The Perfect World

Chapter 5

- About a Month Ago -

You pace back and forth through the halls. If your calculations are correct, the heroes should be fighting O'Chunks for the final time right around now. Your plans are set.

You walk through the mirror hall, slightly uneasy. Things would never be the same once this was done, but you had to do this. For a better world. For a perfect world. You're going to melt away everything and everyone that have ever wronged you.
You can finally be at peace and be happy. You-

"Whoa!" Nastasia says, running into you dropping a lot of papers. They splatter onto the ground. She immediately sighs and kneels down to pick them up. "My apologies, Dimentio," She starts. "I wasn't watching where I was walking."

You cast her an almost dirty look, but put on a forced smile and shrug it off. "No worries! It was but a simple mistake."

"Yeah," She nervously laughs, before quickly darting off. However, she seems more on edge than usual.

"Nastasia," you ask. "You seem uneasy. Are you perhaps feeling unwell?"

She freezes and turns to you. "Huh?"

"You seem somewhat nervous. What could the reason be? Surely you're not doubting the count, are you?" You press.
"Oh, no no no," She immediately replies. "I just... I'm just..."

"You're just what exactly?"

"I'm just... afraid," She admits, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"Ah," you say, slightly shocked that she'd admit such a thing. "Was it something I said?"

"I'm not afraid of you. I'm just... afraid."

"Hm, well do tell why."

"I can't." She says, before sighing and turning away. "And besides. My fears don't matter. Sometimes we have to be brave to help the people we care about."

"Oh?" You say, stepping closer. "Then tell me, how do you plan of being brave when you're clearly terrified."

"Being brave isn't the absence of fear," She quickly replies, beginning to walk away. "When you're unafraid, you're not being brave. You're only being brave when you ARE afraid, but you're standing tall regardless."

"Hmm," You murmur, as she disappears around the corner. "Coward." What you hate about Nastasia is that she knows what's going on. SHE is aware of the Count's filthy plans to eradicate everything. But, instead of stopping him she blindly supports him to the end of the line. She'll never be brave enough to stand up to him. She's a coward in your eyes. A true coward. Who is she to speak of bravery?!

You always see her as a coward, until your last moments with her. Then, is when your perspective changes.

Once the heroes have defeated Count Bleck, you prepare to strike the final blow for them. You ready a deadly projectile and aim it right for the wounded man.

However, once it is thrown, the assistant spots you, making eye contact for a brief moment, then stands in the way of the projectile, taking the blow for the count.