Falling

Drake uncorked the bottle with steady fingers, the glass catching the moonlight as he took a long, slow sip.

"Ohh my, this tastes better than usual."

The rich bitterness of the wine coated his tongue, warm and smooth, as if it could wash away the weight of the world pressing on his shoulders. When he finally lowered the bottle, he exhaled, pushing it toward Cypher.

Without hesitation, Cypher accepted. He tilted the bottle back, letting the wine slide past his lips, savoring its taste before finally setting it down. With deliberate care, he rescrewed the lid, the soft metallic click echoing between them.

For a moment, nobody spoke. They simply sat there, staring at the moon hanging low in the distance. It bathed the world in ghostly light, half-hidden beneath the horizon like a slumbering god. Wisps of amber-stained clouds drifted across the sky, illuminated by the lingering glow of Thorns lights and canles. The air carried the faint scent of food and rich air, casting a calm atmosphere across the land.

Drake broke the silence with a quiet chuckle, "Well then, Cypher, since the vaccines are finished… what's next? You have another idea, don't you?"

His tone was light, almost hopeful.

Samantha clapped her hands together, her delicate fingers curling slightly. She lifted her gaze to the sky, lips tugging into a gentle smile. "Yes, you must have more, Cypher. A man like you would never let people suffer like I did."

Cypher did not respond at all. Their was a brief but pronounced shift in the air around him.

He lowered his head, shadows creeping across his face, swallowing everything but the unnatural gleam of his yellow irises. The light barely touched him now, as if the darkness had reached out to claim him.

A silence stretched like a straining wire in uneasy quiet.

Tick… tick…

The subtle sound of a stopwatch broke through the stillness. Hanging from Cypher's coat pocket, its hands moved across the clocks face, each second being meticulously counted by Cypher under his breath.

Drake narrowed his eyes. "Cypher?"

He recieved no answer. Ten seconds passed as if time had been slowed around the group.

Then the boy spoke, "Apologies, Drake."

Cypher murmured, his voice smooth and untouched by emotion. "But there won't be any more miracle cures. No more vaccines. No more medicines. Not because I can't make them… but because I simply do not care."

Drake's fingers tightened around the armrest of his chair, his knuckles whitening. A cold weight settled in his stomach. "What… did you just say?"

Cypher exhaled softly, as if amused by the question. His fingers idly tapped the glass bottle on the table. The sound was quiet, rhythmic.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

"I've discovered something quite interesting." He tilted his head slightly. "My blood is highly poisonous. Deadly, even. And blood, as you know, is as red as wine."

His finger traced the rim of the bottle,

in a slow and deliberate motion, "And you… you have such a fondness for red wine, don't you, Drake?"

Drake's breath halted. A sharp, twisting pain coiled in his chest, spreading like wildfire through his veins. His pulse pounded in his ears.

"C-Cypher?" His voice barely escaped his lips as his vision swam. The veins along his arms darkened, writhing beneath his skin like living things. His heart clenched violently, each beat a hammer against his ribs.

Cypher's gaze remained cold and unblinking, "Don't fight it, Baron. You yourself once said this world is full of demons in human skin." He leaned forward slightly, his empty face without any sign of movement, "And yet, you never realized that you had invited one into your home."

Drake stumbled to his feet, but his legs buckled beneath him. He crashed onto the floor, fingers clawing at his chest. Blood seeped from the corners of his mouth, painting his lips in crimson. The bottle of wine teetered on the table before toppling over, spilling its contents in a dark red pool.

Cypher reached down, plucking a document from the table - Drake's will. He examined it with mild interest before slipping it into his coat.

Drake gasped, eyes flickering desperately toward his loyal servant. "L-Luther… help…"

Luther flinched. His face was pale, sweat trickling down his temple. He kept his head bowed, fingers trembling at his sides. "I-I can't, sir… He has my family." His voice wavered, barely above a whisper. "H-He said… he'd sell them to the slave trade if I didn't comply…"

Drake's heart sank. Betrayal tightened like a noose around his throat.

His gaze darted toward Samantha. Hope flickered for the briefest moment. "Samantha..."

But she wasn't looking at him. She was wrapped in Cypher's arms, her face buried against his chest, like a lover seeking comfort.

Drake's blood ran cold. "No… no… Samantha, listen to me-"

She finally spoke, her voice soft yet distant.,"Cypher stayed with me when I was cursed." Her fingers curled into his coat, clinging to him. "He never left my side. When I thought I was going to remain a wretch forever, he confessed his love to me."

She turned her face upward, eyes filled with quiet reverence. "He told me that without you… I can finally be free."

Drake's vision blurred. His breath came in ragged gasps. "Monster…" he choked out, blood flecking his lips. "Vile demon…"

Cypher chuckled, a deep, rich sound devoid of warmth.

"The Emperor…" Drake heaved, his strength failing. "The Emperor will punish you…"

Cypher's laughter grew, low and mocking. "Punish me?" His yellow eyes gleamed with amusement. "But I haven't even committed a crime."

"Besides, I think this is exactly what he wanted. A man like him loathes weakness and compassion."

Then, with a whisper, he leaned close to Samantha, his voice smooth as silk. "Come, my love. We can finally be together."

She hesitated only for a breath before nodding. "Yes…"

Drake's world tilted. His heartbeat slowed as every pulse grew weaker than the last.

"No…" His voice was nothing more than a rasp. "Don't… listen…"

But it was too late.

Cypher's hand tightened around Samantha's wrist. In one fluid motion, he pushed her toward the balcony railing. She barely had time to cry out before her body went over the edge.

A sickening thud echoed from below - the sound of flesh and bone meeting the unyielding ground.

Blood seeped across the stone courtyard, pooling beneath Samantha's broken body, glistening in the pale moonlight. The warm liquid trickled into the rose flowers, dying Thier petals dark red as they absorbed it greedily.

Cypher stood at the edge of the balcony, watching. His expression curled into a paper-thin smile. "A murder-suicide? How tragic."

Drake's eyes fluttered, a single tear of blood trailing down his cheek. His fingers twitched as he reached out, grasping and pleading.

But no one reached back.

The world dimmed around him. And then, there was nothing.

Drake's heart finally stopped, Cypher's cursed blood running rampant through his veins, twisting his body from within. Energy originating from the Man in the Wall seeped deeper into his bones, consuming him from the inside out.

He died not a moment later, golden light from the lunar moon washing over his still body.

Cypher stepped over his corpse, his face still curled into that thin, lifeless smile. He reached up and grasped Luther's shoulder, eliciting a small jolt from the man.

"What happened here today?" Cypher's voice was sharp.

"S-Samantha poisoned Drake and committed suicide."

"And the motive?"

"She… she had been locked up by Drake. Growing resentful, she lost her mind and wished for his death." Luther's stomach twisted at the words, but he had no choice.

"Good. It seems you understand your place." Cypher patted the man's back, a hollow gesture of reassurance.

A bird landed on the balcony railing, clicking its beak in satisfaction. After all, Rain had been integral to the plan.

Cypher took care of convincing the Baron of his saintly personality while Rain dealt with the other issue.

Cypher hadn't even personally manipulated Samantha at all. After his first visit, he had never stepped foot into her room again. Rain had warped her mind so thoroughly that she believed he was always with her. She never even realized she had written a suicide note or clawed out her wallpaper in a psychotic episode.

This was simply a natural result. Rains ability was absolutely devastating against mortals. Their minds were nothing but caly to beoilded and distorted under the crows gaze.

But, all was done. So, Cypher could finally relax again. The only issue he had come across was tge poison. Luckily, Drake was old, so his body was not that strong, and their was no way to identify what the poison used was. In other words, Cypher didn't need to worry about it being traced back to him.

Even if someone was suspicious of him, their suspicions were useless without evidence.

Cypher turned to Luther, his gaze empty, " I got carried away...Go and call the guards. It's about time I earned noble status, don't you think?"