Twisted

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Well, this chapter concludes the story. Character death in this chapter. I think you can guess who it is.

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Alex quietly staggered across the room, clutching his gut. The wound had barely healed and his tunic was soaked in blood, but he was not defeated yet. His breath came out in ragged gasps and his eyes shone with manic glee in the early morning light as he moved towards the bed.

Isaac lay asleep in the bed, a peaceful expression on his face, as he curled up snugly under the blanket. He was unaware of his impending doom as the madman approached him and then drew his sword quietly out of its scabbard.

Suddenly, Isaac jolted awake and his blue eyes fixated on the sword hanging above him. It plunged through the air towards him. He let out a terrified yell and rolled sideways, leaping off the bed as the tip of the sword shot through the mattress.

Alex let out a soft curse and struggled to pull the sword back out, severely weakened by the loss of blood. It had taken quite some energy to plunge the sword down so fast. He managed to dislodge it and sought out his prey, only to find him slamming a heavy object into his head.

Isaac tossed the object up in the air and caught it again, glowering at the man lying across the floor. Why did Alex have to resort to such petty, vile methods? Well, he was severely injured and now captured so he could receive the punishment he deserved at last.

An hour later, Alex was tied securely to a post in the plaza and awaiting the verdict on his punishment. The villagers walked around and jeered at him, treating him with contempt. They all knew of the evil things he had committed- kidnap and attempted murder. Nothing had been said of what he did with Felix of course.

Alex showed no fear or remorse. He simply lay against the pole, grinning demonically. He did not fear death, in fact a part of him welcomed it. He would be free from this burden and suffering, the madness that consumed his soul.

Mia had actually spoken to him. Alex was impressed considering that he could tell Mia loathed him so much there wasn't any room for more contempt. She hadn't said much though, simply that she hated him for everything and wanted him to burn in hell. Her eyes, those sapphires filled with malice, they had been simply beautiful.

Garet hadn't said a thing to Alex. Well, he looked like he wanted to punch him, but Isaac, who had been with him at the time, had cautioned him against it. Alex was apparently already so severely injured that any further abrasions might be fatal and he could not receive the decided punishment. Apparently the mayor's grandson could not deliver his own punishment after all.

"What is going through that mind of yours, Alex?" Jenna asked him, her eyes blazing with cold fury. "Why do you want to kill and hurt everyone so much?"

"I don't know," Alex answered. "I just hate everything. And I am not scared to die either. In fact, I look forwards to it."

"You deserve it," Jenna said no more and walked away.

Felix was one of the last people to speak to Alex before the punishment was decided. "I remember everything you did now," He shook with rage and grief. "You made me do all those stupid things like kissing her... and hurting her... pestering her until she was in tears! How could you make me do those things to my sister?"

"Oh, so you remember everything that happened now?" Alex smiled calmly. "I'm sure it was quite a shock when you realised what I used you for."

"I wish I hadn't even remembered anything you made me do now," Felix said in disgust. "I just think you're a sick monster and deserve what you get!"

"That's what she said too," Alex spoke to him. "Jenna is certainly very strong spirited indeed. Even after all that torture she suffered, she only managed to reach the brink of madness. Just a little more and she might have been broken entirely but then things started to fall apart. What a shame indeed. And you were so obedient as well."

"I hate you for what you did to her," Felix gritted his teeth. He wanted to beat Alex to a pulp right then, but no, he wasn't allowed to. "And what you used me for... I just don't understand you at all. I depise you, Alex." He turned and walked away.

Alex rolled his eyes slightly, exasperated at how everybody was saying the same thing. He knew they all hated him, why did they even bother to tell him so? It was quite repetitive and he was indeed getting bored of this.

Eventually, the judgment was passed. Alex smiled unflinchingly as the villagers approached him, gripping large stones in their hands. The Mayor declared that Alex was to be sentenced to death by stoning.

When the first stone fell, Alex did not care. He merely glanced at the cut it left behind, his smile widening at the sight of blood welling up and beginning to drip down. The stones fell in a furious hail, cutting and tearing into his body. Alex welcomed the dizzying faint that washed over him and then he felt no more.

Once he fainted, the stones soon ceased. The villagers began to disperse, but some remained behind to kick and punch him as he hung near death. Eventually, Alex's pulse faded away and he was declared dead. Some men took him off the pole and they gave him a burial in the cemetery at the corner of Vale. However, his grave was left unmarked.

Isaac stood by the small cemetery, feeling a surge of relief mixed with a hint of sadness. He did not like to see death before his eyes, even if it was the man who had been out to kill him. However, Alex was now dead and they could truly relax without worry. Isaac noticed a familiar figure kneeling on the earth next to a patch of brown soil and walked over.

"Mia," Isaac spoke, causing her to look up. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"I'm paying my last respects," Mia glanced at the bare soil that was the only indication of Alex's grave. "In his last moments of life, he may have been a deranged madman, but he was once a kind and gentle person and that is the Alex I choose to remember and grieve for. I feel sadness at the change that took over him and I wish more than anything that it had never happened, that he could just have stayed the same... why couldn't he?" Her voice broke and she swallowed a sob.

Isaac kneeled next to Mia and put an arm around her shaking body. She sniffled and leaned against him for support, unable to drag her eyes from the horrifying patch of earth. Someone who had once been a close friend, only to become an enemy, was dead and buried in the cold ground by her feet.

Further away, Ivan also sat alone, gripping his knees to his chest and trembling. He stared fixedly at the ground, his eyes wide. He barely noticed Sheba say his name as she sat next to him.

"Are you okay?" Sheba asked, frowining at the sight of his pale complexion. "You really don't look too good, Ivan."

"I couldn't watch it," Ivan choked out, traumatised by the memory fresh in his mind. "I watched for nearly a minute, but then I couldn't anymore. It was horrifying to see, all those stones hitting and breaking him... it was so violent, so vicious... and they were all working together, fuelled by hate, striking him..."

"Yes, I couldn't watch for very long either," Sheba shook her head. "It must have taken a lot of guts to throw just one stone. They were angry, that's what fuelled them to do it. If they hadn't been angry, if they hadn't even known what Alex tried to do, I don't think they would have stoned him. Jailed him possibly."

"Do you think they felt anything?" Ivan glanced up at her. "When they cast the stones, did they feel anything for helping take a man's life?"

"I don't know," Sheba shook her head. "But I was angry at Alex. Because of him, Felix could have died. Jenna felt a lot of pain. Isaac also nearly got killed. Piers and I nearly got dragged into Alex's little scheme. I think we were all angry at him."

"Yes, I was angry too, but still I couldn't stand to watch him die," Ivan smiled hesitantly. "But I think that's a good thing."

"Yeah," Sheba agreed, leaning back and relaxing against the tree, her eyes half closing. "I do think that's a good thing."

Felix sat at the edge of the river, the sound of water rushing past soothing his turbulent emotions. He looked up as he heard soft footsteps and flashed a quick smile at Piers as he sat besides him before looking back at the sparkling water.

"I don't know how you feel," Piers watched a fish slipping through the shallows, rays of sun dancing off its brightly decorated scales. "But I feel relieved. Alex was nothing more than a nuisance from the start."

"I feel relieved too," Felix's forehead furrowed with frown lines. "But I just can't understand what possessed him to do such a thing."

"There is simply no reasoning behind what he did," Piers turned his amber gaze on the Venus Adept. "It's all over now, Felix, there's nothing to worry about."

"I just wish I could understand," Felix mused, his eyes meeting with Piers's as he turned his head. "But no matter how hard I think about it, it just doesn't make any sense. I suppose it never will. Alex... he completely changed."

"You seem unhappy about that." Piers noted, tilting his head.

"He used to be a good person," Felix sighed and glanced downwards, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Even though Alex was such a mysterious person, he was close to my age and he was a lot less frightening than Saturos and Menard. Sometimes I thought we could have been friends even... but then he just changed... and now I just hate him..."

"I'm so glad that's all over," Garet spoke loudly as he walked with Jenna to her house, a triumphant look on his face. "That bastard Alex totally got what he deserved."

"Yeah, he did," Jenna stopped at her front door and gripped the handle, glancing back at Garet with a smile. "He finally got punished."

"Aren't you glad?" Garet grinned. "It's all over now, we don't have to worry about anything and you can just forget about all that stuff that happened!"

"Yeah, of course," Jenna said quietly, her gaze flickering away briefly. Sure, Alex was dead and the whole ordeal was over, but getting over everything wasn't going to be that simple. Still, she had to try. "Everything's over."