Page 282 of The Wishing Game

"¿Sabes donde estás?" I ask him, deliberately addressing him informally. In the past, I would have been flogged for merely daring to meet his gaze, let alone address him withtu.

He looks around, his glazed eyes filled with confusion.

"En el infierno," I tell him, the words filling me with great pleasure. "Aquí no eres ningún dios. Solo un maldito pecador que va a sufrir por la eternidad."

He flinches, pulling back and trying to escape his chains. He lets out a pitiful cry of pain as the chains dig into his flesh. But he doesn't stop. He does everything in his power to look for an escape.

"Tsk, tsk," Ze mentions from behind. "There is no escaping. You are, indeed, trapped here for an eternity. Of course, technically you can pay for your sins with your suffering and reincarnate at some point. But I will make sure that is not the case."

"¿Qué está pasando? ¿Quién es ese hombre? ¿Dónde estoy? ¿Qué me han hecho?"he yells, true fear finally entering his eyes as well as the realization that he will not be able to escape.

"Why don't you tell him who you are, Ze? It might help him realize the truth of his situation." I glance at Ze.

All his life, Sergio had pretended to be a god. But how will he feel now when he finally comes face to face with one?

"My pleasure." Ze nods. Stepping forward, he wraps his hand around Sergio's neck, forcing him to look into his eyes. Trembling, Sergio can only obey. And whatever he sees there makes him so utterly terrified, he soils himself.

I wrinkle my nose in disgust.

But Ze is not done. Leaning further in, he whispers something inaudible in his ear, smiling at Sergio's blanched expression as he pulls back.

I take a step forward, curious about what Ze has to say, but a clinking sound distracts my attention. My foot must have caught on something. Glancing down, I note the empty vial of Jì Ze had disposed of. I blink slowly. I don't know what comes over me as I pick it up. I'm even more confused by my reaction to it as I stare at the translucent glass, noting a remaining drop of liquid on the rim of the vial.

Remember.

The same voice I heard before infiltrates my subconsciousness until I have no will of my own, only a sinister compulsion that echoes in my mind.

Remember.

What? What do I need to remember?

All sense flies from me as my eyes are affixed to the vial. My finger traces the rim and swipes the last drop of moisture from the glass.

Remember.

Slowly, I bring my finger to my lips, my tongue peeking out to taste the odd liquid.

Remember!

The echo becomes stronger, so strong I can barely keep my balance as I bring my hands to my temples. The sound rips through me, a whirlpool of confusion bathing me from head to toe, staining me with the knowledge ofsomething.A certain remembrance I cannot name.

But just as that wave of confusion suffuses me from head to toe, in the next second, it's gone.

"He is all yours, Luce. Make me proud." Ze's voice brings me back to the present. I raise my eyes to meet his, quickly hiding the vial behind my back and letting it fall to the ground.

Ze's eyes narrow at me, scanning the surroundings as if even that small noise could not go undetected by him.

I wet my lips as I prepare a reply.

"I will." I nod, plastering a smile on my face.

Ze steps back, leaving Sergio to me.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath to calm myself. I palm the dagger he gifted me, feeling the coldness of the steel against my flesh.

This is it. My chance to get my precious revenge.

"You destroyed me. But not anymore. I'm putting myself back together," I declare before I throw myself forward, pushing the knife into his chest.

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