"Don't kill yourself, Maxen Devilsin. If you do, you will never see her again."

"Huh?"

"I am almost there." Her grip on his arm tightened. "So, hang in there, hmm?"

"What are you --"

"Conrad... will not make it if you also leave him." The woman continued, leaving no room for Maxen to ask questions. "Please... hang in there and... please, save my family."

Maxen's lips parted, but his words were stuck in his throat. All he could do was stare at the woman who was holding his arm as if her life depended on it, begging him not to die but save her family instead. He didn't know who she was, but she knew Conrad and Cosette. Looking at her more, Maxen suddenly had a conclusion in his head.

"You are..." he trailed off as the woman clenched her teeth, tearing up.

"If you take your life now, you will not see her again -- we will not see her again," she said, shaking her head. "Help me, Maxen Devilsin. Help me save my daughter."

[ Help me save my daughter. ]

It was ridiculous. How would they even save a dead person? Yet, the look in her eyes mirrored the same longing, pain, grief, and desperation he had. The only thing that her eyes bore that he didn't have was hope. Thus, those were the words that somehow saved Maxen from taking his life.

He never knew the woman's name, and she didn't idle for long after telling him one last time to hang in there. Maxen didn't know why he even listened to her, but he did. He went on with his life, working himself to the bone, visiting Conrad, Marcel, and Gretchen from time to time, and then using his day-offs with Cosette.

Maxen held to the words he might see Cosette one day, even when the time he had to bury Marcel as he took his last breath. Then Gretchen followed only three years after Marcel's passing. Maxen lived with Conrad since then and for the next 30 years until Conrad passed.

Now Maxen was already in his late 50s, still unmarried, and was one of the most successful men in the business industry, sat quietly where all his family rests. His eyes lingered on his where his wife's ashes were, then beside hers were Marcel and Gretchen in the same niche. Then Conrad was on the other side of Cosette's place.

"Just how long... do I need to hang in there?" he asked himself. His voice had caught up to his age, but he was still very healthy. "Haha... did she scam me? How can I wait this long and watch all of you leave me one by one?"The wrinkles on the side of his lips deepened as he sighed. "What a lonely life, Maxen. Perhaps this is the retribution I deserved for what I had done in our first lives."

"Cosette, Dad, Grandpa, Nana Chen..." Peace shone in his eyes, keeping his subtle smile. "I am expecting to warm welcome once I join you, alright? My time will come after I atoned for all the sins I have committed."

Three decades and Maxen was counting more years. However, despite the loneliness and the years ahead of him, he was hopeful that someday he would reunite with the family that took him in and gifted him memories he could go back to remember.

Someday... for sure... once he had paid for every wicked deed he had done in the past, he would be worthy enough to join them. This was the verdict the Heavens put upon him and the sentence he must serve.

"No matter how long... I will finish this sentence." His smile remained. "Until then, may you have a lovely reunion."

Maxen paid the price he had to. As Maxen Devilsin, he had taken many lives without mercy. Many lost their fathers, mothers, family, and friends because of him. So now, he was gifted a long life to attend the funerals of those dear to him.

Cosette might've forgiven him and tried to save him, but the forces of retribution never sleep. They knew what he had done, and they had seen the blood on his hand. Thus, the severity of this punishment.

It was a lesson learned and enlightenment this divine punishment had taught him.

And Maxen had long decided to pay for it all... no matter how long it would be. He only hoped... he would be granted a ticket to where they were.

Surely, this happily ever after doesn't exist in real life.

How tragic.

*

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*

*

*

RING!!!!

"Okay, class, please go back to your respective seats." A woman stood in front of the class while the students went back to their seats. "Before we start our class, I would like to introduce you to your new classmate."

The woman, who was also the homeroom teacher of the class, smiled from ear to ear. Her announcement had taken the interest of the majority of students, watching a young lad enter their classroom. His looks and stature immediately caught the girls' attention, while intrigue swirled in the boy's eyes.

Most of the students listened to the introduction except for one; the young lady in the corner of the room who was busy jotting down notes from a document that had nothing to do with their subjects. Not that she was completely unaware of the surroundings, but because she just didn't care.

"Alright. Please be good to your new classmate," said the teacher, facing the transferee with a smile. "There were vacant seats. Find your seat."

"Thank you," the young man smiled, instantly catching the hearts of the girls. He then looked around, noticing some of the girls shooing away their other seatmates while others maintained their poise. The young man smiled as soon as he laid his eyes on the corner of the room, marching toward it without a second hesitation.

"Hello," he greeted, standing beside the young lady, who was busy writing in her notes.

Her pen stopped upon seeing a figure from the corner of her eyes, blinking ever so slowly. She slowly turned her head, looked up, and almost instantly locked eyes with him.

'No wonder those girls were making a fuss,' was what crossed her mind, admitting the transferee was attractive. However, his looks weren't enough to attract someone like her.

"Maxen," he said with a smile, eyes softening with deep affection. "Maxen Devilsin is the name. You are Cosette Blac, am I correct?"

The young lady, Cosette, kept her stony countenance without showing any sign of surprise. She put down her pen, folding her arms, and propped it against the edge of the desk.

"You can't sit with me."

"I never asked, Cosette." Maxen shamelessly sat beside her and grinned mischievously. "I made a lunchbox today. Should we eat lunch later?"

Her eyes grew icier with a 'how dare you' look written all over her face. Yet, his face just continued to brighten up until his lips were stretching from ear to ear, displaying his teeth.

'You don't know how long I waited and what I went through,' he mentally whispered, his squinting eyes cracking open. 'Let me save you this time, my wife.'

-- THE END --