In The Void of Nothingness
The world dissolved into pure white.
No sky. No ground. No horizon. Only an endless glow, stretching into infinity.
Leo blinked, disoriented. Her voice trembled.
"Umm… w-what is this place?"
Lucillia's soft laughter echoed in the emptiness.
"Ah, this? This is the void where nothing exists."
Her lips curved into an eerie smirk, her strange eyes gleaming like gemstones from another world.
"I-I see… Then—"
Before Leo could finish, Lucillia snapped her fingers.
FLASH.
A table appeared, elegant and surreal, set with tea, cakes, fresh juice, and a vase of crimson roses at its center. Two chairs emerged on either side.
"Huh!?"
Leo felt a sudden pull at her body, and before she realized it, she was forced into one of the chairs.
Lucillia sat opposite her, her movements graceful, her posture regal. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, then opened them again—her violet irises and deep-pink pupils locking onto Leo.
"Hmmm…" she murmured, studying her with quiet intensity.
"Hey! Don't look at me like that!"
Leo's voice wavered, and her cheeks flushed red.
"Oh my, are you blushing?" Lucillia giggled softly. "Hehe… it's only natural for a man."
"It's not like that!" Leo protested, tightening her fists. But her embarrassment faded quickly, replaced by grim determination. She raised her head, her golden eyes sharp.
"But please… can you destroy my curse? I… I need to return to my real self! I can't stay like this—I can't be a girl forever!!"
Her voice cracked with fury and regret, her teeth gritting as her body trembled.
"So please… help me. I want to be the Leo Julius Eros I once was."
Leo lowered her head, her face shadowed with sorrow. Her hand stretched across the table, trembling like a beggar's.
"I don't want to suffer like this anymore…"
The raw desperation in her voice lingered in the void.
Lucillia sighed softly, resting her chin on one hand.
"Haaa… You truly are no longer the Leo who made the world tremble. You're no longer the man consumed by one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Right now… you're the weakest person alive. Hehe."
Her tone was mocking, her smile teasing.
She rose from her seat, took the kettle, and poured tea into two cups. Gracefully, she slid one toward Leo before sitting down again.
Leo remained silent, her long brown hair shadowing her face.
"What's wrong? Are you sulking?" Lucillia teased lightly. She lifted her cup and took a delicate sip. "Drink. I made this with love."
Leo's sorrowful eyes lifted to her, shimmering with unshed tears. She gripped the cup tightly.
"…I know. I know I'm no longer him…"
Tears spilled, dropping into the untouched tea.
"That's why—I asked you to help me!!!"
Her voice erupted, trembling with rage.
"Didn't I hear you're the curse breaker!? Didn't they call you the Reality Witch!? Didn't I hear you're the strongest witch alive!? Then why—why did you finally appear before me, only to… only to…"
Her words faltered, her voice breaking. Her fists trembled against the table.
Lucillia said nothing at first. She only watched her with shadowed eyes, the light of her smile fading into something more somber.
"…Fine. Fine."
Her expression shifted into annoyance as she stood once again.
"Let me introduce myself properly."
Her voice reverberated across the empty void as she placed a hand over her chest.
"I am Lucillia Flavia Emma—the Witch of Reality. The so-called curse breaker. The one who sees more of this world than anyone. The one who has suffered more than anyone. The one who is broken beyond your imagination. Yes… that is me."
Her eyes narrowed sharply.
"I can break any curse. But Leo Julius Eros—your curse is not without reason. It is not random misfortune. It is earned."
"E-earned…? What does that mean?" Leo's voice cracked, her body drenched in cold sweat.
Lucillia's piercing gaze bore into her, her tone sinking into finality.
"Yes. In short—your curse is punishment. And because of that…"
She leaned forward, her voice echoing like judgment.
"…I cannot destroy it."
"Huhh… a-are… are you kidding me?!"
Leo slammed her fists onto the table, standing up abruptly. Her voice trembled, eyes wide and shaking with fear and disbelief.
Lucillia sipped her tea calmly, unbothered.
"I rarely joke in my life."
"What… what is she talking about…!?" Leo muttered under her breath, panic rising in her chest.
She gritted her teeth, her voice cracking as despair and disbelief tangled together.
"Does she really… really can't break it? But then… then all my efforts…"
Lucas's smiling face flashed in her mind.
Her golden eyes blazed with fury and sorrow.
"For me… that man sacrificed himself! I can't give up! I… I will never! I won't!"
She locked her gaze onto Lucillia, determination igniting in every line of her body.
Lucillia blinked, her eyes widening in surprise at the sudden surge of anger.
"What's wrong? Are you mad at me?" she asked, her grin teasing, almost playful.
"Tch… I don't understand! Why… why can't you break it!? Tell me, Flavia!!" Leo shouted, her voice echoing across the void. The table trembled under her fists.
Lucillia's smile vanished. Her demeanor shifted. Slowly, deliberately, she rose, summoning her staff into her hand.
"Fine," she said, voice cold and serious. "Then I will show you why I can't break it."
With a swift motion, hundreds of glass shards erupted before them, floating and spinning in the endless white void.
"Huh? Wh-what is this…?" Leo stammered, eyes wide with shock. She looked around, her pulse quickening.
Each shard reflected her past… her sins.
She saw herself… killing her love, Estrella.
She saw herself… slaughtering friends.
She saw herself… taking the lives of family.
She saw herself… punishing countless who disobeyed her command.
"What the—this… this is all my past…" Her voice was a whisper, trembling as she stepped closer to one shard.
Her stomach turned as she saw herself brutally cutting open her best friend, the scene frozen in horrifying clarity.
"Now you see why I cannot," Lucillia said, her voice low, deep, and resolute, as she stepped behind Leo.
"What does she mean… i… I really did all that, but…" Leo muttered to herself, spinning around to face Lucillia.
"You mean… you can't break it because of my sins?" Her voice was filled with hopelessness, her shoulders sagging under the weight of despair.
Lucillia came closer, her eyes sharp and unflinching.
"Yes. Your sin is Greed. Too much greed. And for this, people cursed you, and it became your punishment. No one… no one has the power to destroy it."
Leo's face fell, her body trembling. She slowly backed away, shaking her head in disbelief.
"No… no way… nobody can…"
Her voice cracked, her tears spilling uncontrollably.
"Wh-why… why!?"
"I… I accept that I did it, but… I…" She collapsed to the ground, tears streaking her cheeks.
"I didn't want this…"
Lucillia watched silently. Then, with a simple gesture, she erased all the floating shards. Calmly, she returned to her chair.
"But you can," Lucillia said softly, almost matter-of-factly.
"Huh…?" Leo lifted her head, looking at her through the tears, disbelief still etched across her face.
"Aha! Didn't you hear me? I said you can, Hmph!" Lucillia said, turning her face slightly away, a small pout curling her lips.
"I… can? But… how?" Leo stood shakily, wiping her tears, confusion and hope warring in her chest.
She stared at Lucillia, trying to read her expression. Is she joking? Or is this really… true?
"How long are you going to stare at me like a statue? Sit. I'll tell you the way," Lucillia said, her tone tinged with impatience.
"Uh… okay!" Leo replied, moving forward and sitting across from her.
Lucillia leaned slightly forward, her voice smooth and confident, a small smirk playing on her lips.
"Now, let me tell you… the only way."