Kaiser''s Perspective:


    I could feel it—the roaring energy twisting and turning toward me. For a fleeting moment, my body craved the rush of adrenaline coursing through my veins. The cursed creature, born of Kiel’s will, tore through everything around it. Trees shattered, the ground cracked, and its monstrous form embodied destruction itself, like it was created for that sole purpose.


    No… not yet. It’s not time yet.


    “Kaiser! Get away!” Celia’s voice rang out, desperate and trembling.


    “No…”


    I turned toward her. She was terrified, gripping her hands together shaking under fear. Truthfully, I was too.


    I wasn’t a hero, nor was I ever chosen for anything. I’m just an ordinary man, a failure through and through, cursed from the very moment I was born.


    The beast roared, its deep, guttural cry shaking the earth beneath us. It surged forward, cursed vines lashing out like whips, desperate to crush me. The sound of its rage echoed everywhere, deafening and overwhelming. Then it leaped, its enormous jaws opening wide, ready to devour me whole.


    My sword, still ablaze from my earlier move, burned brighter as the creature closed the distance. This was the moment. Time to end it.


    Gripping my sword tightly, I leapt forward, aiming directly at the cursed monster''s gaping mouth. The cursed vines shot out from all directions, desperate to finish me off in one swift strike. But they were too late now.


    My sword blazed with fire, a reflection of my determination. I called upon my own style—the Heaven Splitting Sword Style—a technique forged to challenge those gifted with magic, to stand against the ones blessed with powers beyond mortal reach.


    With a surge of power, I struck the cursed beast head-on. For a brief moment, all was still, the world holding its breath. Then, the monster twisted, its body writhing into the sky, its agonizing roar splitting the air. It was all over.


    But that roar, that final cry of defiance—it sealed its victory, not mine. The monster, in its twisted joy, believed it had won. It reveled in the belief that it had destroyed me. And for a fleeting moment, I let it—because in the end, it was the cursed monster who would pay the price for its caster''s arrogance.


    BOOOM! A shockwave exploded as my blade collided with the monster, sending fire and cursed energy roaring through the air.


    I moved without hesitation. My sword blazed as I struck again and again, faster than the eye could follow. Twenty slashes in an instant, each one tearing deeper into the cursed beast. Flames spread across its body, engulfing it entirely. The monster’s roars grew weaker with each blow, its grotesque limbs flailing helplessly.


    Unlike before, when the cursed vines easily overpowered my normal sword, this was something else entirely. The ignited blade now burned with Ronan''s Infernal Ascendance. The fire itself doubled the force of my strikes, turning each blow into something far more potent, even if it couldn''t enhance my physical strength.


    "SKREEEAAAAGH!" The cursed monster’s screech pierced the air as my blade tore through its cursed flesh. Each second I only got closer and closer to it''s end.


    Its grotesque limbs flailed wildly, clawing at the air in a desperate attempt to stop me. Blood poured from its wounds, burning as it hit the ground. I pushed through the flames now consuming its body. . With each strike, the monster’s roars grew weaker, its form collapsing under the relentless assault.


    "Grrrrk…" Its final growl was cut short as I drove the blade into its core. The runes on my sword flared brighter, absorbing the last of its cursed energy.


    The monster shuddered violently, its body convulsing before it stilled completely. In an instant, its entire form erupted in a blinding inferno, the heat radiating like the wrath of a dying star.


    I leapt from the inferno, landing with a heavy thud a bit far from Kie. Without a word or expression, I moved forward, my steps slow and deliberate, the heat of the flames doing nothing to touch me. The fire raged behind me, but I walked through it like the force of nature, untouched and unbothered. The world seemed to pause, as if even the air feared to disturb my path, leaving only smoke and ash in my wake.


    I didn’t care about the explosions or the fire behind me. My gaze was colder than the flames as I locked eyes with Kiel, my sword resting on my shoulder, a silent promise of what was to come.


    "Impossible... THAT CAN''T BE!" Kiel screamed, his voice trembling with disbelief as his eyes darted around, still unable to process what had just unfolded before him.


    I paused, meeting his frantic gaze with a cold, unwavering stare. "You still don’t get it, do you, Kiel?" I spoke slowly, the words deliberate, each one like a hammer driving the truth deeper into his chest. "You are weak."


    Kiel’s eyes blazed with frustration, the desperation in his voice rising. "No... I still have power! I can—"


    I cut him off, my tone slicing through the air. "You''re out of moves, Kiel. Admit it. You have lost."


    His face twisted with fury and desperation as he began chanting again, his voice ragged as he tried to summon more cursed monsters, his last chance to turn the tide.


    "Shadows deep, hear my plea, Unleash the cursed, bound to me. From the void, your chains I sever—Rise, and serve my will forever—"


    But before he could finish the incantation, a violent cough gripped him. Blood spilled from his lips, his body convulsing with each painful breath. He stumbled, his strength failing him.


    I stood there, unmoved, watching Kiel crumble. "How predictable," I said with a dark smirk, my voice low and cutting. "You were always too reckless. This was never about your power—it was about how easily I could make you waste it."


    Kiel’s knees gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, coughing violently. His bloodied hand clawed at the dirt, trembling as he tried to force out words. "I... I can still—"


    "You can’t," I interrupted sharply, my voice colder than steel. "It’s over, Kiel." I stepped closer, each word measured and deliberate. "For all your gifts, for all your power... you''re nothing. Weak, even with everything handed to you on a silver platter."


    Kiel’s head snapped up, his bloodshot eyes blazing with a mix of defiance and desperation.


    "No! You’re wrong!" His voice cracked, but he forced himself to speak. "I worked for this! Do you hear me? I worked for this power! I bled for it, suffered for it! You’ll never understand my pain—someone like you couldn’t!"


    I tilted my head, letting his words hang in the air for a moment. Then a sharp, mocking chuckle escaped me.


    "Oh, is that what you think?" I said, my tone dripping with condescension. "How cute." My chuckle grew louder, spiraling into a full-blown, manic laugh.


    "Ahahahaha! AHAHAHA!" My left hand rose to half-cover my face as I let out a slow, deliberate exhale, calming just enough to speak again.


    "Worked hard, you say? All that effort... just to lose to a powerless nobody like me?" I leaned forward slightly, locking eyes with him, my smirk growing darker. "It’s honestly too much. You’re making this far more entertaining than I expected."


    Kiel’s breathing grew erratic, his eyes moving around everywhere, trying to find something. He muttered under his breath, a hint of desperation slipping into his voice. It was obvious he was looking for his two vengeful spirits to save him.


    "Why...? Why were you holding back?" Kiel''s voice trembled, his words laced with desperation. "If you had power like this all along, why didn’t you destroy us outright? Why hold back?!"


    "Oh?" I said, stopping in my tracks. A faint, cruel smile tugged at my lips. "Trying to stall me for time, are you?"


    "Too bad." My voice lowered, sharp and cutting, as I took another step forward.


    "I don’t owe you answers, Kiel." My tone was calm, yet it carried a weight that pressed down on him.


    "This..." I leaned in slightly, letting the silence build before delivering my final words. "This is the last thing you’ll ever ask anyone in life."


    Suddenly, I heard dangerous fiery sounds behind me. As I glanced back, it was Ronan his body covered in fire trying to heal it using fiery healing spells. He was rushing directly, with desperate eyes trying to change the tides of the fight.


    But he wasn''t rushing towards me, he was rushing towards Celia. And around him, I also saw those two vengeful spirits rushing towards me. Ronan in a last ditch effort to win, placed his eyes on Celia to take her hostage. Going against what he had promised just before this, what a pathetic man.


    Celia tried her best to run away, I know she was hurt, injured on the leg yet she didn''t call for my name because she knew I was tired. Too tired to fight anymore, even in such moments she thought of me.


    For a moment, Kiel''s eyes were engraved with regret seeing Ronan rush Celia, he tried to reach out to me screaming at me,


    "Kaiser! YOU HAVE TO GO SAVE HER!"


    I brutally kicked him in the face, telling him to know his place and not order me around. It was obvious, I wasn''t capable of outspeeding Ronan while fighting off two vengeful spirits. The only flaw to my plan, that I had considered.


    "So are you just going to let her die?" Kiel asked bleeding down on the floor.


    "Is that some kind of a problem for you?" I coldly told him, looking down on him.


    Kiel''s eyes filled with desperation, was he just trying to make me save her so he could save himself or.. Did he actually care for Celia?


    "I.. Won''t.. Let her die." Kiel whispered, getting me stunned.


    He slowly, tried to pour his cursed energy again, trying to incantation another spell,


    "From the depths of pain, I call thy chains; Mend the flesh, but bind the soul in eternal strain—"


    Kiel blasted out, coughing blood again. This time even worse, in the background I saw Ronan get closer and closer towards her and those spirits getting too close towards me. It was time to make my final move, something nobody expected.


    In this world, I''ve always lost people, lost them because I couldn''t help, lost them because I was weak. But no.. winning is all that matters. And in the end if I win, that''s all that matters.


    I grabbed my sword with my left hand, Kiel''s face still in despair knowing it was too late. I couldn''t catch up to Celia to save her, she was as good as gone now.


    Spirits now about to attack and kill me, I had to rush in order to save her even though I knew it was over. But instead of rushing, I sliced my right hand off my body. The same hand which was completely burned from the heat earlier.


    "What are you doing?!" Kiel screamed, shocked over my actions.


    Before I could reply, Kiel blocked his face, as he saw thost two vengeful spirits right above me about to finish me off. But instead of dealing the blow, they turned their eyes and rushed over to Ronan.


    "What..?" Kiel astonished from this,


    "Call of the Forsaken Souls, that''s the spell correct Kiel?" I told Kiel as blood was coming out of my now sliced off hand,This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    "This spell, Kiel, summons two vengeful spirits. Upon their summoning, they act like any cursed monster—ruthless, relentless, and bloodthirsty. But unlike others, these particular spirits are bound to the will of the caster."


    I paused, my tone growing sharper as I watched Kiel’s expression. "Now, you may or may not know this, but here’s the catch—this breed of monster isn’t fully under your control."


    "What do you mean?" Kiel with shocked eyes couldn''t say anymore.


    "It''s simple, really," I said, my tone casual, almost mocking. "These spirits live off the cursed mana or energy you supply them. As long as you can keep providing it, they’ll obey. But the moment you’re drained? That’s when they turn. They’ll go after the strongest target nearby, Kiel. And if they can’t find one? They’ll take you instead."


    Kiel’s face paled, his voice trembling as he asked, "That’s not possible… How do you know all this?"


    I chuckled darkly, taking a step closer. "Because, Kiel... they’re out of your control. I’ve fought them before. They’re not as tough as they look, but if you lose to them? They won’t just kill you outright. Oh no. They’ll drag your body to their realm, piece by piece, and devour it slowly. That kind of torment? It’s one of the most horrifying experiences a human can endure. And you know what’s worse?" I leaned in, my voice dropping lower.


    "If there’s no stronger target around, they’ll feast on the caster instead."


    Kiel’s eyes widened in pure terror, his entire body trembling.


    "They’re loyal to no one, Kiel," I continued, my lips curling into a wicked grin. "Which makes them the perfect weapon to torture Ronan."


    Kiel stumbled back, shaking his head. "No… that can’t be. Is that why you sliced off your hand?"


    "Exactly," I replied, my voice steady, unshaken. "By severing my now-useless burnt dominant hand, I weakened myself just enough for the spirits to sense greater danger from Ronan instead of me. So now? Their next feast isn’t me—it’s him."


    "But... How? How did you calculate that they’d attack Ronan?!" Kiel’s voice cracked, his desperation boiling over. "It''s impossible to know something like that!"


    "It’s simple," I said, shrugging nonchalantly. "Once you summoned them, I changed my strategy. I stopped fighting to win outright and shifted to a war of attrition—taking your attacks, letting them slowly wear me down just enough while depleting your mana at the same time."


    "I kept Ronan in as perfect condition as possible, even though I could’ve killed him several times over. Why? Because I wanted to see this, Kiel. Your pathetic face, as those spirits drag Ronan to hell."


    I let out a low, twisted laugh, my voice dripping with malice.


    As I finished speaking, a piercing scream echoed behind me.


    "KIEL! What is this?! Control your spirits!" Ronan’s panicked voice cut through the air.


    Kiel spun around, his eyes wide with dread. "Ronan! I can’t! They’re out of my control!" he yelled, his voice breaking under the weight of his failure.


    Behind me, I could hear Ronan’s desperate cries as the vengeful spirits descended upon him, their hollow laughter filling the battlefield.


    Celia glanced over her shoulder, her eyes locking onto Ronan as the vengeful spirits tore into him. I could see the confusion and fear in her gaze, but it lasted only a moment. Her eyes shifted to my severed hand, and in that instant, there was no hesitation.


    She sprinted toward me, driven by something deeper than just instinct.


    Celia''s Perspective:


    I rushed over to Kaiser, my mind racing with unanswered questions. I couldn’t stop thinking about it—about everything.


    Why are Kiel’s spirits attacking Ronan? Why can’t Kiel fight back anymore? And the most disturbing question of all: why did Kaiser slice off his own hand?


    I know he’s in pain. He has to be. No one could go through that without suffering. I need to help him—fast. But why… why is he smiling? It’s as if cutting off his own hand means nothing to him. I just can''t seem to understand him.


    As I reached him, my attention shifted for a moment. Kaiser was staring at Ronan. I followed his gaze—and froze. Ronan was dead. His lifeless, scarred body was being pulled into the ground by the spirits, as if the earth itself wanted to swallow him whole. Wounds and deep cuts covered him, his soulless form disappearing before my eyes.


    But none of it mattered to me anymore. It didn’t matter that we used to be friends.


    They betrayed me—Ronan, all of them. Just because my looks changed. They never even tried to see if I was still… me. No matter how I think about it, they were fake. Fake smiles, fake kindness. None of it was real.


    In this world, there’s no one you should blindly trust. I’ve learned that the hard way. And yet...


    Kaiser.


    He trusted me.


    Even though I look like a monster—a cursed queen who brought nothing but death and despair—he looked past all of that. He saw me. Not the facade, not the resemblance to a murderer. He saw the person I truly am.


    I screamed his name as I saw Kaiser raising his sword, ready to deal the finishing blow.


    "Kaiser!"


    "Oh, Celia! It’s great that you''re just in time to see his pathetic face," Kaiser mocked, his voice dripping with disdain as he looked at Kiel.


    Kiel looked pale—lifeless, in fact. I didn’t understand why, but he seemed... empty now. Even though he had attacked me, tried to kill me, I couldn’t help but feel a shred of pity for him. Pity for someone as evil as him.


    But as I got closer, I saw him through my earlier, disgusted view. He was nothing but a weakling who relied on Ronan to do everything for him. Not even worthy of being called human. And now, he is laying down on the ground begging for mercy.


    "Celia, I promised. Do you remember?" Kaiser asked, his voice softening slightly as he looked at me.


    "What?" I asked, still trying to wrap my mind around everything.


    "I promised you I’d win. I would make sure of it," Kaiser said, his face filled with wounds and cuts, but his eyes never left mine.


    I opened my mouth but couldn’t find the right words. I did believe in Kaiser, but this... this wasn’t the outcome I expected. He had completely turned the tide of the battle.


    "You don’t have to say anything," Kaiser continued with a smile, though his tone was cold. "It’s going to end here."


    "What do you mean by that?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.


    "Kiel’s life has reached its end," Kaiser said, his expression hardening as he looked down at Kiel.


    "It’s time I end his pitiful existence from the world."


    I was speechless. Unable to understand how far this had gone, how much pain Kaiser had to endure to win. But as I was oblivion of the present moment getting carried by my thoughts, I heard a faint whisper.


    "Stella... please, hear me out. I was trying to help you…" Kiel''s voice trembled, a faint, desperate reach towards me.


    Help me? Really? Even at the end, he was still trying to lie?


    I looked down at him, disgust twisting my gut. This… this piece of trash wanted to help me?


    "Don’t waste your breath," Kaiser said, stepping in front of me, his sword raised, ready to end Kiel’s life.


    "She’s not going to be fooled by your lies anymore."


    "Kiel... I..." My voice faltered, but I couldn’t stop myself from speaking. Kiel’s eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope, but I couldn’t let it fool me.


    "How long are you going to keep lying? You admitted yourself that you were here to kill me."


    "Stella... I... I had my reasons for saying that," Kiel begged, his eyes wide, pleading with me.


    "I wanted to save you. Please, Stella, tell Kaiser to stop… We can talk this out—"


    Before he could finish, I cut him off, my voice ice-cold.


    "No. I do not want to speak to someone like you ever again."


    "Stella, please, just listen to me—"


    "Don’t call me that," I snapped, my voice shaking with frustration.


    "My name is not Stella. I hate every moment you say it. You used to call me that because you cared about me. But now I know it was all a lie. Every single word."


    "No... Stella... I still care for you," he whispered, as if hoping my heart would soften.


    "Listen here, you human garbage," I growled, the words spilling out like venom.


    "I told you once before, my name is not Stella. It’s Celia. And it was given to me by my friend—a friend who isn’t a degenerate liar like you."


    Hearing myself speak like that felt... strange. But Kiel’s face, once full of hope, shattered as he looked down. His resolve crumbled, and he gave up all pretense of survival.


    I didn’t understand why I said it like that. I had never spoken to anyone like this before. But somehow, in that moment, I had.


    Kaiser''s Perspective:


    Wow… I never thought Celia was capable of saying something like that. Since we''ve met, she’s been a bit shy, guarded, but still was always polite. But now, she was so... different. That didn’t really matter though. I knew one thing for sure—she hated Kiel.


    As for Kiel, he had completely given up. I could see it in his eyes. No... I could feel it. He had accepted his fate after hearing her say it.


    "Kiel… Any last wishes?" I asked, a trace of humanity still lingering within me, pushing me to give him this final moment.


    "Please... take care of Stella... No," his breath hitched, his eyes pleading. "Celia. Take care of her... for me."


    The words struck me like a physical blow. The weight of them—the love, the trust—was almost too much to bear. For a moment, I was frozen, caught between the person I had been and the monster I was becoming. But I knew there was no going back. No redemption.


    "You don''t have to tell me twice," I whispered, my voice a low growl. The sword in my hand felt heavy, but it was my duty. I raised it, the tip aimed at Kiel''s chest, prepared to strike.


    It was over.


    But then, a hand—small, fragile—gripped my own. I froze. Celia. Her desperate, wide eyes locked with mine, her fingers tightening around my wrist, pulling me back from the edge.


    "Stop, Kaiser!" She cried, her voice trembling with urgency.


    "What?!" I was taken aback. Why the hell was she stopping me now?


    "Wait a second, will you?" she said, reaching for my hand desperately.


    Even after that, Kiel didn’t raise his head. He kept his gaze fixed on the ground, his body trembling. It looked like he was crying. Not that I cared. Who wouldn’t cry after an old friend told them to die?


    "Celia, don’t tell me you still have feelings for Kiel, do you? Did you really fall for his words?" I asked, trying to protest. I couldn’t understand why she was doing this.


    "Oh my god, STOP getting the wrong idea!" she screamed, grabbing my right hand—the one I had sliced off earlier.


    "Kaiser! Why did you slice off your own hand?!" She looked at me with wide eyes, demanding an answer.


    I couldn’t exactly tell her it was some grand plan to turn the tides; that would sound boring. I needed to come up with something. Ah, yes! I’d just tell her it was injured or something.


    "Oh... Celia. I had to cut it off to get those spirits to attack Ronan. It was my last attempt to turn the tides. I had no other way to save you..." Somehow, my heart urged me to be completely honest in that moment, a magical pull to speak the truth.


    Then, without warning, Celia slapped the back of my head. It wasn’t hard, but it was enough to bring me back to the present.


    "The hell did I do to deserve that?" I asked, rubbing my head in disbelief.


    But when I turned to face her, the words caught in my throat. She was trembling, her hands clenched at my hand, her lips pressed tightly together as though she was holding back a wave of emotions. Tears brimmed in her eyes, threatening to spill over.


    For a moment, I forgot the pain coursing through me. All I saw was her. Honestly, seeing her care about me like that made me happier than defeating Kiel or Ronan.


    “You idiot,” she whispered, her voice shaky but firm. “Do you think I could ever forgive myself if you did something like this again?”


    Her gaze fell to my severed hand, the blood pooling around it on the ground. Her shoulders quivered, and for the first time, I saw something I hadn’t expected from her: fear. Not for herself, but for me.


    Before I could respond, she knelt down, grabbing at the hem of her dress. With a sharp tug, she began tearing the fabric, the sound ripping through the silence like a knife.


    “What are you doing?!” I asked, panic and disbelief mingling in my voice.


    “Just shut up and let me help you!” she snapped, her tone sharper than I’d ever heard. It was a command, one I couldn’t defy even if I wanted to. The same words I had once said to her came back to haunt me now, and all I could do was watch as she ripped the cloth into strips with trembling hands.


    Her movements were frantic but careful, her fingers deftly tying the fabric around my wound. She pulled it tight, her hands slick with blood, but she never wavered. The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over, streaking her cheeks as she worked in silence.


    “Celia…” I managed to whisper, my voice weak.


    “Don’t,” she interrupted, her voice breaking as she tied the makeshift bandage with a final tug. “Don’t say anything. Just listen to me.”


    Her hands lingered on mine for a moment, as if she was afraid to let go. She looked up, her tear-streaked face filled with an anguish that pierced straight through me.


    “Kaiser… please,” she said, her voice trembling but resolute. “I’m not worth this. I’m not worth you losing yourself. Don’t ever—ever—do something like this for me again. I can’t bear it. Do you understand?”


    The raw emotion in her words struck me harder than any wound I’d endured. She wasn’t just scared. She was terrified—for me, for what I might become. And somehow, knowing that she cared this much… it hurt more than the pain in my body.


    I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came. What could I even say? All I could do was nod, barely managing a whisper. “I’m sorry.”


    Her grip tightened on my hand, and though tears continued to stream down her face, she smiled—a fragile, bittersweet smile that made my chest ache.


    “Just… promise me,” she whispered. “Promise me you’ll never put yourself through this for me again.”


    “I… I promise,” I said, my voice barely audible.


    But as her tears fell onto the cloth she’d tied around my wound, I knew deep down that it wasn’t a promise I could keep.


    Kiel’s Perspective:


    I… I failed once again.


    If only I had told her the truth. If only I had been honest, just once. Maybe then, things could have been different. Maybe I could have been different. But I didn’t. I kept that part of me buried deep, hidden behind lies and fear. Too terrified to face the truth. Too weak to change. And now… now it’s too late.


    My life flashes before my eyes, broken into fragments I can never piece together again, as I watch Kaiser raise his sword. The end is coming.


    My life… it’s been a long, cruel lie. Every decision, every step I took, led me here—lost and broken, suffering at every turn. I wanted to change. I tried. I really tried, with everything I had left. But no matter how hard I fought, nothing ever worked.


    I thought I could be better. I thought I could escape the cycle, but in the end… I couldn’t. And now, all I have left is regret, and it’s far too late for redemption.


    At least… at least my death will mean something.


    Even if I couldn’t fix things, even if I was too much of a coward to tell her the truth, at least I got to see her one last time. I saw her smiling again. I saw her happy with someone else. I''m glad my death means she was happy. That’s enough.


    That has to be enough.


    "Sorry, Kiel… In This world the only punishment for sin is pain. But for you, there’s no redemption. Only the end awaits you."


    Kaiser’s voice was cold, distant—like a judge passing his sentence. He stood over me, sword gleaming in his hand, his eyes devoid of mercy.


    The wind howls around me as his blade comes down. I feel it, the air rushing past, the weight of death looming over me. It’s all over.


    I wanted to save her. I wanted to be there for her. But I was too late.


    And then—just as the blade is about to strike—all my memories crash over me like a wave. The truth I buried. The truth I was too weak to face.


    I remember now—why Celia was called a monster. Why her name was cursed, whispered in fear, and spoken with disgust. She was the reason our village was torn apart, the one who set the fire that devoured everything we had.


    She was the cause of the bloodshed, the screams that echoed through the night, and the fire that turned everything to ashes. Hundreds of lives—families, friends, children—reduced to nothing, erased by the flames she unleashed.


    The truth hit me like a blade to the chest, sharp and unforgiving. And standing at the heart of it all... was her.


    And why, even knowing all of that, I swore to myself to save her.


    That was my purpose. My reason to keep fighting.


    But now, it doesn’t matter anymore. Ronan’s demon—his curse—was awakening. I could feel it''s pressure killing me from the inside..


    Velkaris.


    The King of Flames.


    He’s coming. And when he does, nothing will be left standing. Not Kaiser. Not Celia. Not a single soul.


    When Velkaris rises, it’s the end of everything.


    All because I was too late.