Under Her Cursed Scythe

"So... she's really the Alivia that you told us about." Ming said as the silence between the two became too prolonged, too tense. "I guess your classmates were right about her. She's really the 'serial killer'... "

"Your classmates...Serial Killer…" Alivia repeated as her eyes widened in shock. "Y-you told them about that day at school?" she questioned and lifted her eyes at Joshua. In the meantime, a feeling of unease sprouted in the core of her heart, like a tiny crack on the same dam that she had tried so hard to build up again to damp down all her negative emotions.

"I only told them about Albert's theories, his video and-"

"His blog." Alivia interjected. "That's why you and your team managed to track me down. But that means…" She gave a little pause. "You suspected me too..."

"What!? No! I only mentioned that blog to them because I wanted to convince the Council to recruit Albert as one of us. I never expected you to be-"

"A cold-blooded Witch? What? Are you getting cold feet?" Alivia intoned, her voice was slowly filling with affliction and anger that was induced by shame and the sense of isolation that she had felt from Joshua when his eyes glanced furtively toward her a second and fleetingly darted away, straight to behind her. "I thought a moment ago, you were still trying to moralize me, convincing me to seek for redemption... what's wrong now? Am I not worth it?"

"I-" Joshua could hardly look Alivia in the eyes.

"I can see that you are not accepting this truth very well." Alivia's gaze hardened, combating the crushing panic. "You must regret for being nice to me, right? Regret yourself for giving me that bracelet. No, hang on. It was some kind of notation, wasn't it? A mark to track me down? "

"No, it was never intended to be any of that sort."

"Then why did you have to stress on whether the bracelet is one and only one ?" Alivia sounded very emotional. "Because the bracelet was a mark, right? A mark to confirm your suspicion that was already buried in your mind since that day those girls raised it up!" Her suspicions flared up like a burst of flame being sprinkled with spirits of alcohol. "You seemed to be defending me on the surface, but deep in your heart, you doubted me from the very beginning, am I right?"

"No, it's not what you think."

"That's why you suddenly appeared before me when I was at the lowest point of my life. You were following me, waiting for the right time when I lowered my guard to trick me into trusting you." Alivia mumbled in a frantic tone. The fury brought by self-disgust and disappointment was now gradually blinding her mind and arousing her to make outrageous speculations. "If the girl you captured tonight didn't wore the bracelet, then you know it's not me."

"Because of what? Don't attempt to look for excuses. I should congratulate you on finding me." Alivia smiled sarcastically while she blushed in anguish. "Yes, those girls were right." She could barely keep control of her tone now. "I... am the serial killer!" she declared, with her voice slightly cracking.

"Alivia..."

"And I guess you don't need this anymore." She forcefully ripped off the leather bracelet on her right wrist and harshly threw it towards the ground.