imperial palace was as serene as a tomb.

Just like it was in the beginning.

“You’re welcome.”

* * *

The devil killed the emperor.

“The sabbath has come,” he said indifferently.

Then he took the key out of the emperor’s arms and unlocked Aria’s cage.

Creak—

The cage slowly opened.

Standing underneath the chandelier, the devil shone brilliantly. His eyes, which looked like burnt ashes, glistened underneath the lights and when they reflected it, they made tiny stars.

In this dark night, his eyes are like the moon, scattering the nascent rays, ever illuminating her soul.

‘How stunning….’

For the first time in Aria’s life, she was mesmerized by a person’s eyes.

“The birdcage is open. Fly anywhere you wish to go.”

It was a memory that she would never forget even after her death.

Aria looked at her shackled ankles with a blank face.

Then she raised her head.

‘The Grand Duke of Valentine….’

A traitor who killed the emperor.

Yet, he was her savior.

Her cage was wide open.

As the grand duke said, if she had wings, she’d gladly fly away.

But.

“I can’t fly anywhere,” Aria said as she laughed and wiped her bitter tears.

Her death was near.

‘Put an end to my life…’

As Aria was about to open her mouth to make her last will, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her vocal cords.

She bent over as drops of blood splattered on her lap and knees. By slow, torturous degrees, the coughs eased in intensity and then slowly, slowly passed.

She glanced at the violent red that stained all over her body before her eyes went blank.

“You are a bird with a broken wing…”

The Grand Duke’s languid gaze briefly touched her twisted leg.

“Siren, I’ve heard that listening to your songs drives people crazy.”

Aria collapsed.

Her body slowly becoming weak.

The grand duke held her dying body in his arms and said, “Then I guess your song won’t affect me. Because I’ve always been crazy.”

“…….”

“If there is a limit to madness, you must prove it yourself.”

The devil smiled and carried her body.

Having no strength left in her frail body, Aria finally closed her eyes in the devil’s arms.

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