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Chapter 24

Rejection

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“This is the closest we’ve ever come to defeating the Overlord. Our generation… might win!”

Annastella, the woman she loved, spoke to her frantically. Madalyn and Annastella found themselves in a room in some part of the world during their journey. The memory was foggy, but the only details that mattered were Madalyn and Annastella were talking privately.

 

 

“If we use that spell… you know… the one from our witches academy.”

A younger and more naive Maddy shook her head.

“Only you and I know that spell. I-It's too dangerous, and we'll die, Anna!"

Madalyn pleaded with her friend.

“Not if we both take the weight of the Overlord together. We can imprison the Overlord back into the Grimoire of Reason!”

Madalyn paced around the distorted room.

“B-Because the Grimoire of Reason is a prison, right? T-That’s what we’ve discovered in our travels.”

Madalyn didn't sound sure of herself. She was timid and tried her best to stay strong in front of the person she loved.

"If one of us traps ourselves into the Grimoire of Reason… we can assure that the world will be saved… for how long the one imprisoned stays for, Maddy.”

A tear fell down Madalyn’s eye as reality was setting in. Her best friend was willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of the Kingsman… and a world she wouldn’t be a part of.

“B-But I don’t want to be separate from you, Annastella!”

Madalyn begged. She looked into the eyes of her friend, her first and only love.

“It’s not fair! W-Why do we have to be the ones to…”

Madalyn tried to speak but Annastella put her finger to Maddy’s lip, stopping her outburst. But Maddy’s lips quivered as she closed her eyes.

“Shh… don’t worry. I’ll… I’ll do it.”

Gently, Annastella calmed her down.

When Madalyn heard those words, she opened her eyes. Tenderly, Annastella smiled at her, trying to calm her down. But Maddy knew that wasn't what her best friend wanted. Through the smile and gentle demeanor was a woman who fell in love with someone other than her…

Maddy wanted to believe that she still had a chance to be loved by the person she had adored for all those years. She believed maybe one day Anna would come within the Grimoire and confess her love for her. Because at that moment in the past, Annastella had found someone she was enamored with…

It was their team captain…

Arnold...

Her fears calmed down as her hope rose. The level of her sacrifice would be so great… that she’d prayed the gods would give her what she yearned for.

Madalyn hoped that Annastella would love her.

“No…”

Madalyn stood tall despite her stomach ache.

“I’ll…. I’ll do it. I’ll do it because I….”

Madalyn swallowed as the fear crept into her heart as she sealed her fate.

 

“I’ll do it… because… I know it’s the right thing to do.”

 

 

She couldn't confess…. Even at the bitter end. But that night alone, Madalyn wrote her true feelings in magical ink.

It had the confession she was too afraid to tell Annastella.

But within her heart…

She imagined a dream where Anna would read her feelings…

And save her.

 

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“How many years has it been?”

Maddy couldn't remember how long she'd been in this starlit world. In her mind, the stories she wrote over and over about Annastella coming to save her waned. The reality was setting in… and she felt forgotten.

But then, a feeling captured Maddy’s heart. It was warm like her best friend, the woman she loved.

“Anna?!”

Madalyn cried to the heavens, and, to her surprise, the woman she was waiting for appeared in a holy light.

“Maddy!”

Madalyn couldn't believe her dream has finally come to fruition. Annastella held her tight and rubbed her golden hair on Maddy's chest.

"Oh, Maddy! I'm… I'm so sorry for this."

Maddy cried into her arm.

“I thought you forgot all about me! I… I hoped you would visit every chance you got, Anna!”

Annastella held her tight.

"Oh, Madalyn. You're so brave… and strong. I told myself I'll visit you as often as I could. You'll never feel alone, so don't worry."

Maddy broke down to her knees and held Annastella by the legs.

“Then why did you leave me for so long! I loved you and you… you abandoned me, Anna!”

Annastella got to her knees and looked her friend in the eyes.

“Madalyn… what are you talking about?”

Her chest ached as Madalyn pushed out her feelings.

"I don't know how long it's been… but why would you leave me for so long! I miss you every day! D-Did you at least read my notes?! Please tell me you read my notes?!”

Annastella tilted her head, confused at her friend's words.

“Madalyn… the spell just went off. I… I just came in to check on you. What notes are you talking about?”

Bewildered, they both stared at one another. Annastella could tell something was wrong but didn't realize the full extent of it yet. Instead, she gave her a calming smile, one that Maddy adored.

“Madalyn, I’ll go read those notes right now. Then when I get back, we’ll talk all about them!”

That warm smile came to her face.

“T-They are… embarrassing. Promise me you’ll come right back, Annastella?”

In a tender, warm tone, Annastella tilted her head and promised.

"I'll be back in a blink of an eye. The notes are in your room I take it, right?"

“Y-Yes, and…. Only you can read them with our pendant.”

Madalyn was captivated still at Annastella. Her hopes after the years of solitude were refounded.

"Just… be quick! Be quick, so I won't be alone for too long."

“I will!”

Annastella promised before waving goodbye and exiting the Grimoire of Reason…

 

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“Annastella lied.”

In that cold, tasteless world, Madalyn suffered decades to herself. Enraged, Madalyn destroyed the majestic writings she once adored. The love Madalyn had for the Kingsman turned to bitterness. Countless times she attempted to escape the Grimoire of Reason but was rejected. Years of acting out, cursing her fate, and the people who brought her into this tasteless world fueled her hatred.

Resentment set in as she imagined the world that Annastella was living with Arnold and the wonderful world they created. But on one fateful day, she felt that presence again.

“A-Anna?!”

Her cold heart thawed instantly. And suddenly, the love of her life fell back into the world. When she came in, her eyes were red, hot with tears.

“Y-You…”

Annastella was gasping for air as she approached the stunned Madalyn.

"Maddy, you should have… I didn't…."

Slowly she approached Madalyn with her arms out. But because of the years that passed and the fact that she was unsure of what to make of this, Madalyn pushed her away causing Annastella to fall to the cobblestone ground.

“M-Maddy?”

 

 

It's been so long since she felt the touch of another person… that it frightened her. Even the person she yearned to return to after all these years… disgusted Maddy.

“What are you doing here, Anna?!”

Confused, Anna tilted her head as she looked up at her friend.

“I… I read your notes just like I promised. So… I…”

She closed her eyes and wept and rubbed her eyes.

“I didn’t realize how much… I screwed up. It took for you to confess your feelings for me to show me… what I truly wanted.”

The words that Madalyn had wished for since the day she was trapped within this tasteless world were about to come out. How she wanted Annastella to come and save her. Confess her feelings of love for her and whisk her away from all of this like in a fairytale….

“I hate you, Annastella.”

With those icy crisp blue eyes, she glared at the woman she once adored with vile hate.

“Maddy, what are you saying?!”

Maddy approached and towered over her friend.

“You’ve left me alone in this horrible world… and then you just expect to come in and tell me this?! I’ve been here… for longer than I can count!”

Madalyn held her head as it throbbed with pain.

“I was going crazy, praying every minute that you’d come and save me because I loved you! I loved you so much that I would do this for you! I was a fool!”

Confused, Annastella eyes widened as she asked…

“How long… have you been here, Maddy?”

Madalyn backed up and walked into her isolated home. She tossed a book outside of the doorway. The book's pages fell open… revealing check marks filling the pages. Anna took hold of the diary, and black, hateful strikes struck each page. The number was uncountable as she flipped from page to page.

"I can't even count them anymore…."

Madalyn murmured.

The once vibrant eyes of Annastella’s friend were long gone. What replaced it was coldness and disdain for her fate. Anna's put her hand over her mouth… as reality sunk in.

“Leave here and never come back. Whatever feelings I had for you are gone.”

“M-Maddy, I have to get you out of here!”

Maddy shook her head.

"No! I don't want to leave anymore! I hate the Kingsman for trapping me here! I hate Arnold and the people who let this happen!”

“B-But Maddy!”

“Don’t act like my friend! I don’t ever want to leave! I don’t ever wanted to be remembered in that vile world that forced us to separate!”

Coldly, she approached Anna. In fear, Annastella got to her feet and put her hands out.  

“Madalyn, you’re upset for good reason! But please, listen to me…”

But Madalyn kept approaching with spiteful eyes, glaring her once friend down. In fear of this new person before her, Annastella backed up towards the edge of the world.

“And I hate you of all people… for not rescuing me.”

Anna closed her eyes, full of tears.

"We knew that time was different within the Grimoire of Reason Madalyn…. But we had no idea how vastly different it was, my love! Please… please listen to me. If I would have known-“

“Shut up!”

Madalyn cut her off.

"If you would have actually loved me… you wouldn't have dared to put me in here first! Even before you read my notes…."

Madalyn’s voice was hoarse as she spoke her feelings.

“Y-You wouldn’t have put the person you loved in something like this…”

 

Through her tears, she spoke… the words that had been in her heart for a century.

"If you loved me, y-you would have stopped me from doing this. But I know you don't.

So… leave me alone and make sure nobody remembers me! B-Because I never want to remember you, Annastella…."

 

 

Through her hiccups, she cried out to the tasteless world.

“It hurts to know you never loved me the same way, Anna! And I’m tired of being hurt by you!”

Anna's breathing became labored as she closed her eyes, turned around, and jumped off the world's edge… leaving behind her friend.

Annastella couldn't deny that her feelings for Madalyn weren't as strong as they were for Arnold. And as the hours ticked by in the real world… Annastella knew she couldn't ever meet her again. With the guilt of what she'd done…

Annastella died without ever rectifying how she destroyed her friend…

 

 

How she destroyed the woman who would give everything, including her life, for her.