The world went from tipsy to a blaze of glory.

Carlisle sucked a breath and stormed inside the library; Noah scrambled to get out of his way and stood on steady feet. The air was becoming acrid, chemically infused as the heat continued to rise. Splinters and glass crashed from inside the library. Gasps erupted from the ground below, a couple in sharp dinner suits, were transfixed at the sight of the fire.

"Get everyone out," Noah rasped almost choking. "Leave."

The couple disappeared in a panicked flurry, the younger man rattled orders into his phone between huffs.

A louder shattering of glass boomed and Carlisle yelped, another boom echoed somewhere below in the kitchen and shrieks followed. The manor groaned as the fire ate at it from inside out, its ancient pipes burst from the assault. Noah blinked and ducked as shards came flying above his temples, he huddled closer to the rails and found himself surrounded by flames ready to scorch him to a cinder.

There was no escape, anywhere he looked doom called. He'd spent so much of his miserable life terrified of fire and what did he do? How did it end?

The irony.

"Jump," a voice that sounded identical to Malik yelled.

Noah had heard how most normal people thought the insane were not aware they had loose screws in their heads. Since he'd gone back to the manor, Noah had been seeing the dead and he was bone-tired of trying to recognize reality from hallucinations...but the vision of the man who owned his soul both comforted and tormented.

The vision outstretched his arms wide. "Jump and I will catch you."

Noah stomped his feet, they were still feeble and trembled with the effort. If he did jump and didn't land right, he risked breaking his neck.

I want to see Malik one more time.

"How do I know?" Noah did his best to yell back, coughing into the frayed sleeve of his shirt. Where was Rami's ghost?

"Know what?"

Noah's grip tightened on the rails. "Are you real?"

Malik arched an eyebrow. "Last I checked, yeah."

How could he be real? how was he able to find him?

"Prove it."

Malik gaped at him. "Fuck am I supposed to do that?"

"I don't know," Noah trembled. "You might be my suicidal thoughts."

The smoke was getting denser and the expression on Malik's vision was hidden in passing shadows. "If you don't jump now...trust me, okay?"

Burn to a crisp or smash bones?

Noah swung one leg over the over and looped his hands as the vision approached Noah's dangling feet.

"I got you."

Noah let go.

Another boom and crash went sailing in the exact spot Noah had been dangling from. He squeezed his eyes shut to...

A body. Physical, warm, and very much real, cushioned his fall and held him tight.

"You're here," Noah whispered inhaling the cinnamon and mint lacing Malik's skin.

Malik kissed his forehead. "Sorry, I'm late. Can you walk?"

"Yes," Noah said and grudgingly allowed Malik to set them apart. "How did you get past security?"

Malik grinned. "I socked a couple of dudes then they ran to put out the fire. Funny coincidence."

Noah glanced up at the scene from hell. "I have to go up."

"We're getting out." Malik grabbed Noah's hand.

"No. It was me. I did this and father is up...I can't kill."

Malik's eyes were watering and he wiped at them. "We'll call the Calvary, alright?"

"But—"

The engulfing flames were spreading turning wood into char, Noah's lungs were filling up with polluted air.

We're going to die...

Malik was snapping his fingers even calling out his name yet Noah had gone deaf. There was nothing vibrant inside him, the numbness smoldered logic, hollowed-out survival instincts—

In a single fluid motion, Malik dropped to one knee, looped an arm around Noah's waist, and drove a shoulder into Noah's abdomen, lifting him over his strong shoulder in a fireman's lift. "To hell with panic attacks,'' Noah thought he heard Malik say.

Each step was filled mired in fear, dodging peeling bits of wood or crashing crystals, Noah held onto the fabric of Malik's sweater as he was bounced and spun, a woman who resembled Malik flashed among the hellish clouded mirage. There was no space between their bodies and when Malik tensed, it shot through Noah's bruised spine.

"...or I shoot," Carlisle said.

Gently, Malik righted Noah and set him standing. Malik's expression mirrored Carlisle's contorted rage whose once white shirt was covered in soot. The semiautomatic gun in his palm was pointed at them.

"Noah come here," Carlisle ordered.

Noah coughed. His father had blocked their only exit, the grand entrance was rapidly getting grimier behind them the rest of the manor was covered in ashes, in a few minutes there will be nothing to salvage. That was the end game; what could be rescued.

"Did you hear me, boy?" Carlisle spat.

The day Noah met the love of his life, the skies were clear dancing with sunlight. The marathon was teeming with energy welcoming contestants across a multitude of ages, skills, genders. It didn't matter if it was someone's first or millionth competition. What was at the crux was how fast you could run, and Noah had come out on top.

Baling his hand into fists, Noah launched himself at Carlisle. They collided and Carlisle was caught off guard, he went down just as a bullet was fired in the air. A jab to his side sent Noah spitting blood, Malik grabbed hold of the weapon and while Noah's vision blurred Carlisle gurgled, there were horrid sounds of flesh being pounded then cracking of embers were the only sounds.

"You...okay?" Malik panted.

A moan of a wounded animal pierced the air, there in a heap of blood was the woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to Malik.

"Oh god," Malik whispered and ran to the woman's side. Noah half crawled to them, his ears ringing.

"Sarah..." Malik's hands were drenched in blood as he uncovered the woman's coat. A pool of blood under her heart where a bullet had gone through was slowly draining her.

"Let me touch her wound," Noah said metallic tang coated his mouth.

"We have to call an ambulance. Sarah, please wake—"

"I can help her." Noah inched closer and shivered. The manor was on fire and he was cold.

"She's my sister. I can't..."

The anguish in Malik's voice...he wouldn't sustain the loss of another sibling.

Noah's palm sought the gape in the woman's body. "Whatever happens do not let my hand leave her body until it's healed."

"What do you mean?"

The wound shifted under Noah's touch, he focused, felt the power inside hum and  winced as the early flash of pain began to tear at his insides.

"Oh my god," Malik's beautiful amber eyes widened. "How is this possible?"

Noah smiled through the increasing pain. "Magic. You didn't believe me did...ah."

The bullet wound was closing in Sarah's body and the agony was being transferred to the person who wrecked it all.

"What's happening to you?"

"Keep...m...in...plasss." He'd been born with a weak heart, these years were burrowed time.

"Am I losing you?" Malik's bloodied hand clasped his.

There was a lot he wanted to say. He thought he wanted to survive but before he'd met Malik, surviving had been a dull existence made up of concrete and pastel colors.

You always shine so bright.

Noah retched and out came seas of crimson through his lips and it was wonderful. Malik's warm arms embraced him, he could rest...home at last.

I'm happy I got to see you one...

...more...