Chapter 138: The Book, The Plot, And Mary’s Rage
Mary — POV
Darkness swallowed everything far too quickly, and suddenly, I could no longer feel any pain or discomfort at all.
I thought I was about to lose consciousness... only to wake up sometime later.
I had already prepared a hundred different ways to deal with Rosalia.
This time, I was ready—completely determined to tear Cassel away from her, no matter the cost... and to kill her as well.
I had even imagined throwing her to the zombies so she would become some grotesque monster that devoured human flesh. Then I would see who would still be willing to love her or protect her.
But—
Something was wrong.
My eyes snapped open when the expected blackout never came, and I froze the instant I saw what lay before me.
A vast white space.
White stretched endlessly in every direction, swallowing everything, as though the entire world had been erased, leaving behind nothing but this silent void.
Yet in the middle of that endless whiteness...
A massive black book floated in the air.
A book.
My eyes locked onto it instantly.
And strangely enough... I felt no fear.
Quite the opposite.
An odd sense of attraction pulled at me, as if something deep inside my soul was calling out to it.
I moved toward it quickly.
It felt as though I had finally found something important.
Something that had been missing from my life all along.
Something that would give me everything I desired.
Everything I deserved.
I stopped directly in front of the book.
It was enormous—larger than any book I had ever seen—and its black cover looked disturbingly alive, as though darkness itself slithered slowly across its surface.
The moment I raised my hand and touched it—
The book opened on its own.
My breath caught in my throat.
The pages began flipping violently fast, while images and scenes moved across them as though they were real memories unfolding before my eyes.
My eyes widened in shock.
This...
This is me.
I saw myself.
But not as I was now.
I was smiling.
A bright, pure smile.
People surrounded me from every side, gazing at me with admiration and affection.
"The Saintess..."
"She is humanity’s hope..."
"Miss Mary will save us..."
Countless voices echoed around me.
I watched myself walking through a brightly lit city while everyone respectfully stepped aside to let me pass.
I was beautiful.
Beloved.
Almost sacred.
A shiver ran through my body as I stared at the scenes.
The book continued turning its pages.
And I saw more.
I saw powerful men lowering their heads to protect me.
I saw a woman looking at me with admiration.
I saw children running toward me with joyful laughter.
Everything was perfect.
Everything revolved around me.
Then—
Cassel appeared.
My breath stopped for a moment.
He stood directly behind me in the vision, his dark eyes fixed on me with that terrifying intensity I knew all too well.
But...
He was different.
Quiet.
Obedient.
He looked at me as though I were his entire world.
I watched him slaughter zombies for my sake.
I watched him stain his hands with blood to keep me from being hurt.
I watched him hand me food, clothes, and weapons without the slightest hesitation.
Even...
His supernatural powers.
He gave me everything.
Everything.
My heart pounded violently in my chest.
This was the Cassel I knew.
This was the man who should have been mine.
The book revealed even more scenes.
Cassel and I stood together atop the walls of an enormous city while humanity cheered my name below.
"The Queen!"
"Her Majesty Queen Mary!"
My eyes widened further.
Queen...?
I saw a new city being built amidst the ruined zombie world.
I saw humanity living safely behind towering walls.
I saw myself seated upon a magnificent white throne.
And beside me...
Cassel.
He stood at my side like a loyal shadow, watching everyone else with cold indifference while allowing only me to approach him.
A strange euphoria flooded through me.
This...
This should have been my world.
This was where I truly belonged.
But that was not all.
The black pages of the book began turning once more with a loud, violent sound, like a whip striking the ground with brutal force.
This time, the scenes changed.
Years passed before my eyes.
Years I had lived in that world.
I lived those years like a queen.
Everything I desired was placed in my hands without question.
Everyone stood beneath me, beneath my mercy, chanting my name as though it were a sacred vow.
I saw endless banquets overflowing with precious food while starving survivors stared at me with worship in their hollow eyes. Jewels glittered around my wrists and throat, gifts gathered from ruined cities by people desperate for even a fragment of my favor. Wherever I walked, soldiers lowered their weapons and bowed their heads. Even the strongest ability users treated my words like absolute law.
And Cassel was always there.
Always behind me.
Always watching.
His expression remained cold toward everyone else, yet the moment his gaze landed on me, the ice inside his eyes melted into something frighteningly devoted. He stood beside my throne during meetings, slaughtered traitors without hesitation, and carried me through dangerous battlefields as though I were something fragile and priceless.
I watched scene after scene unfold before me.
Cassel was kneeling before me while fastening a silver crown onto my head.
Cassel was wiping blood from my cheek with trembling fingers.
Cassel was standing in the rain outside my palace for hours simply because I had carelessly mentioned wanting to see him.
My breathing slowly grew uneven.
This was not an obsession.
No.
This was love.
Pure, consuming, absolute love.
The kind of love every woman dreamed of receiving.
And it had all belonged to me.
The book continued to reveal more of the future that should have been mine.
Humanity flourished beneath my rule. Children laughed in bright streets untouched by fear. Markets overflowed with food and music. Flowers climbed along marble walls while people sang songs praising the queen who had saved them from despair.
Me.
They were praising me.
I could almost hear the warmth in their voices.
Almost feel the adoration wrapping around my body like silk.
Then I saw the darker parts as well.
Mountains of corpses.
Cities drowned in blood.
Enemies begging for mercy before being dragged away by Cassel’s shadows.
But even those horrifying scenes failed to disgust me.
Because every terrible thing had been done for my sake.
To protect my kingdom.
To protect me.
A strange heat spread through my chest as I stared at the moving pages with widening eyes.
The more I watched, the more convinced I became.
This destiny had always belonged to me from the very beginning.
Rosalia had stolen it all the moment she appeared beside him. She had twisted the story, corrupted fate itself, and turned the world away from its rightful path. The happiness, the throne, the love in Cassel’s gaze, the worship of humanity—every single thing should have been mine alone. Realizing that truth filled me with rage so intense that my entire body began trembling uncontrollably inside the endless white void completely.
