Extra's POV: My Obsessive Villainous Fiancee Is The Game's Final Boss

Florian tapped his fingers against the edge of the desk, studying them both with a smirk, expecting their answer.

Ren's brain was already at work, trying to come up with something they could use at this very moment.

He knew from the wiki of the church and the plague that just before the plague broke into one of the nearby cities, there'd been a pair of aspirants inducted in Rainhold but he had no idea what their names were.

Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Lilith stepped forward, chin raised as if in challenge. "Lilith." She answered.

Ren barely held back his surprise. His eyes flicked toward her for a split second. Had she really used her real name? No cover? No alias? All it would take to expose them would be a quick look at the record of Chosen aspirants.

She met his gaze with a faint smile.

Ren exhaled slowly, deciding to follow her lead. From what he could see of Florian, the man was very perceptive. Maybe if they didn't take a split second to answer to their made up names, they'd be able to gain the man's trust.

"Ren." He said.

Florian nodded, his smirk still firmly in place. "Lilith and Ren. Strong names."

He turned and walked around his desk, arms folding behind his back as he looked at the tomes they'd retrieved. "Still, names don't excuse rule-breaking. You both snuck around after hours, which is against the rule for aspirants. It doesn't matter if you were seeking Archivist Davien. You still broke the rule."

Ren stepped forward quickly, his voice turning a bit pleading with a hint of diplomacy. They couldn't afford to stand out. Not right now. "We understand, Chosen Florian. But we did help you retrieve the tomes. That has to count for something, doesn't it?"

Florian turned, feigning as if he was in deep contemplation. "Hmm. Yes, I suppose it counts." He looked up at them, a faint smile appearing on his face. "As part of your punishment."

Ren tried again. "Maybe a lighter punishment, then? Cleaning duty? Training drills? A week of chapel services?"

Florian wrinkled his nose. "Chapel duty? Please. If I wanted to punish you with boredom, I'd just have you read Ecclesiastical Paradoxes cover to cover."

"What about kitchen work?" Ren offered. "Scrubbing floors?" Anything to keep them out of the spotlight. Aspirants in their grey robes scrubbing floors? People's eyes would just drift over them as if they were furniture.

"Tempting. Very tempting." Florian said, eyes glinting. "But I'm not quite in the mood for that kind of punishment."

He leaned back against the desk again and tilted his head toward Lilith. "You've been quiet. What do you think your punishment should be?"

Ren raised his brows, turning to Lilith, praying to all deities that existed that this should go smoothly. His luck had been holding so far. There was nothing to say that it couldn't continue.

"Just let us go." Lilith said bluntly, as if she was speaking to a peer. She tilted her head to the side, staring thoughtfully at Florian. "Letting us go would be the perfect punishment."

Ren's eyes widened as silence filled the room. Will Florian take offence? Will this end in a fight?

Then Florian laughed. A full, hearty laugh that filled the room. It made him look a few years younger. He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye as he looked at her.

"I like you." He said, grinning. "Both of you."

He pushed off the desk and took a step closer, voice dropping into something more serious, but still amused. "So here's what I'm going to do."

Ren and Lilith watched.

"As punishment," Florian continued, "when you pass your trials and become Chosen, I'm taking you both under my wing. You'll serve directly under me. You'll train with me. Eat with me. Suffer my presence day in and day out."

He smiled wide.

"And very soon, I promise you. You'll both be begging me to let you go. That'll be your punishment."

Lilith blinked.

Ren stared.

And Florian just laughed again. "Now then. Get some rest, aspirants. Tomorrow will be a big day."

Without another word, Ren and Lilith stepped out of Florian's office and into the quiet hallway.

The door clicked softly shut behind them, and they turned, Ren leading the way to the aspirant quarters.

The church was eerily silent at this time of the night, their already quiet footsteps still traveling a bit. The light burned low on the lanterns hanging from the wall.

Ren glanced sideways at Lilith, who was walking beside him.

She was… calm. Too calm. Her posture was relaxed, her expression ordinary, and there was no trace of any negative emotions in her eyes.

Others would rejoice but not Ren. To him, this only meant something was off. He studied her for a few seconds before he realized.

Lilith wasn't calm. She was… focused. But not on the mission.

As if sensing him staring, Lilith turned her head and caught his gaze, giving him a very… sultry smile, a blush creeping across her cheeks.

Ren looked away so fast he nearly tripped on his own robe. "Ahem."

Yep. That explained it.

Her mind had been elsewhere. Nowhere near Florian. Nowhere near the room of records. It was on him. On them. On… things.

He cleared his throat again, his mouth moving as he had the sudden urge to fill the silence. "So, uh, you handled yourself pretty well in there. With Florian. Really, um… confident."

Lilith's smile only grew. "Thank you." She said sweetly. "Have I ever told you how handsome you are?"

Ren cleared his throat. "Uh… yeah. Once or twice."

He picked up the pace, as if it would lead to a change in conversation, Lilith easily keeping up with him. However, she chuckled, saying nothing.

They soon reached the hallway marked for aspirants. Spaced evenly on either side were rows of wooden doors. Ren picked one at random and gestured toward it. Lilith knocked twice.

A few seconds passed before the door cracked open. A tired-looking girl peeked out, her eyes narrow, hair messy, wearing thin sleepwear.

"What do you want?" She asked, voice suspicious. "It's lights-out."

A dark smile appeared on Lilith's lips, her eyes shining. "Congratulations." She said, grinning. "You've just won a lifetime of freedom."

Before the girl could react, Lilith's fingers brushed her shoulder.

The girl gasped, then froze, eyes wide as a wisp of silvery-white light slipped from her chest and into Lilith's palm.

Her soul.