Error heard something crack, but he felt no pain. It took him only a moment to register that the dark he was seeing was Reaper's cloak. The man he loved and had been so angry with now stood before him, protecting him, shielding him from the vampire hunters. Reaper turned to him, smiled at him, and instantly, he felt at ease. Like, no matter what, everything would be ok. "erry, are you ok?" He asked, and Error wanted to lunge at Reaper and hug on and apologize to him over and over again. Unfortunately, Cruzar's knives still had him pinned, and he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. ("i'm... i'm ok... caedes... um... they think i'm a vampire, reaper...") "i-m... i-m ok... c-cae-des... um... th-ey th-in-k i-m a va-amp-ire, re-eap-er..." He explained. He wanted to tell Reaper what Caedes had done, but he wasn't sure Reaper would believe him. don't have to worry about caedes or mors anymore, err. i took care of it." Error's sockets widened at the sincerity of Reaper's words as he turned to face the horrified Eterna and Lofty. Wait... why were they giving him that expression? Was it because of the damage Error had done?

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"W-what are you!?" Eterna backed away from Reaper as he summoned his scythe. "W... what are you..?" Error didn't understand the question. What wasn't Error seeing that they were? Should he be worried? "i am death." Reaper stated, straight up. "i reap the souls of the living and guide them to the afterlife. human, monster, vampire... none escapes me." Reaper straight up explained, and Error didn't understand why. What was going on? Weren't they supposed to be keeping their identities a secret in this world? Eterna gulped, moving her arms to shield her lover, as Reaper was metaphorically doing for him. "W-why... why are you telling me this?! Are you saying it's our time to die!?" Eterna demanded, though Error knew she was afraid. He could see it in her eyes, in the cold sweat running down her neck. In her almost animalistic mannerisms. Reaper chuckled humorlessly as he leaned against his scythe. "you have me all wrong, mortal. it's quite the opposite, actually. this is a warning. it isn't anyone's time yet. not even your so called vampire's. but it's a life for a life. the balance must be kept. so, are you willing to exchange your life or walk away?"

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Eterna made the wise choice of walking away, and Error released a breath of air he hadn't even known he was holding. Reaper turned to face him and free him, but the smile he was wearing to keep Error calm didn't work in the slightest. Not when there was blood, dripping from his chin. ("oh my stars, reaper!") "oh m-y s+ar$, r€ap€r!" Error felt panic rise in his soul as he saw the stake buried deep in Reaper's ribcage. He finally knew that the cracking he heard was Reaper's soul, and Reaper only confirmed what Error was dreading. "it couldn't be helped... it was me or you, error... but it'll be aright. i'm ok." The blood pooling at his feet begged to differ, but Reaper only grabbed the hilt of one of the knives and yanked it out. The others followed suit. (you can't keep going like this, reaper! you'll die!!!") "¥-¥0u <an-+ k€€p 90in9 1-1ik€ +hi$, r€ap€r! ¥-¥0u-11 di€!!!" Error could feel tears burning in his sockets, and Reaper brushed them away, his smile sad. "and i will die when it gets pulled out, err... this... this was always how it was supposed to be... it's ok..." Reaper kissed Error goodbye as he pulled the stake.

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