Franklin recalled his past as he was about to turn to ashes.
Aether then leaned toward his headless body and patted him on the back.
'Whaat?' Tears rolled down Franklin's face. 'What is this warmth?'
His decapitated head looked toward his body and saw Aether patting his back.
He felt a mix of emotions.
"You just wanted to be together with your loved ones, right? I can relate to you, as I'm also someone who has past regrets."
Franklin's decapitated head wasn't far from his headless body, so he was able to hear his voice.
"I promise you, I'll fulfill your wish, remove corruption, and kill those hypocrite nobles who only see benefit in torturing people."
Franklin felt his words were sincere. He wanted to say something, but his head was halfway burned and the fire was approaching his eyes.
Just then, the world shattered, and he found himself in a white, smoky place. Everything around him was white, surrounded by an endless, misty environment.
As he stood there in confusion, a voice came from behind.
"Franklin."
"Ah..." Franklin knew this voice. His breath caught in his throat. With trembling eyes, he looked back.
"Anna!" It was Anna, the girl he loved.
"It's nice to see you, my love."
"Annaaaa!" Franklin burst into tears and rushed to hug her.
As he tightly hugged her, he felt familiar warmth, a warmth he had missed for years.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry I was a fool. I'm sorry I..."
Anna interrupted him.
"You're my husband, the husband who is loving, the husband who is caring, the husband who does foolish things."
They weren't married when they were alive, but they thought of themselves as more than lovers.
"But I...." Anna interrupted him again.
"Franklin, I have waited so long. Every moment felt like a curse. But now we can be together."
"I'm sorry." Franklin's breathing choked.
"My love, I had someone I stayed with while I was alone." Anna said, wiping her eyes.
"Hmm?"
"Mother-in-law" Anna called out to someone and that someone was Franklin's mother.
"Ma… Mother!!!" Franklin's eyes went wide in surprise.
Franklin never had any good memories with her, but he still loved her, for she was the one who had given birth to him.
Society was what had made his mother distant from him.
Franklin's mother came with tear-filled eyes. She didn't look at Franklin, as if ashamed.
"Mother….." Franklin slowly walked toward his mother with teary eyes.
"Mother, I'm sorry for being a problem child." Franklin said, facing her directly.
His mother then burst into tears and quickly hugged him tightly.
" I'm sorry, son. I'm sorry for being weak. I'm sorry I neglected you. After my death until now, I only wished to see you. I wanted to apologize… aaaaaaaaaaaaa… I did horrible things to you. I'm sorry, my son."
"No, Mother, you didn't do anything wrong. I love you, Mother… aaaaaa."
Franklin and his mother started crying loudly, both asking for forgiveness.
Then his crying mother loosened her hug and, with one hand, called Anna.
As Anna joined them, the three of them cried together and shared their regrets.
After they all calmed down, Franklin said with a sad face,
"It was nice meeting you, but it seems it's time to say goodbye."
"Why!!" Anna asked.
Franklin lowered his head and answered in a low voice,
"I have killed so many people. I have killed many nobles, but I also killed innocent people who knew nothing, just because they were serving the nobles, I killed them."
Upon hearing this, Anna had a sad face. She was sad because she saw him sad.
"I'll go to hell because of my crimes. And it pains my heart that I won't be able to see you again."
As he said this, tears welled up in his eyes. He knew his crimes would lead him to hell. On the other hand, Anna and his mother were kind-hearted and would go to heaven.
"That's not true. We will go with you," Anna said with a soft smile.
"I have regretted my whole life because I wasn't a good mother, but now I want to stay with you, Franklin." His mother also showed a gentle smile.
"That means both of you…"
"Yes, we will live in hell together. With you, my love, even hell is heaven." Anna said with a chuckle.
"Aaaaaaaaaaa!" Franklin burst into tears and fell to the floor.
His mother and Anna pulled him into a hug, and both of them said simultaneously,
"Let's live together, my love"
"Let's live together, my son"
* * *
Just like that, Franklin's body turned to dust.
And seeing this Aether felt a sickening emotion toward those nobles who separated such a good man from his love and turned him into a killing machine.
Aether then stood up and said to the left guardian,
" Ineed to rest, please lead the way."
Meanwhile, the left guardian was confused.
It seemed like Aether was a different person.
This strange sword technique, this intimidating mana, this way of speaking, it all felt different.
"Haaa..."
The left guardian sighed in exhaustion.
He then signaled the Noctvain family knights to clean up the mess and escorted Aether to a room to rest.
* * *
In the Chasm: Graveyard of Madness.
A vast black sea was roaring in pain, it was devouring the species that lived underwater.
Whhhrrrrrraaassshk.....glllrrubbbluuurk.....
At the end of the sea, a huge black castle stood tall.
Inside that castle, a room was filled with laughter.
"Kekekeke."
The one who was laughing was sitting on a throne with a crown on his head. He had a humanoid appearance, but his face had no eyes, mouth, or any other human features.
Behind him, a big ring was attached to his back. In that ring, many types of faces were visible, all with different expressions.
The figure then said to himself,
"Human hearts are truly fragile. Kekeke. From being a slave to the nobles, he became a slave to me. Kekeke."
Just then, another being appeared and said,
"Lord Dantalion, you're in a good mood."
The man sitting on the throne was Dantalion, one of the 72 demon kings, and the one who made Franklin his apostle.
"Kekeke, I just remembered a past event."
"May I know what that is, my Lord?"
"My apostle had a woman he loved. And I manipulated a jealous man and cut her to pieces so I could control him. Kekeke."
In truth, Soel didn't lose his mind and cut Anna to pieces. But it was all Dantalion's doing.
When one day passed, Soel was still on the floor, terrified and unsure of what to do.
Then Dantalion appeared before him in his spirit form and told him to cut off her limbs and run away, to live a happy life.
"Humans are not evil. They're just so stupid that they fall for evil.kekeke"
Just then, Dantalion felt a sudden pain in his chest, as if something had been cut off.
Suddenly, his eyes filled with rage.
"So, someone killed my puppet."
He unleashed his murderous intent.
A thunderous roar filled the castle, even the roaring black sea calmed in response to it.
"Find out who that bastard is, who killed my puppet."