In the middle of the underground lab was a chair covered in blood. Beside it rested a girl as pale as a sheet, blood still trickling from her eyes, nose, and every hole imaginable. It was Iris.

Her dark hair was matted and glowed crimson where it pooled on the floor. Her entire body was bruised, joints dislocated. Yet her fists remained firmly clenched, as though she'd fought to the bitter end.

Halo had never been emotional, but this time, he had no idea what to do. His clones stood behind, watching with similar horror as he approached the Child of Sacrifice, his steps heavy with hesitation.

Still, he managed to get near her and held her in his arms.

She was too cold to be alive, and even the blood trickling from her had grown cold. She was dead, but not for long.

It was wrong to talk down about the dead, but he couldn't help cursing her for her recklessness. She'd wanted to get them closer to destroying the Chaos Eaters, so she'd let herself be captured. But now there were only more creatures in jars, and she still hadn't gotten them anything useful.

However, as she rested in Halo's arms, her grip softened, and a sheet fell into the pool below. Halo was too lost to notice, but Light stepped closer and handed him the paper before it could be drenched in blood.

The moment Halo got a better look at it, his eyes flickered frantically at the sight. If he'd known tears, he would have wept.

It was a message to him, written in blood. It read:

"Halo… if you're reading this, then you need to hear my apology.

I'm sorry.

For the torture.

For the secrets.

For all the pain I caused you.

If you want to end this, you'll have to face Spineless. And the only way to defeat it is with a mind far calmer than you've ever used before.

I know it's asking a lot.

But this is the only way I can make up for everything.

Please… finish this Purpose for all of us."

The writing was uneven. Some words were careful and deliberate, others frantic and rushed. It was obvious she'd spent days writing it.

But now everything made sense to Halo. Iris hadn't kept him in the dark out of distrust or because she thought him unworthy. She'd known he would never accept a plan that required her death.

He'd made terrible assumptions, even falling for Leto's words about Iris being Hex. They were valid given the circumstances, but he should have known better. Her Flaw was self-sacrifice… of course, she'd throw herself under the bus.

Now everything came crashing down on him, he even felt unworthy to be in her presence.

'This is definitely my greatest sin…'

The moment the thought formed in his head, an external voice caught his attention.

"I'll admit it, she was a tough one. The way she screamed, the way she fought even as I tore her down… unforgettable."

Halo's clones took their fighting stance, and Halo's head tilted toward the figure.

She was a seductive and powerful enchantress woman, dangerous, poised, elegant, and fully aware of her allure. She had long red hair that cascaded down her thick body in waves.

But what truly spoke for her seduction were her sharp eyes, dominating look, and expensive accessories.

She wore a black gown with a high slit running up her right leg as she struck a confident and self-assured pose with a gold rapier in her right hand.

Her beauty was undeniable, but it was unfortunate for her as she was in the presence of the Shadow of Death.

"Do you really think you can defeat me? Be logical."

Halo glanced at Iris again. He could only imagine what Hex had put her through. But now, he would make her final wish come true.

Halo motioned for Light and Tough to stand down.

"Ah… the fourth witch. With eternal youth, I expected someone breathtaking. Maybe even someone with enough cleavage for five. Instead, you remind me of an old man I met once. Frey, I think."

Hex's face began twisting with annoyance, but she managed to keep herself under wraps.

"Your lack of taste is forgiven. You did, after all, play your part in finishing my creation."

Halo's eyes narrowed.

"For five long years, I kept asking myself what my Only Sin, Lust, was truly up to. I needed someone expendable, someone to accelerate my Chaos Eaters' evolution."

Her smile turned sinister.

"In the end, Lust was preparing something exquisite for me. Your mind refined my creation and gave me what I'd been missing. I can now seduce others… even in my dreams."

She exhaled energetically.

"People like you are very hard to come by."

Halo's expression darkened.

He knew his interactions with the Chaos Eaters were helping Hex somehow, but he'd never known his entire purpose here was to serve her.

Every Purpose issued had an ultimate goal. Each Only Sin saw a bigger picture, and every Purpose was meant to prepare its bearer for achieving that goal.

Halo wanted to understand what this Purpose was meant to teach him. Though he was still in the dark about what his own god, Death, wanted him to experience, he now understood that other gods' goals were intertwined with everyone's Purposes.

This then confirmed his theory that there was an outer force that overlooked this entire game for the gods.

He casually rested Iris on the floor.

"I will come for you and give you a proper burial, Iris."

He murmured and got to his feet.

"I'm aware your generosity isn't free. But let me make something clear… my sexual desires are as warped as my taste, and I'm not fucking you."

Hex stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"I assumed that girl was extraordinary… but damn it, you're beyond anything I expected."

Her laughter ceased.

"You're right. I left you something… a farewell present. After all the toys you destroyed, I can't just let you leave."

She walked some distance away and gestured majestically toward a ladder that led outside through a different passage than the one Halo had used.

"I'm sorry, truly. This will kill you eventually… but I know you'll enjoy every second of it."

Halo's eyes narrowed. He glanced at Iris's corpse and turned back to Hex.

"Don't forget… one day I'll track you down myself. And I'll be the one who ends you."

His words were bold and blunt, but really, he would have been happier if Iris had been the one who killed her.

"Is that so? How frightening. Live or die, I won't be here to witness it. StoneHaven will be free of Chaos Eaters. Thanks to you, ironically enough. Strange, isn't it? You're the villain in all this."

Something happened that made chills run down Halo's spine.

Hex's lips stretched from ear to ear in a malevolent smile, as though she wasn't human. She covered it immediately. Then, in the blink of an eye, she disappeared.

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