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The air was thick with unspoken words; the weight of their new reality pressed down on them. Ivy’s eyes searched Vice’s, looking for answers, for the truth she hadn’t been given. Ivy could feel the weight of something pressing down on Vice’s shoulders. He had grown distant, lost in thought.

“What is it?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “What are you hiding from me?”

“Vice, what’s going on?” Ivy began, her voice tentative, “Is everything alright?”

He remained silent, his gaze distant and haunted. “It’s nothing,” he finally said with a sigh, his voice a low rumble.

“Don’t lie to me,” Ivy said, her tone firm. “I can see it in you're eyes. You’re hiding something, and it’s tearing you and us apart.”

Vice’s anger flared, his eyes flashing with a fire that had not been there before. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he snarled, his voice a low growl that seemed to resonate through the very air.

“I know you,” Ivy retorted, her voice shaking slightly with the effort to remain strong. “And you’re not acting like yourself.”

Vice turned away from her, his back rigid with tension. “You think you know me,” he said, his voice cold and hard. “But you don’t. You never truly did.”

The words hung in the air like a storm cloud, heavy with accusation and pain. Ivy felt a chill run down her spine. She had seen glimpses of the monster beneath the mask, but never like this. His eyes, once filled with tenderness, now burned with a rage that scared her.

“Why are you pushing me away?” she asked again, her voice stronger this time. She took a step towards him, her hand reaching out to touch his arm, but he flinched at her touch.

He whirled around, pinning her against the wall. His hand around her throat “Because I’m not the hero you think I am,” he said, his voice cracking. “I’m the villain of this story, Ivy. I’ve made deals with creatures you can’t even imagine getting what I want.”

Tears started to stream down Ivy’s face as she searched his eyes, looking for the man she had come to love amidst the monster she had feared. “You’re not a villain to me,” she choked out.

Vice’s grip on her throat loosened, and he stepped back, his eyes never leaving hers. “Ivy, I wish it were that simple,” he said, his voice a broken whisper. “But the world we live in…it’s not a fairy tale. I’m not a prince. I’m the beast, and I’m going to ruin you.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks, her voice shaking as she spoke. “Then why did you save me?” she demanded, the words catching in her throat. “Why did you bring me back if you’re just going to push me away?”

Vice’s expression was torn, his eyes a tempest of regret and anger. “Because I love you,” he said, the admission ripping from him like a wound.

Ivy’s heart skipped a beat, his words a dagger to the heart. “Then why,” she sobbed, “why are you pushing me away?”

Vice’s grip on her softened, his eyes searching hers. “Because I’m afraid,” he admitted, his voice a low murmur. “I’m afraid that if you know the truth, you’ll leave.”

Ivy’s eyes searched his, a mix of confusion and anger swirling in their depths. “Why would you say that to me?” she whispered. “I can’t leave, you saw to that when you accepted my deal. I’m you're prisoner.”

Vice released her throat, his hands now framing her face. “You’re not my prisoner anymore,” he murmured, his thumbs gently wiped her tears from her cheeks. “

Ivy’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What do you mean?” she breathed. Vice’s grip on her face tightened, his thumbs lingering on her cheekbones.

“Your death caused our deal,” he paused, his voice hoarse with emotion. “To become null and void. You’re free, Ivy.”

For a moment, she just stared at him, not comprehending his words. Then, as the words sank in, her eyes widened with hope. “Free?” she whispered.

Vice nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. “The deal is broken,” he said, his voice filled with sadness and pain. “You can go. You can live you're life without fear of me.”

For a moment, Ivy was speechless, the gravity of his words crashing over her like a tidal wave. She had never thought she would hear those words from him, that she would be given the choice to leave. But she knew, deep in her heart, that she couldn’t.

Ivy looked into his eyes. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said firmly, her voice steady despite the tremor of emotion that ran through her. “I love you, Vice. I don’t care about the deal. I’m staying prisoner or not.

Vice’s expression softened, his eyes searching hers for any sign of doubt. “But you should,” he said, his voice cracking. “You should leave me before I destroy you.”

Ivy reached up, placing her hand over his heart. “Maybe you will destroy me,” she assured him. “But I’d rather be destroyed with you than be whole without you. Because I know how much you love me and I love you all of you. The good, the bad, the broken, and the powerful.”

He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling beneath her hand. “You can’t stay,” he began, his voice tight with tension. “You need to leave and go live you're life. Find someone who deserves you.”

The words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of his fear. Ivy’s eyes searched his, her heart aching for the man who had saved her life and stolen her heart. “Vice,” she said softly, “I know you’re not perfect. But I also know that you’re not the monster you think you are.”

He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “Ivy,” he whispered, “you don’t know what I’ve done. You don’t know the things I’ve seen, the lives I’ve taken.”

Her hand didn’t waver. “I know enough,” she said, her voice steady. “I know that you’ve suffered, that you’ve been hurt. And I know that you’re capable of love.

Vice closed his eyes, her words a balm to the ragged edges of his soul. For a brief moment, he allowed himself to believe that maybe, just maybe, there could be a future for them. But the shadow of his pact lurked in the recesses of his mind, a cold reminder of the price he had paid for her life.

“Ivy,” Vice said softly, his voice trailing off as he glanced at her. Her eyes met his, filled with a mix of curiosity and concern. He looked down at the floor, unable to look at her.

The room was quiet, almost unnaturally so. The only sound was the faint ticking of a clock on the wall, the rhythmic beating of their hearts echoing in the emptiness. Vice took a deep breath, his chest tight with unspoken words.

He raised his gaze to meet hers again, his eyes a storm of emotions. “There’s something I need to tell you," He began, his voice a coarse whisper. “About the deal that I made with that creature.”

Ivy’s curiosity grew into alarm as she saw the pain etched on his face. Her hand reached out to his arm, gently squeezing it. “What is it?”

Vice took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving hers. “The creature that I summoned,” he said, his voice heavy with dread. “It wasn’t just any creature, Ivy. It was a demon from the darkest depths of hell.”

Her grip on his shirt tightened. “What did you do?” she whispered, fear seeping into her voice.

“I gave it my soul,” he said simply, the words dropping like a stone into the quiet of the room.

Ivy’s hand fell from his shirt, her eyes widening in horror. “Your soul?” she echoed, her voice barely a whisper.

Vice nodded, his gaze never leaving hers. “In exchange for you're life,” he said.

The revelation hit Ivy like a blow to the chest. “Your soul? Like you're, soul, soul,” she repeated, her voice trembled. “You gave it up for me?”

Vice nodded, his eyes haunted. “I had to,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “I couldn’t bear the thought of being without you, I love you.”

The room was silent except for the crackling of the fireplace.

Ivy stared at him, trying to process his confession.

The flames cast shadows on his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his cheekbones and the sadness in his eyes.

“What does this mean?” she asked finally, her voice a laced with concern and disbelief.

Vice took a deep, shuddering breath. “It means,” he said slowly, “that the demon now has a claim on me. It can demand anything it wants in exchange for keeping you alive.”

Ivy’s eyes searched his, understanding dawning. “What will it ask for?” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackling fire.

Vice’s jaw clenched, the muscles in his neck tightening. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you and Alice.”

The gravity of his words settled over them like a shroud, the warmth of the fire seemingly swallowed by the cold reality of their situation. Ivy stepped back, her hand moving to her throat as if she could feel the noose of his pact tightening around her neck.

“You can’t do that,” she murmured, her voice trembling. “You can’t sacrifice yourself for me. It’s not worth it.”

Vice stepped closer to her, his hand reaching out to cup her cheek. “It is,” he said firmly. “You and Alice are worth everything to me.”

Ivy’s eyes filled with tears as she searched his face. “But what about you're life?” she whispered. “What about you're soul?”

Vice’s gaze softened, his thumb brushing away the tears that spilled onto her cheeks. “It’s already lost,” he murmured. “But knowing that you’re safe, that you’re happy…that’s worth more to me than any eternity in torment.”

Ivy’s eyes searched his, desperation clawing at her heart. “We can find a way out of this,” she insisted, her voice shaking. “We can find a way to break the pact.”

Vice’s expression was grim, his eyes reflecting the flickering flames of the fireplace. “There’s no breaking a deal with a demon,” he said, his voice hard. “But I will not let it touch you or Alice.”

Ivy’s eyes searched his, her heart racing with fear and determination. “We’ll fight it together,” she said, her voice firm. “We’ll find a way to keep you safe too.”