Chapter 963

Constantine, crouched on the cliff, froze in place—but at that moment, Zatanna rushed forward.

When Batman had tried to jump down, she had wanted to stop him, but she was a step too slow and failed to catch him.

Zatanna ran to the cliff’s edge and pulled Constantine back—he was still stunned—but as she dragged him away, she suddenly noticed a faint glow emanating from his body.

Zatanna said in surprise, “What’s happening? Why are you glowing? Oh my God! Your wounds are healing!”

With that faint light spreading across Constantine’s entire body, the scars deep in his soul and scattered across his flesh slowly vanished.

Even scars that looked like cuts, burns, or patches where flesh had been torn away and stitched back together were steadily mending.

But Constantine seemed to have gone mad, trembling all over, screaming, “No! No! You can’t leave me! You can’t go… you can’t go… you are part of my soul!”

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“Lobo… Tanzan… Astra! Astra!” Constantine clutched his arms, convulsing like someone seized by epilepsy, crying out in agony. Zatanna didn’t know what was wrong—he was just screaming—and she could only hold him down, asking, “Who is Astra? What are you shouting about?”

“A little girl… I killed her. She was dragged into Hell… just like today. I didn’t… I didn’t hold on to her…” Constantine’s speech grew fragmented. “And Lobo… the Walker. He died because of me—the demons tore out his heart. This is the mark he left behind…”

Constantine pressed his hand to his chest, but when he pulled it away, he found nothing there—and let out another scream.

Zatanna couldn’t understand why Constantine had suddenly lost his mind. She could only plead, “Don’t do this, John! John! Look at me, calm down—this is good…”

“The disappearance of these scars means those devils won’t haunt you anymore. The magical traces of your sins are vanishing—you can return to a peaceful life. Isn’t that exactly what you always told me to do?!”

“No…” Constantine trembled. “You don’t understand. You don’t understand… they are the meaning of my life. These scars are the meaning of my life…”

Zatanna shook her head fiercely. “You’re insane. I know you’re heartbroken about them falling—but it’s okay. We can still find a way to save them. You’ve been to Hell before!”

“If you pay enough, the devils will let people go. But right now, you must calm down and think—where do you start? How do you bring them back? Constantine!” Zatanna gripped his shoulders, staring into his eyes.

“Counter-magic is my innate ability—I don’t pay a price for it. So I don’t understand how to deal with devils. Only you can do this. So now, only you can bring Bruce and Shiler back! Can you just calm down?!”

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By the end, Zatanna was shouting—but Constantine remained unmoved. He braced his hands on the ground, head bowed.

“I’ve killed many friends and innocents. Each one left a scar on my soul, bringing me endless pain…”

“But it is this pain that lets me live. It reminds me I am paying the price—for my filth, my evil, my ingratitude…”

“Physical pain keeps me from being consumed by guilt. Whenever I feel ashamed, pain is my cure. Whenever I feel life is worse than death, I think—I’ve repaid something to those victims…”

“So I cannot be healed… Stop! Stop!” Constantine leapt to his feet like he was seeing a hallucination, flailing his arms and screaming, “Get away! Get away! Don’t come near me!”

!

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Zatanna had to cling to him tightly—but now that the scars had vanished, Constantine’s soul energy surged stronger than ever. She couldn’t hold him at all.

Constantine staggered to the cliff’s edge, nearly toppling over. With no other choice, Zatanna raised a finger and said, “Stillness!”

A streak of light struck Constantine and froze him instantly—but within seconds, he began to struggle free. Zatanna cursed and cast another spell.

She gripped his soul and glanced down at Hell beneath the cliff. She hesitated—then summoned a circle of fire, a portal, and dragged Constantine away.

Constantine struggled and screamed the whole way. Zatanna had to keep reinforcing binding spells every few moments. By the time they returned to the Batcave through the Spirit Realm, she was gasping for breath.

After resting for a moment, watching Constantine nearly break free again, Zatanna seized his soul and forcibly shoved it back into his body—then returned to her own and woke up.

But the moment she opened her eyes, Constantine sprang up like a dying fish, screaming in agony. Zatanna pinned him down again, asking, “What are you screaming about?!”

!"

Zatanna pressed his shoulders, and as Constantine thrashed, his shirt grew disheveled. Peering down his collar, she gasped, “Good heavens! Your scars are gone too!”

Constantine grew vacant-eyed. Zatanna cupped his face, studying his features closely, then said hesitantly, “No… it’s not just the scars. You look younger…”

“I remember you said you were thirty-five or thirty-six last time. But before, you looked like you were forty-five…” Zatanna reached out and gently touched Constantine’s eyelid. “You really have gotten younger. You look barely thirty now.”

Zatanna thought for a moment, then said, “All your debts have been repaid—including the years you sacrificed. So your soul’s scars, your body’s scars, even your age—they’ve all been restored.”

Zatanna extended her finger, a tiny glow appearing at its tip. She touched her own forehead. Her eyes shimmered with a crystalline light. When she looked at Constantine again, she exclaimed, “Jesus, John—you’re unbelievably healthy. Your soul’s vitality is stronger than any mage I’ve ever seen…”

Hearing the word “mage,” Constantine reacted as if a switch had flipped. He leapt up, knocking Zatanna off balance, then fumbled into his coat pocket and pulled out two crumpled talismans.

He focused his will, flinging them again and again—but nothing happened. Suddenly, he turned, eyes blazing, and fixed them on Zatanna: “Spell components… give me spell components!”

I know you have!

!

"

“You want to use magic?” Zatanna rose from the ground and snatched the talismans from his hand. “You used to lecture me not to abuse magic, not to rely on it—how have you forgotten that now that it’s your turn?!”

“John, don’t you understand your situation yet?” Zatanna gripped his shoulders. “You have no debts left! You’re a normal person now!”

“That means no devil or angel will ever bother you again. You can live a quiet life!”

Zatanna stared into Constantine’s eyes, a trace of sorrow in her brow. “Though I don’t share your pessimism about magic, I know it’s a river once you step into—you can never step out.”

“When we were young, we all got our pants wet through ignorance. Every mage in this world is the same. The moment they cast one spell, they’re cursed to be haunted by nightmares.”

“Step into this circle even once, and you’re trapped in a cycle of debt and repayment—until your soul falls into Hell.”

“But now… but now!” Zatanna’s voice rose with emotion. “You’ve broken free of the cycle! Constantine! You’re the luckiest mage in the world—you’ve been given a chance to start over!”

"

“If you never touch magic again, you’ll never fall into this trap again. You’re free!”

Constantine’s gaze was blank, but he slowly shook his head, then looked down at Zatanna and said, “Give me spell components…”

“No. I won’t give them to you,” Zatanna stepped back two paces. “That would be harming you. Though I love using magic myself, I would never teach it to anyone—it’s dragging an innocent person into the water. Even you.”

“As for Bruce and Shiler…” Zatanna took a deep breath. “I’ll find someone in my family to contact the devils in Hell and see if they’re willing to make a deal.”

“Their souls are unique. None of those devils will let them go easily. If it drags on, we might have room to negotiate. But you, John—you should go home.”

“Don’t leave! Zat! Don’t leave!” Constantine stood still, watching Zatanna’s back, pleading. “Stay here… stay with me…”

Hearing the tremor in Constantine’s voice, Zatanna clenched her fists—but her feet stopped. She walked back, looked at him, and said, “You’re a normal person now, John. You’ve been reborn. You should be happy.”

Constantine shook his head. “You don’t understand, Zat. I’m not incapable of repaying those debts. You know there are countless unclaimed things in the universe. If I truly searched, I could satisfy them all.”

“But I don’t want to. I keep borrowing more and more. My goal isn’t the power I borrow—it’s the consequence of not repaying.”

“The devils will come for me—tormenting my body, whipping my soul, forcing me to endure endless punishment in nightmares. But that’s exactly what I need…”

Constantine’s face twisted with sorrow. “I’m not the kind of person who can kill friends and feel no guilt.”

“Only real pain lets me escape that guilt…” Constantine drew a deep breath, leaned against the wall, and sank down slowly. He covered his face with both hands and spoke in a voice choked with agony:

“But Shiler… my close friend—he saw through this.”

“So he used the most direct method possible to remove this pain—so I couldn’t escape anymore. This is my old debt…”

“He anticipated all of this!” Constantine’s knuckles turned white. He gritted his teeth. “He knew that if he jumped, Batman would jump too!”

“The one who tried to save me, and the one who truly saved me—both falling into Hell together. That’s a new debt heavier than all my old ones combined…”

“Old debts cannot be escaped. New debts cannot be repaid…”

“I’m saved?” Constantine lifted his head, staring at Zatanna, his voice filled with despair.

“No. I will never be saved.”