The Thorne Estate Basement. Imprisonment and the Deal of Despair.
Alistair imprisoned Eleanor in the Thorne Estate basement. It didn't look like a jail, but more like a million-dollar art storage vault, cold and empty.
When he walked in, Eleanor leaned against the wall, utterly exhausted.
"My brother's death has nothing to do with you," Eleanor attempted one last negotiation. "It's your father, the sins of the older generation of the Thorne family. Give me the Algorithm, let me take my revenge, and you can escape your family's control."
[Angst Trap: I Am Protecting You]
Alistair stood before her. He didn't defend himself; instead, he stepped closer and gently smoothed her messy hair. The gesture was so tender, yet Eleanor knew this was his most dangerous moment.
"Where is the Algorithm?" Alistair asked calmly. "Do you think finding it will free you from my family?"
"With it, I can destroy the source of your immortality." Eleanor stared at him, eyes filled with the thrill of victory.
Alistair smiled faintly. The smile held deep pain and pity.
"The immortality you speak of, Eleanor, is my curse, not my power." Alistair leaned in. "My father, he made me the vessel for the Algorithm. The power flowing through my body is the life force converted from your brother."
[Dog-Blood Twist: The Hero is the Vessel of the Curse]
Eleanor abruptly staggered back, her face etched with shock. The person she hated most was not a cold executor, but the living curse itself!
"You... you are the living vessel of the Thorne family's sin?"
"So, you cannot destroy the Algorithm. You can only destroy me." Alistair looked at her. "You only have one way to take your revenge: Kill me."
He unlocked the restraints on her wrists.
"Now, I give you the chance. My body is here. Kill me. Use my death to avenge your brother."
[Emotional Peak: The Temptation of Death and the Loss of Control]
Eleanor looked at him, tears welling up. She wanted to kill him! She had trained day and night for this moment. But she remembered his kiss in the Black Forest, and how he shielded her from the poison in the tearoom.
"I can't…" Eleanor whispered painfully, "I can't kill you!"
Alistair gently stroked her cheek, his eyes filled with sorrow.
"You lost control, Eleanor. You lost the wager." Alistair murmured, "Your hatred for me is not enough to kill me, because there is already love in your heart."
(Author's Note):
Chapter Eight, the ultimate dog-blood reveal: Alistair is the "Living Algorithm Vessel" for the family's sins. Eleanor cannot kill him because she's compromised by love. This twist shifts the story from "commercial revenge" to "redemption in the name of love." She lost the wager, but what did she win? Next, Seraphina's return changes the game.
By: KHChing