What's the secret remedy for a broken heart? Hot chocolate? Ice cream? Hibernation? Because none of them are fucking working. Nothing stops the excruciating, sharp pang in my chest. It's a constant reminder. Even if I forgot for a second or two— it always comes back.

Clutching onto the pillow, I watch Flynn give Rapunzel a horrible haircut, causing her hair to turn brown. My heart leaps in my throat when I realize what this means— Flynn is going to die. The evil mother plunges out of the window, and I can't help but laugh. She fucking deserved it. Rapunzel begs Flynn to stay with her, singing the magic song in hopes of saving him.

Flynn barely holds on, calling Rapunzel's name in a weak, strained voice. I squeeze my pillow tighter with one hand and fan my eyes to keep them from crying. But Flynn's gut-wrenching last statement strikes a powerful chord in my chest, and the tear gates flood open. Why does Asiel love tragic love stories like this?

I cry along with Rapunzel. Mainly because of Flynn's death, but a part of me mourns the death of my relationship with Asiel. Nothing beats watching a sad movie to hide the reason you were crying. Rapunzel's tears fall on his cheeks, morphing into the magic flower. Wait. What's happening?

The magic flower is coming out of his body?! Now, it disappeared into oblivion. What's happening? Is Flynn going to live? Oh, my fucking god-- his eyes opened. A puddle grows on the bed from all my crying as Rapunzel leaps into his arms. God, I wish I could have that right now. This movie was supposed to make me feel better, but I feel worse.

They have the most romantic kiss of a lifetime.

Now, I understand why Asiel loves this movie. It's a perfect love story. They're so perfect for each other. Why couldn't I have this? Why did reality have to be so cruel? I know why because I'm not Rapunzel. She deserved all the goodness in the world exactly like Asiel. He will get his happy ending. I have faith in that.

It's just not going to be with me.

The door creaks open, revealing Diablo with a tray in his hands. "Hey, Mika. I made you your favorite-- mac and cheese."

Quickly, I dry my eyes with my fingers. "Yeah, it was my favorite when I was twelve. Besides, I don't want it."

Diablo exhales a long breath and sits on the edge of the bed. "You need to eat. Starving yourself won't make anything any better."

"I'm not hungry," I say through gritted teeth.

An uncomfortable chill cascades down my body when Diablo tugs a strand of my hair behind my ear. "Mika, you need to eat. Just take two bites."

I roll my eyes. "What if I just stab you with the fork instead?"

Diablo's smile widens. "There's my Mika." He lightly nudges my shoulder. "I have something planned for us. To get you out of this funk."

With a pouting face, I take a bite of the cheesy mac and cheese and was pleasantly surprised. "I don't want to go anywhere. Just let me lie in bed and die."

His nose wrinkles with cringe. "Mika, he's just a stupid boy. The world isn't ending. You don't need a man to conquer the world."

I fling an elbow pasta at Diablo's head. "I don't want to conquer the world."

Diablo laughs, flashing his pearly-white smile. "Maybe this outing will change your mind. Change. We're leaving in twenty."

With no vigor in my movements, I freshen up in the bathroom and change into Asiel's hoodie and a pair of jeans. I drag the sleeve all the way out, covering my hands and making them like bear paws. I inhale his familiar cologne, and the waterworks are seconds away from spilling. It smells exactly like him.

After throwing my hair into a ponytail, I wander to the kitchen, catching Diablo packing up a backpack. It's knives, daggers, guns, scissors, bear traps, plastic bags, and more. What kind of outing is this?

"Where are we going?"

His tongue glides over his white, straight teeth. "You'll see."

Diablo tosses a water bottle at me and leads the way to his Ferrari. It's bright red with the blinding lights blinking at me. He puts the top down and turns the music on to full blast. Pop music blares out the speakers. I recline the chair until I'm all the way down and stare up at the stars.

I wonder if Asiel is looking at the stars tonight.

They look enchanting, as if I was in a dream. It's easy to get lost in the navy blue sky with the twinkling lights popping here and there. What happens if a shooting star passes by-- would my wish come true? The sky stops moving, and the car doors slam against me, dragging me back to reality.

"Let's go," Diablo says.

With wrinkled eyebrows, I hop out of the car and follow Diablo five blocks before entering a house. He smashes his hand through the glass door, unlocking the door from the inside. The door swings open, and the glasses crack under his feet. Diablo cranes his neck, making a gesture to stay quiet.

"Okay?" I mouth to him.

I blow out a weary breath, inching through the vacant house behind Diablo. He stops at the bedroom door on the second floor and slowly pushes it open. A faint figure of a body lays under the bedsheets, rotating back and forth, groaning. I wait by the door frame while Diablo grips the individual by the neck, frightening them awake.

"You've been a busy boy, Maximo."

The color drains from his face as he claws at Diablo's grip. "W-Who sent you?"

Diablo wears his signature sadistic smile whenever he's in this mode. "What do I get if I tell you?"

Maximo swallows audibly while pleading, "Anything-- I have enough money to buy yourself an island."

"Oh..." Diablo frowns. "That's less than what I already have."

His lips tremble, and his hands begin to shake in fear. I cringe as Maximo's sheets turn a disgusting yellow color. Diablo grabs a knife from his back pants pockets and glides it over Maximo's neck.

"Do you want to do the honors, Mika?" Diablo asks, his eyes widening with hysteria.

So, this is his plan? To rekindle old memories when we would kill people left and right. That's how everything started-- I fell into the deep hole of cold-blood murder because Diablo wanted me to. Coldness washes over me. I pull up the mask of a cold-hearted killer, channeling the Mictlantecuhtli in me. You can't take the killer out of the person, even if they see the light.

"O-okay," I reply, licking my lips.

The plank creaks with my every step, stalking closer to the trembling man. Diablo hands over a butcher knife and tightens his grip on Maximo's neck. My hands seize the blade, and I stare at Maximo, eyeing how his face turns blue from the grip on his neck. I hate to break it to Diablo, but Mictlantecuhtli is hiding.

It's only Mika.

The Mika that doesn't want to hurt anyone.

There's nothing enjoyable about torturing an innocent human for others. Ignoring my better judgment, I end Maximo's suffering by stabbing his stomach with the knife. Blood oozes on the blade, spreading to my fingertips. My breath hitches-- I hate this. The knife slips from my hand, smearing blood on the pee-strained sheets. Guilt spreads through my chest like wildfire.

How did I find any joy in this?

Now, all I want to do is throw up.

Diablo's lip twitches. "You have to keep going until the job is done."

"No," I say with an edge. "I don't want to."

He groans, raking his fingers through his hair. "You must be joking! Asiel is nothing special, Mika. I can find a hundred men just like him!"

I laugh humorlessly. "This has nothing to do with Asiel. What I want to do is my decision, and I don't want to kill him. So piss the fuck off."

He shakes his head. "Whatever. I'm tired of your crying over a stupid fucking guy. I did this for you, and you didn't appreciate it. Go wait in the living room."

With narrow slits, I extend my hand. "Can I watch videos on your phone?"

Diablo rolls his eyes. "It's in my pocket."

Once I have his phone, I skip down the stairs and collapse onto the fluffy couch. Oh, my god-- it's so smooth against my skin. Laughter slips out of me as I watch a game show on Youtube. No more rom-com for the week. All they do is break my heart into a million freaking pieces as if it wasn't already. What if I starred in a game show? Would America love me? Doubt it! I'll probably be the most hated person.

A notification blocks the answer to the question in the game show. I accidentally press on it when I tried to swipe it away. Irritation comes out in a groan as I try to get off the messages. But one thing catches my eye-- the message sent to Diablo.

I held up my part of the deal. You got her all to yourself.

My small smile falls. I suck in a breath as I scroll all the way to the first text message. Why was he texting Mateo? My stomach plummets to the ocean, spiraling in the waves. Any source of oxygen leaves my body, and I feel lightheaded. Diablo sold me out again. He gave Mateo all the pictures, videotapes, feathers-- every fucking thing.

All because he's a fucking piece of shit.

In perfect timing, Diablo hops down from the second floor with the body bag over his shoulder. "Maybe you will like our next victim. We need something to get you out of this funk."

My hand curls around the phone, angrily clutching the evidence. "How could I've been so stupid? I wondered how Mateo got the visual proof of me, but I didn't realize the answer was directly in front of me. You sold me out. Again!"

The body falls with a thud as he scrambles to me, trying to grab my hands. "Calm down, Mika. We can talk about this."

I swat his hands away. "You gave me the folder to throw my guard off. You fucking played me. You took the one thing that mattered to me."

A slow smile curves on his lips. "I did what I needed to do to reel you back in. Asiel was never going to be enough for you. He doesn't know you like I do." I freeze in place as Diablo stalks closer, gliding his hand over my cheek. "He doesn't know how to touch you. How to fuck you. We were happy without him. We are better without him. Why can't you see that?"

Diablo might've known me for years, but I'm not the same anymore. I used to regard myself in a high manner. I was an Angele, the Mictlantecuhtli-- beautiful, untouchable. All I had to do was flash a flirtatious smile, and I would have men and women on their knees for me. The Mika a year ago evaporated into thin air. My frozen heart thawed every day I spent with Asiel-- he changed me for the better. He gave me the love I never thought I wanted-- needed.

I hate my past.

It pains me to look at myself. There's no beauty, no aura around me. There's only guilt and pain consuming my heart from the sinful choice I made.

Diablo leans forward, a second away from smashing our lips, until I twist my face to the side, causing his lips to graze my cheek. 

My chest heaves. "Don't fucking kiss me."

Diablo groans, slamming my back against the wall. "What's so great about him, Mika? What does he have that I don't? You used to be so perfect. Now, I don't even recognize you."

He calls the version of me killing people perfect? All the victim's voices fuck with my brain, blaring in my ears as if I was wearing headphones. It's never-ending. The screams, horror-filled eyes, tear streak faces-- it's all because of Diablo. He taught me everything I knew.

"Perfect?" I laugh humorlessly, licking my lips. "You turned me into a monster. I was never perfect. I was a fucking murderer, Eugene."

Years and years of regrets catch up to me. I'm sinking into the pile of bodies around me. All because I wanted to find my home, to fit in, to satisfy him. It's not like I knew any better. I lacked responsible role models in my life. Everything is becoming crystal clear, as if the magic spell had broken.

Asiel was right.

Diablo has been grooming me to be his perfect toy the entire time.

Diablo twirls my hair on his finger, laughing. "A perfect monster." My body trembles from his warm breath, fanning my ear. "You always like to put the blame on someone else. I never forced you into anything. You're the one who said you wanted to help me. You're the one who said you wanted to make me happy. You're the one who begged to be an Angele and a killer. Admit your faults, Mika. You wanted it. It's all on you."

My head is spinning.

My body shakes with rage, pushing Diablo away from me. "I was fucking ten when you met me, Eugene! I was a child! How am I supposed to know any better?" Tears stick to my eyelashes, blurring my vision. "I had no one else. I was alone, sad, desperate for any form of love. You knew that. You gave me affection to manipulate me. You fucking took advantage of me."

Now that I realize everything, I don't understand how I went so long in the dark. Diablo made me believe that nobody else would ever want me the way I am-- only him. Only he would be able to understand me. He molded me into a calculated, emotionless killer for his use. The second I do something on my own, he ruins everything, so I go back to square one.

"Then why didn't you leave? I didn't make you stay. You could've left whenever you wanted, but you stayed with me," he sneers, scrunching his nose with anger.

I shake my head, unable to believe how he keeps pinning everything on me. "You were my only hope. I had no one else, Eugene. You made sure of that. You made me feel like someone valued me, like I wasn't pointlessly wandering around the world. I realize now-- that was always your intention. To use me and ruin me."

Diablo's smile falls. "I'd like to believe that we both used each other. Look at you-- one of the wealthiest women alive because I gave you the opportunity. You shined like a fucking star, Mika. I can't believe you let this pathetic excuse of a man change you." Pain washes over his face as he grips my cheeks. " What does he have that I don't? I keep asking myself this question because I can't find an answer."

"You want to know what he did?" I spat with spite, piercing into his brown irises. "He showed me what it's like to be loved and to love back. It's actually really fucking beautiful. Even with all the pain I'm in-- I wouldn't change it for the world. You will never understand this feeling because I'll never love you. Does that hurt your ego?"

A bitter smile curls on my lips. "You manipulated and abused me, but I still never love you. Does that sound familiar, like you and your father?"

A dark gleam flashes in his eyes, and he growls, "You have no fucking right to talk about my father."

"It's funny. In the end, you became just like your father. You didn't even have to lift a finger because you knew I had nowhere else to run to. Even after you got Riley killed and raped-- I still came back to you. You two are the fucking same. Looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Diablo's lips twitches, his jaw flexing. "I'm nothing like him. All I was trying to do was teach you how to surviv-."

I shake my head, tears staining my cheeks. "You taught me how to be like you! A perfect, emotionless killer. You fucked me up so much I honestly thought I was incapable of human emotions. We were both victims, Eugene, but we were supposed to be better than our parents. Why did we become exactly like them?"

I cling to the edge of his sleeve. "Why did you make me like this? Why did you make me like death? Find beauty in the way blood spills? To use their body parts as my canvas?" My voice cracks. "I used to like destroying people. It was a high that's unexplainable."

Diablo yanks his hand away. "I never forced you to believe anything. That's who you really are. Stop denying the truth."

I speak through my sobbing. "No. That wasn't me. That was never me. That was Mictlantecuhtli. Someone who I thought was me. It was Asiel that helped me find the real Mika. Asiel that told me I didn't have to hide behind my mask. He taught me how to open up. That I was safe with him."

He looks to the side, wiping his face.

"Not you. It was all Asiel. He made me realize I am human." My heart ruptures. "That I want simple things in life, like boyfriend and love. All the stupid things girls fantasize about in movies. I want it all. Asiel helped me. He made me into a better person."

Hurt washes over Diablo's face. "If you're so different now, then why did you come back? Huh, Mika? Why was I the first person you ran to? You telling me I mean absolutely nothing to you?"

My eyes sting with tears. "Because no matter how many times I try to pull away, it's hard to separate myself from the prison I've been trapped in. I can't help but run back to you. It's how it's always been, but I didn't realize how fucking stupid I was. I hate myself for seeking any sort of comfort in you."

Diablo's jaw clenches, his chest heaving with fury as he storms over to me, causing my head to turn to the side. He smashes his fist into the wall, causing debris to fall on the floor. Diablo boxes me in with his arms. He glances at the ground, his body vibrating as I catch the faint sniffle escaping his mouth.

"You're right. I'm older. I should've known what I was doing. I'm sorry for not treating you the way you deserved." Slowly, Diablo's head rises, his weeping brown irises showing a hint of vulnerability for the first time in my life. "I knew I had already lost you, you know. But it's always been you and me. I just-- I just had to try something to get you back. But I realize now I should've stayed in my place. You've been long gone. My beautiful Mika."

"Since when have you known?"

His finger glides the slope of my cheek. "The day you asked me if you killed Asiel's brother. I saw the devastation in your eyes-- something I've never seen in you before. I knew I was in the progress of losing you. I kept my eyes on you, you know-- watched my little Mika fall head over heels. You had this sincerely, genuine smile whenever you talked about him to someone. I've never witnessed one of those. I thought, wow! This must be the real Mika."

My breath hitches as he inches closer, clutching my cheek in his palms. "In the back of my mind, I knew you were leaving me behind and this world. You went somewhere I couldn't reach anymore. We knew each other for so long-- I could read you like the back of my hand. You didn't need to tell me you loved Asiel-- I knew. I thought you would come back--that you wouldn't throw everything away for him. But you didn't. You just fell deeper and deeper. So..."

He takes a long breath, tugging my bottom lip with his pointer finger. "So I'm giving up on you. I'm letting you go. We go our separate ways--final this time. Tell him the truth. Okay? I'm sure he will understand if you do. Just don't get yourself killed."

I laugh, the salty taste of tears in my mouth. "I-I don't know. All I'll do is taint his image of his brother. He loved him. How can I do that to him? How can I ruin something else in his life? Besides, I don't think I deserve to be happy with him."

"That's nonsense. You deserve more happiness than anyone I ever meant." Diablo's eyes shine with tears, almost reminiscing the years, when he went by Eugene. "Promise me that one thing. Keep fighting and don't take the cowardly way out."

"Don't die either, okay?"

Diablo's arms wrap around my neck, pulling me in an awkward hug as he ruffles up the top of my head. "I'm honored you still care if I die or not."

"Fuck you," I say playfully.

This probably one of my favorite chapters just because it really really exposes the entire Mika and Diablo dynamic... you guys always wanted to know more about him...

He's still basically a mystery with a lot of hidden baggage, but we hit the hard topic —which is his feelings for Mika🤮😂.

What do you guys think of him selling Mika out again? Do you wish him a horrible death or understand his track of thought? I don't forgive him 🙃he ruined my babies... they could've been cuddling right now 🥹🥹

Guys, there are single digit chapters left!! How do you think Mika is going to end 👀👀hopefully I satisfy you❤️❤️

Thank you for supporting me! I love you and I can't wait to read your comments today!!