Mark's heart beat faster the closer they got to Antinstine's room.

    "I've never seen Prada so—scared," he muttered, glancing down at Cibil. The hallways were empty, now, and everything seemed too quiet. The noise from the other Evolveds faded into a dull murmur.

    Cibil said nothing. She continued to lead Mark down the halls, her body tense and on edge.

    "Do you... do you think Antinstine did something to him?"

    Cibil stopped in the middle of the hallway. Mark stumbled to a stop, jumping when she glared up at him.

    "There's something deeper going on here than my visions have given me," she said, voice hushed and cut-throat. "I don't know what, yet, but..." Her mind seemed to race for a moment, and in the next second, she shook her head and began walking again.

    "Let me worry about it," she said, and Mark hastily followed after her. "Right now, you need to focus on getting through this... conversation—whatever—that Antinstine wants."

    The way Cibil spoke, Mark noticed, was much more... normal when she was under stress. For a brief moment, he could almost see the kid that she was.

    "He said he saw me," said Mark. He swallowed, catching up with Cibil so he could walk beside her. "Maybe it's about that?"

    Cibil sighed loudly. "Most likely," she said. She shook her head. "You're asking me like I know. I don't."

    She glanced up at him.

    "My visions are the bigger picture of things," she said. "I don't have insight on small things like this."

    Mark swallowed, and he nodded. How relieving, he thought sourly.

They were both silent after that.

    After a while of walking and a few flights of stairs, they reached the most secluded part of the mansion. It was completely quiet now, not a single murmur or nose able to be heard; it made Mark's skin crawl and his heart beat even faster.

    Cibil took a deep breath, and once they began to slow down, Mark knew that they were close.

    "Here," she said softly, stopping in front of a large, ornate door made of gold. "Antinstine's room."

    Every fiber of Mark's being screamed to run away. He stared up at the door, clenching and unclenching his fists, struggling to breathe. When Cibil gently held his hand, he gazed down at her, vision wavering.

    "If he mentions the experiments," she said, gazing at him, "tell him that Celine made you. Not Dark."

    Mark's brows furrowed.

    "Who—?"

    "There's not enough time to explain," she whispered. "You've done well enough as Viper—I know you'll make it out of this one."

    Mark swallowed, and Cibil gave him one last glance. The both of them took a deep breath, and Cibil stepped forward, lifting her hand.

    She knocked three times.

    She stepped back and pulled her hand out of Mark's. They waited there, silent, staring at the door. After a moment, someone cleared their throat from behind the door.

    "Come in," came Antinstine's muffled voice.

    Mark swallowed, and he glanced at Cibil, who nodded. She turned the door knob and pushed the door wide open, revealing the inside of the room.

Mark took a deep breath and frantically collected himself, trying to keep his mind from racing as he stepped inside. His eyes widened at the sight.

    Everything bled with gold and glitter and regality. There was no way Antinstine actually used this room for sleeping... It was a boast of status. A boast of what he owned. An intimidation.

    And God, did Mark feel beyond intimidated.

    "Not you, Cibil," snapped Antinstine. He sat at the edge of his bed frame, nails digging into the rich wood. He gazed at Mark with a fiery intensity. "Just him."

    Cibil gave him no reaction. Instead, she simply nodded, sent a subtle glance towards Mark, and left the room.

    The door shut behind her with a loud, echoing thud.

    Mark's heart shot into his throat.

    They were alone. Again.

Mark stood there, staring at Antinstine, and clenched his fists in an attempt to calm the shakes in his body.

Fear into fuel, he told himself. Use anger as your barrier.

Antinstine didn't move. He continued to stare at Mark through those prying eyes of his, examining every facet of his body—his hair, his skin, the markings on his arms... down to the very details of his face.

Mark thickly swallowed, the silence deafening.
After what felt like an eternity, Antinstine lifted his chin, eyes glinting.

"Come sit," he breathed, cutting through the silence. It didn't do anything to help the atmosphere of the room—if anything, it only made it thicker. Harder to breathe. Tense.

Antinstine lifted a hand, motioning towards the empty throne.

Mark swallowed, his heart pounding in his chest, but he stayed grounded to his spot.

"I'd rather stand," he said, glaring at the other.
Antinstine only rose a brow, and after a long pause, his lips curled into a subtle smile.

"Then I'll make you."

He rose a hand and curled his fingers, and when he expanded them, the very blood in Mark's body became taught.

His eyes widened.

He almost forgot—

Antinstine flicked his fingers, and Mark walked forward like a ragged, stop motion doll.

They could both bloodbend now.

Antinstine tugged at the invisible strings, sighing with pleasure as he forced Mark over to the chair. He spun a hand, and Mark's body spun around—then slammed his hand down. Mark collided into the chair with a thud, and he grimaced.

"You know," said Antinstine, examining his fingers under the lights. "I have to thank you for what you did to me in the lab."

He fanned out his fingers, his fangs peering from beneath his lips. When he set his hand down, Mark's body was freed from the control, and he slumped into the throne with a huff.

"I have more time to hone my pretty new ability."

Antinstine gazed at Mark through the corner of his eye, giving him a smile that looked like a snarl. Viper glared at him, but instead of getting out of the throne, he forced himself to stay seated.

"What do you want this time," spat Mark, shifting in the throne. It was plush and comfortable beneath him—too comfortable. He didn't trust it.

Antinstine hummed, and he clicked his sharp nails against the wood of the bed frame.

He stared at Mark.

Click... click...

"I'm surprised you've hidden it for so long," he breathed, eyes flashing.

Click... click... His nails dragged on the wood briefly before tapping away again.

"It makes sense now," continued Antinstine. "Why you never fully revealed yer ability... why yer always on edge... on the defensive." He stared at Mark, gaze intense. "Why, despite how weak you are... Dark kept you."

Click, click, click.

He stood up then, but instead of approaching Mark, he circled around the bed and bent down out of sight. Mark watched with bated breaths, swallowing hard.

"Yer very existence is a threat to his legacy," said Antinstine. "And yet... yer also his little prize. Aren't you? Another successful pawn from his experiments."

He stood back up, holding a small wooden box. He gazed down at it for a moment, brows furrowing.

"But," he said, lifting his gaze to look at Mark, "what I don't get, is why he didn't kill you."

He walked around the bed to sit at the edge of the bed frame again, holding the box in his hands. He met Mark's weary gaze.

"He killed the others," said Antinstine. "The scientists, the other victims..." His eyes narrowed. "But not... you."

His eyes narrowed.

"Why?"

Mark swallowed, his mind racing. He had no idea what Antinstine was even talking about. How was he supposed to bullshit a response?

Instead, he stayed quiet.

Antinstine noticed his silence and hummed, nodding to himself. He ran a hand over the glossy surface of the box and fiddled with the latch. He lapsed into his thoughts for a moment, relishing the tense silence between them.

"Come," said Antinstine after a while, patting the spot beside him. "Sit by me, Viper."

Mark swallowed, breathing hard. Antinstine noticed his hesitation and rose a brow at him, eyes flashing.

"Don't make me force you."

Mark clenched his jaw, and he forced himself to stand up. His legs were stiff, and he struggled to walk over nonchalantly. He stopped in front of Antinstine, stared at him, then carefully sat down, digging his fingers into the edge of the bed frame to try and keep himself grounded.

Antinstine took a deep breath, gazing up at the ceiling for a moment before tilting his head to gaze at Mark.

"Why are you on his side, Viper?" he breathed. By the tone of his voice, he sounded genuinely... distressed. Mark's brows furrowed, his mind racing for some semblance of an answer. "Why—after what he did to you... do you continue to support his cause?"

Mark blinked, staring, utterly lost. He'd never seen Antinstine so real, so personal, so... intimate. Just his searching gaze was enough to send shivers down his spine.

He took a deep breath, racking through his brain for some semblance of an answer.
Antinstine had to be talking about the experiments that Cibil mentioned... and Dark—and this Celine—must have been a part of it.

Mark swallowed. He'd been staring for too long.

"Edwards isn't the one who... did this to me," he said after a while.

Keep it up, Mark told himself. Just piece everything together the best you can. He clenched his fists. I've gotten out of police interrogations... I can last a few more minutes with this monster.

Antinstine's brows furrowed, and Mark averted his eyes, the gaze between them too intense. He didn't like feeling so... human with Antinstine. It felt wrong.

Born as a human or not... it was his choice to become the monster he was today.

"It was Celine," said Mark, remembering what Cibil had said.

He hoped to God that what he said made sense—if it didn't, then—well, he was screwed. Antinstine would know he was lying.

    "You seriously believe that?" muttered Antinstine. Mark glanced at him, meeting his gaze; his every expression bled with scorn. "Mother and son... they were both a part of it."

    Mother and son... thought Mark, his heart racing. Could that be why Antinstine hated Dark so much?

    Mark stared at Antinstine blankly.

    Is Dark really the reason... that Antinstine lives?

    Mark took a deep breath.

    "Even... so," said Mark. "Edwards has shown me nothing but hospitality." He swallowed, wearily keeping eye contact with Antinstine. It was difficult, especially because he had no idea what he was talking about.

    Mix the truth with the lies.

    Mark recalled his time at Dark's manor. Short as it was, Dark did show him kindness.

    His chest warmed at the thought of him.

    "He taught me everything I know." His brows furrowed. "He's... treated me like family."

Mark sighed, and he glanced at Antinstine. He didn't look too happy with his response, but—to Mark's relief—he didn't question him.

"He ruined your life," said Antinstine, "and you still kneel at his feet and kiss them." He shook his head. "I don't understand you, Viper."

"If anything, you're the one ruining my life," Mark said a-matter-of-factly.

Antinstine scoffed out a laugh at that, and he rose a brow at Mark.

"I'm not the reason you got into this mess, though," he said. "Am I?"

Mark went quiet at that. In a way, he was right.

Antinstine gave a victorious smile, chuckling to himself. After a moment, he gazed down at the box in his hands. With nimble fingers, he opened it, pulling out a single, black twig.

His fingertips grew red under the piece of wood.

"Tell me... Viper," said Antinstine, gazing at the twig through his lashes. "Do you know what this is?"

Antinstine tilted it under the light, gazing over at Mark.

A dread dropped in his stomach like a weight.

He remembered the burning... the pain...

And he remembered—how that same night—Dark had used his abilities on him.

Mark nearly flinched at the thought.

"A Fanged Elder branch," said Mark.

    Antinstine nodded, and he ran the twig up his own arm. His skin blossomed into a rash, red and raw and human. Mark's eyes widened at the sight.

    But—Antinstine was—

    His brows furrowed.

    Now that he thought about it... if he started out as human—

    Antinstine pulled up Mark's shirt sleeve and ran the twig down his arm. His skin began to burn, and he flinched away from Antinstine.

    "See..." breathed Anti, eyes half-lidded. He watched Mark's skin react to the poison of the branch. "You and I... are just alike."

    He met eyes with Mark for a brief moment, then put the twig away and closed the box with a faint click, setting it to the side.

    "Cursed with power—given the blood of gods..." His eyes glimmered. "Yet bound to our human selves."

    He gave a sarcastic smile.

    "Ironic, isn't it?"

    Mark swallowed, looking away. He didn't want to admit it, but... Antinstine was right.
He clenched his fists in his lap and took a deep breath, staring at the floor.

    "You know what I am now," he said after a while.

There was a pause.

    "And you know what I am, too," said Antinstine.

    Mark glanced up at him, wearily meeting his gaze. Neither of them said a word. They sat there, on the bed frame, the silence between them thick and heavy, gazing each other in the eyes.

    Mark was surprised with how... calm he was. Of course, his mind still raced, and his body begged for a way out of the room—but with how close they were, and how quiet it was... if Antinstine were someone else, he might have—very nearly—felt... comfortable.

    Antinstine carefully searched Mark's face, and very briefly, he glanced down at Mark's lips.

    Mark's heart skipped a beat at the gesture, and he quickly looked away, swallowing.

    "You never told me what you wanted," Mark muttered in an attempt to break the silence. He stared at the floor, but he could feel Antinstine's gaze burning into him. "Why did you call me here?"

    Antinstine sighed, and his fingers curled around the edge of the bed frame.

    "You and I..." he said, "...are the only survivors from Dark's experiments." He glanced at Mark. "We've been through hell and back."

    Mark wearily met Antinstine's eyes, his skin crawling. Where was he going with this?

    "I want you on my side, Viper," he said. "Even now more than ever." He wavered for a moment—a gesture unlike him. "You... understand me."

    Mark swallowed, and he narrowed his eyes at Antinstine. He lingered for a moment, going through his options. He had to think this through.

    "Even if I did join you..." he said carefully, "you would keep experimenting on me."

    Antinstine shook his head, and this time, Mark could tell he was serious. His eyes widened in the slightest.

    "I won't let you go through that pain again," he said softly.

    Mark couldn't believe what he was hearing.

    "But," said Antinstine. "I still need someone to test on."

Mark's jaw clenched at that, and Antinstine gave a soft, quiet laugh. It was almost pleasant.

    "Ox will take the pain away," he said. "You won't feel a thing."

    Mark searched Antinstine's face, swallowing hard.

    "This is if I join your side," said Mark.

    Antinstine gazed down at him, faintly nodding.

    "I'm not as bad as everyone makes me out to be," he said. "I can be nice sometimes."

    He flashed a smirk, and Mark wearily returned the gesture.

    Did he really believe that? thought Mark, inwardly scoffing.

    There was another long, tense silence. Mark went through his options. Join Antinstine and be pain-free, or deny him and suffer.

    The answer was pretty obvious.

    Mark thought of the plan. He was simply the decoy—the distraction. And... if he joined...

    He glanced up at Antinstine.

    He'd gloat, that's for sure. He wouldn't be on guard as much.

It'd be the perfect distraction.

    Mark took a deep breath, and he wrung his hands together. Antinstine gazed at him expectedly.

    "Alright..." said Mark after a while. He swallowed, turning to better face Antinstine. His mind was racing, and his body was thrumming with nerves.

"I'll join your side," he said.

    He couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth.

    Antinstine's eyes glittered, but before he could say anything, Mark cut in.

    "But," said Mark. He stared Antinstine in the eye. "I want you to promise me..." He swallowed. "Promise me, that when you're done with the experiments..."

He took a deep breath.

"You'll strip me of the abilities you gave me."

    Antinstine searched Mark's face, his lips twitching into a subtle smile. He paused for a long moment, searching Mark's face. It was like he wanted to say something—there was an excitement thrumming within him, like a secret that was difficult to keep—but he held it back. 

    He was hiding something.

Antinstine nodded firmly, his teeth flashing into a smile.

"I promise," he said.

Gullible, gullible boy.

The both of them.

    Mark swallowed, and he bowed his head in thanks. There was a brief shifting of fabric, and Antinstine rested a hand on the space between them.

    "You don't have to be alone anymore, Viper," he said.

Mark nodded, but deep down, he knew.

    Antinstine was telling himself that.

Thank you for being so understanding with my delayed updates, homies 🥺 It seriously means a lot UwU. I've started working almost full time hours, so it's been difficult for me to write lately.

How was your Christmas/holiday? 🥰

I hope you enjoyed today's chapterrr!! I know I did writing it hehe

Have a wonderful day, and stay safe out there!

-Kas xoxo