The rooms were dark. There were cell rooms tagged with numbers like prizes on a shelf. One could tell how horrific the place is with the ghostly silence and chilly feeling like that in a horror movie. The lights, too, were dimly lit up by the jail cells.

And there was dead hood. Super angry food with black like death hood sitting on his head, slighted and always looking to make a name for himself with a good old-fashioned shanking. This devious individual usually waited until his target was last out of the shower before staging an attack. Ace was Dead Hood’s bunkmate, but.... Ace wasn’t just Ace anymore. Everyone referred to him as The One.

He always lifts weights and engages in cardio and other muscle building exercises and workouts just to ease off the pressure of anger and revenge burning through him.

The jail cell had its own darkness, but that day, Dead hood planned to give Ace the taste of his own medicine. It was only both of them in the room, as usual. Dead hood has strong features and Gothic looking tattoos that translated horror. He’d killed over 20 prisoners in the last five years and was thrown into Ace’s cell not to kill another. Ace had his supremacy even in jail. Some prisoners feared him while very few didn’t. Few like Dead hood whom had been planning to cut him down. Ace’s men, who were also arrested, still stood by his side, supporting their Mafia King, The One. And he gave certain benefits to them while they guided him outside the cell.

Dead Hood planned to kill Ace at the only place he’s off guarded — in the cell. He held a start dagger, prepared to stab him at the back while working out. Ace was doing pull-ups when Dead hood entered from the bathroom. The both of them haven’t had a conversation since black hood joined. They just wear weird glances at themselves. The look on the black hood’s face gave an unpleasant sensation that Ace glanced at him again.

“You’re good?” He asked, but the black guy in the hood paid deaf ears.

Ace was in grey shorts while the hood had a white towel wrapped around his waist and his black hood, as usual. He chewed on his gum as if there was a bubble gum in his mouth but there wasn’t any, actually.

Ace continued his press ups as the sweat drip down his masculine body. He had books and foods and wine supplied by the guards and dead hood couldn’t help but to wonder why he gets treated better, like a king.

As if being hit by a bull’s horn, black hood tried to stab Ace at the back but he gave him a sharp side hit with his elbow. Dead hood didn’t fright or jerk to the side, hit, but the shiny dagger fell off instead. He went to Ace’s neck, pinning him to the ground as they both twist and turn in struggle for the fight for survival.

With hands balled into a heavy fist, Dead hood gave Ace a hard punch in his right cheek. He pulled out immediately as he tastes blood clotting from his bleeding gum.

“Come on, Mafia King! Isn’t that what you are?!” Dead hood hissed at Ace, just to make him pissed off.

“Why are you doing this?” Ace's upper lips pulled up while his lower eyelids tensed.

He has killed no one since he got there and he doesn’t want to. It’s been two months now, and it seemed like yesterday. Ace wanted to make a partnership with Dead hood only if there’s a chance. But it turned out that he’s a jerk after all.

“C’mon, get up!” Dead hood commanded with his baritone voice.

With anger boiling in his thick, transparent veins, Ace rushed to Dead hood. His hand slapped into Dead hood’s ribs and he reacted in a painful wince. The pain ripped into his chest. Just then, Black hood noticed the wet dripping from the pain. His eyes widened at the dagger in his chest.

“Come on, Dude! You wanna hit me?! Hit me?!” Ace declared to his betrayal.

Painfully focused, they locked eyes with death being given a life sentence. 

In a swift, Dead hood jabbed his palm under Ace’s chin while he reeled back, releasing his grip. Ace deepened the dagger, pulling it out in a grip, and stabbed him again in the chest.

Harder.

Dead hood struggled with the pain until he dropped to the cold marble floor.

“You are dead!” Dead hood gritted the words as if it was difficult to say.

“You’re dead hood, anyway.” Ace rolled his eyes as he watched his bunkmate fall to the ground, struggling.

The warmth of life stole his icy embrace of death. The impact of his limp, lifeless body was synced with the wails of shades of the night. Dead hood sprinted over, forgetting the fatigue in his swaying legs from the ongoing battle, desperate to find any remaining flickers of life, but his breath thickened. Harder, till he met with a sudden, stony silence.

Ace's upper lips pulled up while his lower eyelids tensed to Dead hood’s dead body. It’s just been one week since they’d stayed together.

***

The moon dipped below the horizon, the last gasp of beauty before the rise of the day. All the prisoners were outside, gathered in their den with grey uniforms.

“What you got?” Ace asked red.

He was an average weighted, copper red head guy with a bruised face. In a bounce, he walked Ace and placed something into his pocket.

“Something you wouldn’t want to miss.” A malicious grin appeared on red’s face as he walked away.

Ace brought it out to check. It was Jade and sapphire’s wedding invitation.

With anger and spite, Ace squeezed the paper into a ball in one grasp. He gritted his teeth in the agony of knowing they’d survived.

“I really need to end those two.”

***

At The Cathedral.

Saturday, 27th 2021.

“Wow! Finally, it’s her day...” She took out a camera to a make a video record. There were camera operators taking nice shots of Sapphire.

“How’s my makeup? Hope it’s not too much? I don’t want to scare the priest when I walk down the aisle...” Sapphire murmured to Zoey as she entered.

Sapphire looked gorgeous in her white wedding gown and a lengthy veil that swept almost every angle of the church.

“You’re wearing the simplest nude makeup I’ve ever seen, idiot! You’re perfect!!” she whispered, looking stunned.

Just then, Sapphire noticed Zoey was holding a palm sized video recorder.

“What are you doing, Zoey? Come on...” Sapphire begged with an eye signal.

“No, Fire! Not today! I purposely bought this for today so, stay put and smile.” She persuaded. Sapphire blushed and blew a kiss at the camera.

“Awwwwn... Look how cute you are. Awwwwn... I can’t believe you’re finally getting married.” Zoey smiled. “We couldn’t have a spinster party, but I’ll keep this as a memory.”

“Come on, Zoey. You’re making me feel emotional.” Sapphire admitted.

“Look at me, fire. Be happy, okay? No matter what comes afterwards.”

Sapphire, the bride, replied with a nod of agreement. The friends ended it with a playful chuckle.

“Wow!” Jade gushed over Sapphire’s beauty.

“Oh man! Like seriously? You couldn’t wait any longer to see her, right?” Zoey faced the handy camera at him, recording his bright smile.

There was this tint of joy in his eyes. As if he was the happiest man alive. Jade and his bride were to be shared and eye contact and for a moment, it felt as if they were body lost in the world around them.

Jade was in an exclusive black suit, and he gelled his hair to price a charming style. It fitted him so we’ll bring out the charms of his handsome facial features and excited expression.

“Excuse me. The groom would have to receive his bride really soon. You should get ready.” Zoey reminded him.

“Ummm.. I need to see her for a sec.” Jade walked to Sapphire with a smile. He squat before her, staring clearly at her sparking blue eyes.

“You’ll be able to find your way without getting lost, right?”

“Yes. My dad said he’d walk with me, just in case.” She smiled while Jade joined with laughter.

“Oh, my... Look at that.” Zoey blushed, watching the couple’s brief romance. Sapphire buried her face into the white bouquet of roses in her hand.

“Why are you laughing? Are you that excited?” Jade raised an eyebrow in amazement.

“I was wondering who marry a hard-headed devil king like you, but it turned out to be me, in the end. Yet, every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite.” Sapphire confessed. Jade blushed at her awkward confession.

“Fire, you know... Exactly a month ago. I caught myself smiling without no reason, then I realized I was thinking of you.” His hands held hers tight, feeling the softness of her palms that fit into his.

With this, Sapphire sighed out in anxiety, which made Jade raise his gaze at her. “Are you nervous?”

“Well, I’m nervous but come on, let’s do this!” she muttered in an assuring tone as tears of joy hanged up in her eyes.

Jade chuckled softly at her words as passed a gentle kiss on her forehead. His hands caressing the tears that lingered down her pink cheeks like a slug on her caramel, leathery skin. As if it smuggled her makeup, Jade helped her adjust it with a hanky.

“Yes, let’s do this. I love you, Sapphire.” He leaned into her and whispered with sincerity in his happy eyes.

“Awwwwn... You guys look so perfect together. I actually haven’t seen you kiss.” Zoey brought up.

“What?!” They turned to her in surprise.

“I want to see you two kiss before the going to the aisle.” Zoey begged. In which they did.

***

Who can figure out what Ace is planning? Would he succeed?

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