Chapter 25 288 iVouchers Chapter 25 The flogging followed, each lash striking Alexander's back as crimson streaks bloomed vividly beneath the rain. Blood soaked through his white shirt, dripping steadily onto the ground. As the downpour intensified, Sophie watched the relentless whipping and spreading wounds from her floating perch, her resolve beginning to waver. She paced restlessly in tight circles. Noticing the disturbance, the abbot urgently ordered the church incense holder brought forth. Thick, stubby incense sticks were inserted and lit. Thick smoke billowed upon ignition, only for the rain to douse the flames instantly. Flustered, the abbot replaced the incense, shielding it with an umbrella as he relit it. When fire took hold this time, pungent smoke unfurled, drifting into Sophie's nostrils. Colorless and scentless, yet it weighed her down with drowsiness. Then came the relentless drone of chanting-the abbot fingering his rosary beads while murmuring incantations. It was the Prayer for the Deceased. Meanwhile, Alexander, weakened by fever, electrocution, and dragging, teetered on collapse. As smoke thickened, Sophie closed her eyes. She felt an invisible force yanking her downward. Upon opening her eyes, she found Alexander gazing at her with desperate joy. "Sophie! Sophie, can you see me?" Alexander's voice filled with joy, but Sophie ignored him, her eyes fixed on his feet. Only then did Alexander look down, realizing he too floated mid-air. "Sophie, I'm sorry-I'll join you soon, alright?" Sophie remained silent, turning her face away. Panic edged Alexander's voice as he softened his plea: 00% 12:43 Chapter 25 "Sophie, look at me, please. It's been so long since I last saw you." "I've missed you." These final words choked out in a sob. Sophie finally met his gaze, her tone icy: "Don't come looking for me. I don't want to see you." With that, she twisted free from the smoke's pull-only for Alexander to seize her arm. "Stop!" The abbot's roar sliced through the air as he gestured wildly toward them. "No contact! Release her now!" Had the abbot not faced the opposite direction, Sophie might've thought he witnessed the scene firsthand. Alexander released her, tears welling: "Sophie..." "I failed to protect you... subjected you to such torment..." Sophie cut him off with revulsion: 1288 ¡Vouchers "Alexander, I curse you: may illness cling to your bones. May you linger in agony-longing for death yet denied re- lease." Stunned by her venom, Alexander opened his mouth-but an unseen force wrenched him backward. He watched helplessly as Sophie dissolved into the mist. Agony contorted Alexander's face then, despair tightening his features. Tears streamed down unchecked, splattering the earth. He swiped furiously at his cheeks, but the flood only worsened. His legs buckled beneath him, no longer able to bear his weight. He wanted to chase after her, grab her hand, and tell her how deeply he loved her, how impossible life felt without her But his feet felt like lead weights, utterly immovable. Alexander finally let out an agonized roar, a sound torn from his very soul, brimming with boundless sorrow and re- gret He crouched down, clutching his head, his body trembling uncontrollably like a helpless child. 31.6 % 12:43 Chapter 25 "Why? Why...?" He asked himself over and over in his mind, finding no answers. He knew it was all beyond redemption; he had lost her, lost her forever. "Alright, the Prayer for the Deceased has taken effect. You've seen her. It's over now." The brothers beside him sighed in relief, helping Alexander up from the ground. 1288 Vouchers But Alexander remained dazed and listless, silent for a long time, his gaze fixed on the spot where Sophie had van- ished. The rain began to ease, yet Alexander suddenly collapsed, unconscious. People cried out in alarm, calling an ambulance. Within barely a month, the once-prominent Alexander vanished without a trace. Even his businesses crumbled one by one, while Alexander himself now lay in a hospital bed, hooked to an IV drip. After that emergency rescue, Alexander became completely bedridden-partially paralyzed, face contorted, barely able to care for himself. His hands shook so badly he couldn't feed himself, spilling food all over the bed. Alexander seemed to age decades overnight, his face covered in scars. Some were self-inflicted with a fruit knife during moments of delirium. More often, he resembled a simpleton, mindlessly repeating just one name: "Sophie." By month's end, the funds in his hospital account ran dry, with no one to replenish them. Alexander was thrown out. He survived by eating handfuls of dirt or scavenging through trash bins. Emaciated and reeking of unbearable filth, he was beaten savagely whenever he ventured near people. In the bitter cold of winter, illness finally claimed Alexander, Not a single soul came forward to claim his desiccated remains. In the end, they were carelessly buried and discarded. When spring arrived, stray dogs sniffed out the scent and devoured the nameless bones down to the last fragment. Beneath the vibrant blue spring sky, an egret spread its wings to a new life. THE END