THE PSYCHOPATHS REBIRTH

CHAPTER 20 - CHAPTER 21

Annabeth/Annika’s POV

Annabeth.

She said my name.

I went completely still, staring at her with a blank expression.

This can’t be…

Everything was already fine. I had nothing else to worry about—I already had a “family” here, one I was ready to destroy. So why… why does someone still have to know?

Does she know everything?

The moment that thought crossed my mind, my face darkened.

“A-Annabeth, I—”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I denied, even though my reaction already gave me away.

Why am I even denying it? I’m going to kill her anyway… tsk. Stupid Annabeth.

“I know you do!” she insisted, looking straight into my eyes. “Annabeth, I even know how you killed your father…”

My body froze.

The anger inside me surged, overwhelming, suffocating—dragging back memories I had long buried.

Fragments. Voices. Pain.

Everything I tried to forget… crashing back all at once.

---

Third Person’s POV

“AHHHHHHHHH!”

Annika screamed, clutching her head as if it was about to split open. Her fingers tangled in her hair, pulling hard as her body trembled violently.

Natasha froze in place, panic flooding her chest.

She shouldn’t have said that.

She shouldn’t have brought it up.

Annika’s breathing turned ragged, uneven—like she was fighting something inside herself.

Then suddenly—

She went still.

Her back faced Natasha, unmoving.

The room felt heavy, suffocating.

“Annika…?” Natasha called softly, hesitant.

She stepped closer, slowly raising her hand before placing it on Annika’s shoulder—

—and flinched.

Her skin was burning.

Annika turned around.

Natasha gasped.

Dark red tears streamed down her face, and faint wounds began appearing across her skin, as if her body was reliving something it couldn’t escape from.

Her eyes… empty.

“You can’t stop me, Annika…” she muttered, her voice cold—yet layered, like it didn’t belong to just one person. “You’re not the one in control.”

Natasha instinctively stepped back.

“A-Annabeth… I—I can help you, I—”

“You know nothing.” Her voice dropped, sharp and final. “The best thing you can do… is die.”

Before Natasha could react—

The blade pierced straight through her chest.

Her body jerked, breath catching in her throat.

“…Ah…”

Her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Annabeth.

Not with hatred.

But with something softer.

She collapsed—but Annabeth caught her before she hit the ground.

Blood spread between them.

Natasha trembled in her arms, growing weaker with every second.

“A-Annika… Annabeth…” she whispered, voice breaking. “Whoever you are… I won’t judge you…”

Inside Annabeth’s mind—

“Stop this, Annika… or I’ll kill everything you care about too.”

Annika was still there.

Still fighting.

“…I’m willing to help you…” Natasha continued weakly. “Please… just give me a chance…”

Annabeth stared at her.

For the first time, something shifted.

Slowly, she raised her hand and wiped the tears from Natasha’s face.

The tears in her own eyes… weren’t hers.

“You’re dying,” Annabeth said quietly. “There’s no chance left, Natasha.”

Natasha smiled faintly.

Even now.

Even like this.

“You can say that… but you can’t get rid of me…” she murmured. “I’ll still want to be your friend… wherever you go…”

Annabeth didn’t fully understand.

But she nodded.

Slowly… Natasha’s eyes closed.

And then—

She disappeared.

Gone, as if she was never there.

Only silence remained.

---

Annabeth/Annika’s POV

I stared blankly at the blood on the floor.

She’s gone.

I killed her.

…so why does my chest feel so heavy?

Why does it feel like something inside me just broke?

CHAPTER 21

Annabeth / Annika’s POV

I pushed myself up from the floor and blankly scanned Natasha’s room. There was no blood left on the ground—it had vanished like foam, disappearing along with her body as if she had never been there at all. My steps felt heavy as I walked out of her room and teleported back to my dorm.

The moment I arrived, I dropped onto my bed without even bothering to change. I stared at the ceiling, replaying everything that had just happened.

I could still hear the way she called my name… the way she smiled at me before she disappeared. The way she clung to me—so annoying… and yet, somehow, not.

When she was in my arms, dying, I felt something I shouldn’t have felt.

Conscience.

And I knew that feeling didn’t come from me.

It came from Annika—the one I thought had already disappeared from this body. The pain, the guilt, the strange emotions I felt when I saw Natasha crying… they were hers.

After all, this was still her heart. Her body.

If the heart belonged to her, then the emotions would follow.

I’m starting to hate Annika.

It feels like she’s controlling me. If she hadn’t stopped me earlier, I would have killed Natasha brutally—but because that i***t interfered, I couldn’t.

I came here to avenge her… and this is how she repays me?

Ungrateful.

If not for her ridiculous conscience and that pathetic compassion she still holds for her siblings, I would’ve destroyed everyone who hurt her a long time ago. I would’ve stabbed them in the back without hesitation.

Back when I was still Annabeth—in the normal world—I killed anyone who stood in my way. Anyone who tried to harm me. Anyone who dared speak badly about me.

But now, inside Annika’s body, I can’t even do what I want…

All because of her.

I forced the irritation and frustration out of my mind. Better to focus on what I’ll do to the royalties tomorrow than dwell on that useless girl.

---

I woke to the sound of a voice.

The moment I opened my eyes, I was met with nothingness.

I knew this place.

A part of my mind.

And I knew exactly whose voice it was.

“Why… why did you kill her, Annabeth?!” Annika cried.

I looked toward her. She stood at a distance, yet it felt like she was right in front of me. Chains wrapped around her feet, and small wounds marked her body.

That’s what she gets for getting in my way.

Earlier, when Natasha reminded me of my past, the anger inside me was ready to explode—but Annika stopped me. She came out of nowhere and tried to take control.

That’s why my body is covered in scratches. We fought inside my own mind.

But in the end… she lost.

Pathetic.

I chained her here because she wouldn’t stop interfering. Every time she calls out to me, I hurt her.

That’s how I deal with stubborn pests.

I walked toward her and stopped right in front of her. She slowly lifted her head, tears streaming down her face as she looked at me.

“Y-you promised to avenge me… but you’re the one hurting me now…”

I grabbed her chin and forced her to look at me.

“I did promise. I said I’d kill them for you. But what did you do? You stopped me. Why? Because that Natasha girl is your friend.”

She shook her head desperately.

“It wasn’t me! You’re the one stopping yourself, Annabeth! Those feelings aren’t mine—they’re yours! Admit it… you see Natasha as your friend too!”

I let out a sharp laugh.

They’re both the same.

Pathetic. Useless. All talk, no worth.

I rolled my eyes.

“You can’t trust anyone, Annika. We trust no one… because I might end up dead again.”

I turned to leave, but her voice stopped me.

“Why can’t you just leave the royalties alone?! Even if they hurt me, you have no right to hurt them! Stay away from them!”

I turned back—and laughed.

Laughed like she had just told the funniest joke in the world.

“HAHAHAHA—”

She flinched, stepping back.

“W-why are you laughing?”

“You’re hilarious, Annika. I never knew you were a comedian.”

I kept laughing, even as something twisted inside me.

Every time I want to kill… and can’t… I end up laughing like this.

Pathetic.

“You agreed with me before,” I continued. “Even if you didn’t say it out loud, I could feel it—you wanted them dead too. And now… you’re acting like this? You’re unbelievable.”

My smile faded.

“You should’ve chosen better. If you were going to give up your place, you shouldn’t have chosen someone like me—someone who wants to kill.”

I turned away.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t want this. You chose me.”

I walked out of that space, her voice fading behind me.

“I didn’t choose you… they chose—”

I didn’t hear the rest.

And I didn’t care.

---

I opened my eyes again and immediately stood up. The clock above the door read four in the morning.

I shrugged.

No point in going back to sleep.

I took a quick shower and changed into black jogging pants and a red sleeveless top. Then I left my dorm and ran toward the school garden.

When I arrived, I sat by a tree and made sure no one else was around. Then I closed my eyes and focused on the energy flowing through my body.

Once again, darkness swallowed me.

But this time, Annika wasn’t there.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a chaotic landscape.

White smoke-like snow surrounded me, red petals falling endlessly from the sky. In the distance, a volcano spewed golden magma. Trees and plants lay withered and dying. The sky was dark, the wind violent.

Yet I remained seated at the center, waiting.

Waiting for him.

I met him in a dream days ago—back when I first arrived at the university, before I understood Annika’s true power.

He told me I was inside my own heart.

Not literally—but within the balance of good and evil inside me. Me, as Annabeth.

Which didn’t make sense.

This body belonged to Annika.

I asked him questions, but he answered none.

All he said was—

“I’m here to bring out your power. Don’t ask questions.”

Annoying bastard.

“Oh? You’re early today.”

His voice came from behind me.

I didn’t bother turning. I kept my gaze on the volcano.

“Not in the mood to be annoying today, kid?” he smirked, stepping beside me.

I shot him a cold look.

“I’m not a kid.”

“Oh really?” he said in mock surprise. “Then how old are you? Why do you act like one?”

I clicked my tongue.

“Shut up. I’m twenty-five.”

He burst out laughing.

“Twenty-five? That’s not even one-eighth of my age! To me, you’re barely a fetus—no, not even that, more like a sperm!”

I glared at him.

“I don’t care how old you are. Can we just start already?”

“Hm… I see. You’re curious about me.”

My eyebrow twitched.

“I never said—”

“I’m Hades, the god of the underworld—”

“Wait… that Hades? From Greek mythology?” I cut in, frowning.

He grinned proudly.

“That’s right! I’m 786 million years old! And I rule the underworld with my beloved wife, Persephone!”

My eyes narrowed.

Beloved?

From what I remember… she didn’t love him at first.

A smirk slowly formed on my lips.

“Well, Hades—”

“God Hades.”

“Ha. Des.”

He clicked his tongue but didn’t argue.

“I heard you abducted Persephone from her mother and forced her to marry you.”

His expression darkened.

“No. She married me because she loves me.”

“Maybe she learned to love you. But she didn’t at first… right?”

“Shut up! Do you want me to leave you here?!”

I let out a small laugh.

“Relax. So… when are you bringing Persepho—fine, fine. Don’t lose your temper.”