Upon hearing Theora’s unusual request, Dema simply laughed. She had a raspy voice with a full colour to it, and laughing suited it especially well.

“Dang,” she smiled, “Cutting right to the chase? Why, I wanted to chat!”

A soft shiver went down Theora’s spine. “Please,” she repeated. “Your dying wish. I will hear it, and fulfil it best I can.”

“I don’t get it, though.” The cheer was still in her voice. “I don’t even feel sick, you know? Also, not gonna lie. Dying ain’t really my thing.”

Theora extracted an old, large scroll from under her clothes, and gently unrolled it at her legs.

“This scroll contains the pinnacle of magical research,” she explained. “Humankind’s greatest spell. It’s only effective against beings older than ten thousand years. When cast, it pierces [Immortality].”

Dema intently inspected the scroll and the complex words, symbols, and diagrams engraved on it, morbid curiosity filling her expression. “Huh. I guess you had to go all out to kill an undying thing like me. So, a wish, you said? I get a wish before you off me? That it?”

Theora nodded.

“Why, that’s quite generous of you. Feeling bad for me, ain’t ya?”

“The evils you committed are deep in the past,” Theora said with an empty gaze. “I have no relation to them. You’ve had time to atone. I bear you no ill will. The truth is, I don’t want to kill you.”

Theora swallowed before continuing. “However, with endless time, all seals can be undone. All evils be unleashed. Thus, for the safety of those to come, you must cease to exist. Still, I want to make this process as gentle for you as possible.” She took another short breath. Talking meant effort, and she was tired. “So, allow me to grant you a wish, and end you in peace.”

Sitting down on the sea, right before the Heroine, a small spark gathered in Dema’s eyes. “That scroll’s nice and all, but that much ain’t gonna be enough. First gotta pummel me into submission, you know? Am not gonna sit idly while you get rid of me.”

“Let’s not fight,” Theora said.

A chuckle. The glint in Dema’s eyes went firmer, as if a real light. “You’re kinda confident in yourself, even though you’re so small. Barging in here, big mouthed. Like, yeah, that coat and all the folds, makes you look like a big deal, almost monstrous. I’ll give you that. But it’s all just for show, ain’t it? Still just a little rabbit beneath. Wearing a coat like that to puff yourself up.”

“It’s cold outside,” Theora said, monotonous.

“I’m sure it is,” Dema replied amused, before sobering up. “What I’m saying is, I’m not weak, you know? Be at least a little worried. Hell, truth is, I’m worried about you. First visitor I get, and they’re gonna throw a fit and I have to kill ’em? Why, what a downer. You know, those guys and gals back then — all they could do was seal me away, and a couple of ’em died trying.”

She dared touch the scroll, gently moving a finger across the writings, not recognizing any authority it was supposed to exert over her.

“Confident in myself,” Theora repeated Dema’s earlier statement, as if waking from thought. “I don’t think that phrase fits. There is no question here, I am what ends you, such is the way of the world. Whether I am confident or not will not change that fact.”

Dema’s smile returned, curling even deeper into her face this time. She seemed to be enjoying herself a lot. “Huh. Not confident then,” she said. “You just know more about all this than I do. Shame, because I’m curious. You gonna help me understand, little rabbit?”

Little rabbit. She was going to stick to that? Regardless, Theora wet her lips. More talking. But that poor being deserved at least this much.

After pulling in some air, she explained, hands resting on her knees. “The world had to wait for two prerequisites to be met. First, that you aged beyond ten thousand years. Second, that a being strong enough to subdue you was born.” Theora swallowed. “That being is me. Thus, the conditions have been fulfilled. I advise you not to fight, for I would simply tear you apart, then call on the scroll to strip away the feeble remains of your existence.”

The Ancient Evil’s gaze rested on the scroll for a few moments, her large lashes hiding her eyes from Theora’s view. Then, Dema looked up, her amber eyes shining.

“What a big, big bummer,” she whispered. “’Cause I wanna stay alive.”

Theora frowned just the tiniest frown, the smallest hint of confusion in her eyes. “Why?”

“Why I wanna stay alive? What a question. I’m stubborn like that, so I just wanna. No reason.”

“There must be a reason,” Theora insisted. “You’ve been here for… practically, forever. All alone. Not a single person to talk to. How? This space is entirely empty. How have you not lost hope? Not lost your will to go on? What have you been doing all this time?”

Dema shrugged. “I’ve been thinking.”

“About what?”

“Doesn’t even matter,” she said, stretching her limbs. “It’s just, the entire time I’ve been in here, I’ve been racking my brain. Thinking those big brain thoughts. I’m good at that,” she chuckled. “And not gonna lie, I kinda wanna keep doing it. So dying would be bad. Please? Oh, right. I get a dying wish! Then, my dying wish—” She made a pause, and tapped her temple, “… is for you to let me keep thinking. Not a big wish, right? That can’t be asking too much?”

Theora shook her head. “I cannot allow that. You are the Ancient Evil. You manipulate. You scheme. If left unchecked, you will destroy countless lives the moment you break free.”

Placing her chin in her hand, Dema gazed into the air. “True, I guess. My eyes are itching for some bloodshed and rumbling excitement. But, you said you’re pretty strong, right?”

Theora gave a hint of a nod.

“That’s great!” Dema exclaimed. “Just lemme go with you, then. I can’t do bad stuff while you keep tabs on me, right? Since you’re that much stronger than I am, you know? So, that’s my wish. Take me with you so I can keep thinking, just for a little bit. You can always kill me later.”

Theora stared at Dema. It was obvious what she was doing. The scheming and manipulating Ancient Evil, as it clung to its life with just the tiniest glimpse of hope. An animal caught in a cage, and its transparent and desperate last attempt to survive.

Except, she didn’t seem desperate at all.

“Fine,” Theora said, regardless. Because none of it really mattered. Because there was no avenue for Dema to escape death. No avenue for her to outsmart or trick Theora, or to betray her or beat her. A hopeless endeavour because she didn’t understand the true discrepancy in strength.

But also, Theora didn’t want to kill her right now, anyway. This gave her a small ember, a reason to keep her hands off murdering a defenceless person she only knew through myths. If only just for another moment.

As if on cue, a System message popped up out of nowhere.

[Current Main Quest: Kill the Ancient Evil.]

She tried to dismiss it mentally, but the message persisted. Closing her eyes, she forced it away with all the intent she could muster, and it finally relented. For now. Lingering in the darkness, ready to break out again at any time.

“Fine,” Theora repeated, a bit more forcefully, and furled the scroll back together to bury it somewhere in her layered clothes. She couldn’t remember the last time her heart had beaten this strong. “You can follow me for a while.”

With these words, Theora got up, turned around, and vanished through the crack in the void.