“For her? Yes. Her body isn’t used to it. It means she spent most of her life caged up. Inside.” Angela felt bad for the girl. “We knew that about her though… Didn’t we? The type of life she led before she was with you isn’t one people can normally survive.”

Angela could see the heartstring around the type of them and her heart hurt for both of them. A rough sigh left her lips, “Love is very cruel sometimes.” It was an off-handed remark and one that she let escape out loud. Maybe, they would change their minds. They didn’t have to go down the road they were going towards.

She worked on a few more things, “Lewis, I want you to rethink granting her request.” Her head turned to him. “The road you're headed down is a bad one. If you follow through you are going to destroy yourself.”

She pulled out a flask and filled it. “Give this to her every hour. She’ll feel better I promise. No suffering either. She should be conscious enough to even hold a conversation with by the end of the flask. Just a drop or two… Alright?” Green eyes watched him.

“Your strings are tied together. This is where you need to be. Don’t squash that.” She hoped he would listen to her.

It was hard for Lewis to hear what Angela was trying to say. Not in the sense that it hurt him emotionally, more so in the sense that he couldn’t comprehend what she was saying. The thought of not fulfilling her request had never crossed Lewis’ mind. When the Goddess brought it up, though, Lewis immediately rejected the idea.

“I can’t betray her trust like that,” Lewis replied with determination. It wasn’t for him to decide. It was her choice, and he was far too prideful to back down.

“Besides…” The assassin smirked half-heartedly. “I don’t feel that way. She’s….just temporary.” It was a lie, and even Lewis could tell that it was a bad one. “Once she’s gone, I’ll go back to my old life.”

He took the flash from her, and nodded. The assassin carefully lifted Simone, and listened to Angela’s last words.

“…It’s not my choice…” Again, another lie. Though, this one far more believable.

Angela let out a sigh and shook her head. Lewis had a lot of growth that he had to do before he saw what she was saying. “My dear, we all get to make decisions. In our grief, we make the wildest choices. Our pride blinds us. Whether or not it does her… Who knows.”

But it did. She was bound and determined to die. She wanted this fight to be over. Angela knew that about Simone but yet… If she stayed alive. “If she stayed with you… She would be happy. If she died what would that do?”

Angela already knew she wasn’t going to grant Simone’s death request. She just wanted the girl to give up on it. There was nothing in death for Simone anymore. “Never mind, just the words of an old woman.” Angela waved her hand.

“She loves you,” Angela batted her eyes and looked back at Simone. “The younger one in front of you does. I don’t know about the real her but… This one loves you.”

Lewis held himself for a moment, unsure of what to say to Lady Angela. It took him a moment to think carefully about his words, and in the end, he spoke carefully, but with a purpose.

“…I…I know she does.” Lewis looked back. It was hard to understand what Lewis was feeling, but if Simone were to see him now, she would say he looked almost sad. To most, though, his face betrayed very little emotion. “It’s not…enough though. I’ll end this curse and her life…” He thought for a moment longer, and then turned and left Elysium.

Lewis brought her up to his bed, and carefully laid her out. For the remainder of the night, he helped her take the concoction made by Lady Angela, and slowly she started to get better. The assassin ignored the exhaustion that was slowly creeping in, and instead gave the girl in front of him his full attention.

“Simone…?” He thought he saw her stir. “Are you awake?”

Ang could feel the broken heart from a mile away but she knew that Lewis had no idea what he was feeling. She gave him half a year tops after Simone died. He wouldn’t be able to stand the misery of the loneliness he was about to create for himself. Killing your lover… She wouldn’t make her worst enemy do that.

Once Simone began to stir she stretched lightly and looked at him with half-open eyes. “Lew?” She tried to move but she still couldn’t. She laid her head back down. “You aren’t taking care of yourself again.” She said it with a chuckle. “My head is killing me…”

Already, she felt so much better.

The fact that she was starting to feel better was a load off of Lewis’ mind. When she started to scold him for not taking care of himself, the assassin rolled his eyes. She must have been feeling a lot better.

“I’m fine,” Lewis said as he stood up quickly to get her water. He wobbled slightly, but ignored it and grabbed her a glass. “Here. Drink slowly…” He handed the glass over. “Lady Angela brewed a potion for you. It’s most of the way finished, but you’ll need to take a few drops every hour till the rest is gone…”

“Are you hungry? Do you need anything else?’ Despite his exhausted state, he was more than willing to get someone something, anything if it meant getting her well, and fast.

Simone’s eyes looked over at him while she drank from the water glass. “I’m hungry. But– I’m going to wait. Climb in bed with me.” She patted beside her. “I’m not overly hungry but it’s worrying me to see you so tired. Please? I’m cold so it will warm me up.” She gave him a smile.

She wasn’t lying… Okay maybe a little white lie but once he gave in to her request. She rolled on her side and held onto his arm tightly. “Thank you… For helping me,” she kissed his cheek and smiled before closing her eyes again.

“This is better than any medicine to me.” But it wouldn’t heal her. So medicine it was. She put her head into his neck and whispered, “I want to be your love for ever and ever, without break or decay. When the hills are all flat, the rivers are all dry.” She let out a yawn as she barely got it out.

It was hard not to give into Simone’s request, and as he did so, she started to speak. Her love and devotion for him was superficial, though. He knew the true Simone beneath it all, those eyes crying out to him, begging him to end her life. It was all that he could do to lay there, his consciousness slowly drifting away as the sound of the younger Simone lulled him into sleep.

She wasn’t far behind, and soon the two passed out. Lewis wasn’t exactly sure how long he slept, but all he knew was that when he woke up, the sun was already out. It had been a relatively calm slumber, though for some reason, Lewis felt uneasy. What was it that Simone had said before they had fallen asleep? It had been important, but…for some reason, he couldn’t quite remember it all.

Simone was still asleep, nestled into him. She seemed to be breathing easier, and it looked as if she weren’t in any pain. The fact that she had slept through the entire night like that was a very good sign.

“Simone…time to wake up…”