TW/CW: Graphic depictions of blood, violence, gore.

Dark reeled back, shielding his eyes.

    The lights blazed, blinding, and Antinstine lunged.

            He tackled him—the breath left his lungs—and they collided onto the floor. Dark's head whiplashed—cracked—and stars crowded his vision. Pain swelled in his skull.

    Antistine wrapped his hand around Dark's throat and lit up with sparks.

    Dark screamed, and he clawed at Antinstine, trying to escape the hold. His body spazzed under the lightning, going molten hot. His jaw locked—teeth bared. Electricity boiled his blood—fried his nerves—

    Antinstine grinned, eyes glowing neon, sinking his nails into Dark's neck. The sparks flared, snapping against the floor and the walls like thousands of claws.

    Dark's feet scuffed on the floor. The lights flickered. Or maybe he was losing consciousness.

    He struggled—pathetic—kicking—clawing—

    He couldn't die yet. Not now. Not until he killed Antinstine first.

    Dark's feet brushed Anti's stomach, and he kicked him off with all the force he could muster. The hands slid from his neck—sparks flew—and Antinstine stumbled back with a shout.

Dark grasped at the floor, heaving, sparks lighting up his body. They attacked him—no mercy—burning his body alive—charring his skin, his insides.

His heart lurched, and he clutched the ground, breathless. He could see his reflection in the floor, staring up at him. Sparks glowing, whipping to and fro—searing into his body. He bared his teeth and pressed his forehead against the floor. It was cold. He let out a broken cry.

Antinstine drew in a ragged breath and chuckled, standing with a flourish. Sparks curled from his eyes like fire—slid along his arms, his legs, his torso—until he glowed like the sun.

The lights flickered. Chandeliers rattled.

"I haven't even started, yet," breathed Antinstine, walking towards him. The sparks fizzed and snapped on the ground with his each and every step.

Dark struggled, feet sliding on the floor when he tried to stand up. A current ripped through him—lit his body on fire—and he collapsed with a cry of agony.

It couldn't end like this.

    Dark gasped for breath, the floor cold beneath him.

    This pain—

    Dark screwed his eyes shut, Antinstine's footsteps thundering in his ears.

    It was only temporary.

    Dark shot out a hand—felt that energy in Anti's skull—and curled his fingers. Pain ripped through Anti's skull, and he howled. He clawed at his eyes and staggered back—lost his balance.

    Dark heaved, pushing himself off the floor and to his feet. The room tilted, and he stumbled, catching his footing.

    Shocks rippled through him—bright and painful—

    He bared his teeth—curled his fingers—

    Antinstine fell to a knee, his eyes burning. Pain laced through his skull—merciless—cutting through every nerve in his body like wildfire.

    Dark staggered forward, hand twitching—and the pain dialed up. Up. Up.

    Up.

    Antinstine gasped for breath—the sparks flickered—blood dripped down his eyes—

    He stumbled onto his feet, stepping back—away from Dark—took a deep breath—tried to ignore the pain—

    The room went quiet around him, and he squinted at Dark, focusing... focusing... His vision blurred and split—he could see red—but when he began to hear Dark's heartbeat, that didn't matter.

    Antinstine drew in a ragged breath, and his lips curled into a smirk. He dropped his hands by his sides and chuckled under his breath, going still despite the pain roaring in his head.

The sight made Dark waver.

    Antinstine focused on Dark's heartbeat—its racing, frantic drum—

    Before Dark could clench his fist, Anti flicked his hand. Dark's fingers fanned out against his will, and Anti gave a grateful gasp as the pain in his eyes fell.

    Dark's eyes widened—he stared at his hand, unable to move it—then at Antinstine—back at his hand—

    Antinstine huffed out a laugh, and he wiped the blood from his eyes. He still couldn't see clearly—his vision split and wavered—blurry.

    "Surprised?" he breathed.

    Dark heaved through his teeth, struggling through another electric current. The waves were beginning to weaken with time, but the damage had already been done. He couldn't last like this much longer.

    Dark resisted Antinstine's hold—tried moving his fingers, his hand shaking violently—

    He shot out his other hand.

Anti waved his hand up, and Dark's arm froze. His eyes widened. Antinstine focused on his blood—his every cell, his every fibre—and bent his blood so his entire body was frozen in place. Dark tried moving—resisting against the hold—but it was no use. No matter how hard he tried, the most he could manage was a twitch.

Antinstine smirked, and he walked forward... He paced around Dark, menacing and slow, examining him. The dagger felt promising underneath his trenchcoat, but he knew it had to wait.

"I'm going to make this nice... and slow," breathed Antinstine. He ran his finger over Dark's shoulders, felt the muscle strain with each current, and hummed. "I want you to feel what I felt... when you made me."

Antinstine stopped right in front of Dark, felt those invisible strings that controlled his blood, and flicked his wrist. Dark fell to his knees. He seethed, eyes glowing red, his body trembling as he kept resisting the hold. Anti leaned down and watched him—felt him struggle—eyes glimmering with sparks and blood.

He smirked... stared Dark dead in the eyes... He rested a hand on his shoulder—curled his fingers into his skin... and let the sparks loose.

———

A scream ripped through the air.

Mark's heart shot into his throat, and his breath left his lungs.

Dark.

He raced down the last flight of stairs, stumbling into a long hallway and gripping the walls. He caught his breath, heart thundering in his chest and sweat dripping down his face. He glanced up, and his body shuddered. Shattered glass glittered on every inch of the floor, paintings discarded and trampled on.

A flash of blue lit up the halls ahead, and dread dropped in Mark's stomach like a weight.

Antinstine.

Mark took a deep, shuddering breath, and walked down the hallway, glass crunching under his feet. Another cry echoed throughout the hall, and Mark jumped, his adrenaline kicking in.

Oh god, oh god, he thought, hands trembling. Dark was getting hurt, and he had no idea how to help him. He couldn't do anything. Why did he leave the room? He was weak—helpless. What was he supposed to do?

Cibil and Equinox's footsteps on the stairs behind him dulled to an echo.

The walls lit up blue again, and this time, Mark could hear it.

Crackling sparks and snaps. Thunderous claps. Chandeliers rattling.

And then another scream, louder, bloody.

———

Dark gasped for breath, still forced on his knees, his arm hanging limp at his side. Antinstine's chest heaved, and he grinned down at the Tear Stealer, eyes glowing with sparks and bloodlust.

    "Kneeling looks nice on you, Dark," he panted, flicking his hand. Dark's arm twisted, and the protruding bone crunched. He grit his teeth and snarled. Pain seared his nerves, and black blood pooled on the floor.

    He'd broken his arm.

    Antinstine took a step back and panted, smirking. He brushed his hair back and slid his hand under his trench, reaching for the pill in his pocket. It buzzed against his fingers.

    "I've always wondered," panted Antinstine, pulling out the pill, "how you'd defend yourself as a human."

    Dark's eyes locked onto the glowing pill, and his eyes widened. Antinstine gave a delighted shiver at his reaction.

    "Why don't we open up," said Antinstine. He flicked his fingers—bent Dark's blood—and his mouth opened against his will. Dark's nostrils flared, his eyes flashed, and his chest began to heave. Another current ripped through his body, bright and painful.

    Antinstine bent down and placed the pill in Dark's mouth, meeting his eyes the whole time. He could see it, now—for the first time in his life—as clear as day.

    Fear.

    Dark barely stood a chance against Antinstine with his powers alone... but if he was stripped of any chance entirely...

    Antinstine's breath went shallow, and his eyes glittered with excitement.

    He'd be helpless.

    Antinstine flicked a hand, and Dark's jaw clamped shut. He tried shaking his head—tried spitting the pill out—but he couldn't escape Anti's hold.

    "Feel it," breathed Antinstine, eyes glowing. "Feel it melt."

    Dark heaved for breath, brows curled in desperation. He did feel it. His tongue pressed against the roof of his mouth—hard—and the pill crumbled under the pressure, melting into a liquid that welled in his mouth.

    No. No, no, no.

    Dark trembled, his lips struggling to curl into a snarl. A glow of blue liquid dripped past his teeth, but the drug was already slipping down his throat.

    No.

———

The trail of glass shards grew sparser.

    Mark swallowed, approaching a large, high-arching opening. Light spilled from it—and he would have considered it beautiful—if he didn't hear Antinstine's voice bouncing off the walls.

    "You don't know how long," came Antinstine's ragged voice, "I've been waiting for this moment."

    Mark clasped a hand over his mouth. Dark's heavy breathing echoed past the opening.

    "Listen, Dark," came Antinstine's voice. "You hear it?"

    Dark panted, weakly snarling when a current ripped through him. He choked on the liquid welling in his throat, glaring with all the hate he could muster.

    "Nothing," said Antinstine. He stepped forward and clenched a fist. Dark's very veins tightened, and he cried out, his jaw locked. Pain swelled in his body with every pulse of blood running through him. His heart gave a lurch under the strain.

    "Nothing," repeated Antinstine. "You know what that means?"

    Antinstine released his hold—let go of those invisible strings—and Dark gasped at the sudden freedom, falling forward. He caught himself with his unbroken arm, struggling to grab his bearings.

    "It means that your people," breathed Anti, "are all dead."

Mark peered through the opening.

Dark's feet scuffed on the floor as he tried to stand, and he glared up at Anti, baring his teeth and seething. Sparks fizzed over Antinstine's skin again, glowing bright in seconds. He grinned, grabbed Dark by the hair, and kicked him across the face.

Mark gasped in horror.

Dark's head knocked aside, and he fell to the floor.

"DARK!" he cried.

Antinstine's gaze shot up, and he met eyes with Mark.

"Viper—" he hissed. "I thought I told you to—"

The air keened with a high-pitched frequency, and Antinstine reeled back. Mark yelped and shoved his hands over his ears.

Dark's veins glowed blue, and power rushed through him with a force that had him gasping.

A charge rippled the air.

Dark clutched at the floor, and he struggled to his feet, swaying. His fingers twitched, and the frequency peaked.

Antinstine's sparks flickered, and he bared his teeth, covering his ears. His eyes began to sting. Mark's did too.

Dark's veins gave one last pulse of blue—the drug coursing through his blood—and when he looked over his shoulder, his eyes glowed with an intensity that had the lights flickering.

He locked eyes with Antinstine.

The charge in the air heightened, and the screech kicked up—just like a dial. Another twitch of Dark's fingers and the frequency climbed up. Up. Up. Up.

Mark flinched, covering his ears tighter. Pain blossomed in his eyes, just like the night Dark used his powers on him.

"Mark," said Dark, voice ragged. The frequency soared. "Get out of here."

Antinstine barely heard him over the ringing, but his brows furrowed when he caught the name.

Mark...?

Dark's veins pulsed blue, and he ran forward with a yell. Antinstine reeled back. The frequency rattled his skull—stunned him. He stumbled back—tripped on his feet—

Dark pummeled into Antinstine and grabbed his face, fingers digging in. They collided into the floor—the screech keened—and Dark twisted the energy in Anti's nerves and squeezed.

Pain blazed through Anti's skull, and he screamed, clawing at Dark's hand. He kicked and flailed—tried escaping—

Blood bubbled beneath his eyes. Dark bashed Antinstine's head into the floor—once, twice—over and over—and when he clenched his fingers around Anti's face—practically crushed his skull—

His eye exploded.

Blood spurted from his eye, the nerves and the flesh ripping open.

Antinstine shrieked.

Mark clapped his hands over his mouth, falling back into the wall behind him.

Dark's chest heaved, and he panted, eyes glowing. Blood spilled from Anti's eye, staining Dark's hand and coating the floor red. Sparks snapped out of Antinstine's body, and he swung blindly. His fist caught Dark's jaw, and they rolled over in a tossle of blood and sparks and limbs.

Antinstine fumbled—tried gaining his balance now that he only had one eye. He clutched his blind eye and staggered away, blood dripping down his hands. It was hot—wet—and when he pressed his hand into his face, he could feel the squelch of what was once his eye.

"You—you bastard—!" he cried.

Dark raced forward—slid into Antinstine's blind spot—and kicked him hard. Antinstine shouted and flew onto the floor, stunned by his sudden strength. Blood poured out of his eye, and he stumbled to his feet, whirling around.

Dark's fist collided into his jaw, and Anti staggered to the side, growling. Sparks snapped out of his hands—bristling and hot—and he threw the lightning out.

Dark dodged, the light whizzing past him. He shot a hand out—the frequency keened—and the blood bubbled behind Antinstine's other eye.

He howled, swatting at the air, trying to escape the hold—desperate to hold onto his sight—

Lightning shot to and fro from his hands—into the walls, the ceilings, the floors. They richoteched, fizzing and bursting like fireworks.

Antinstine screwed his eye shut, crying out. He couldn't see anything.

Sparks welled in his hands—building, building, building—forming into a ball that glowed like the sun—and shot his hand out.

A jet of lightning headed straight for Mark.

Dark glanced over, and his eyes widened.

"Mark—" His focus fell, and the frequency faltered. "MARK, WATCH OUT!"

Mark lost his breath, and time seemed to slow.

The lightning looked so bright—blinding his vision the closer it got. Sparks crackled from it and snapped against the walls, the floors. Mark had to admit that, in a way, it looked beautiful. It reminded him of days in front of the TV as a kid, watching with awe what Evolveds could do, what they could make. Reminded him of when he once looked up to them like heroes.

But now, frozen there—unable to move fast enough—

Footsteps thudded from behind, and a blur of white jumped in front of him.

Time sped up.

The lightning exploded, and the blur flew across the floor in a smoking heap. Mark gasped for breath and clutched at his chest, snapping out of his trance.

He hadn't been hit.

He glanced over at the smoking body, and his blood went cold.

"No—" breathed Mark. His vision split, then focused—focused on her body.

"Cibil—"

Antinstine's face fell. His hand wavered, and his vision split when he found Cibil's body on the floor. All pain washed away at the sight of her—so small—so feeble—just a kid—

She may have betrayed him in the end, but he still raised her like his own.

Like his daughter.

Mark rushed forward, sliding to his knees beside Cibil's body. She gasped and cried for breath, trembling on the floor. Sparks burnt into her flesh, turning her porcelain skin to ash and blood.

"Cibil—" gasped Mark. He grabbed her shoulder and rolled her onto her back. A current ran up his arm—burned him—but he didn't care. "Cibil, speak to me!"

Cibil whimpered, curling in on herself. Mark scooped her up in his arms and stumbled back, bringing them against the wall. Her body had absorbed most of the shocks.

Antinstine stared at them, mouth agape. Dark used his shock to his advantage and lunged forward, punching Anti across the face. He staggered back—still stunned—and struggled to fight back.

Mark clutched onto Cibil's body and trembled.

"Mark," Cibil managed out, lashes fluttering. Sparks laced behind her eyes, and her lips quivered. When she met eyes with Mark, he shuddered, dread coiling in his stomach. Her gaze said everything that words couldn't.

She knew this would happen.

It hurt her—it was killing her—and yet she still let it happen.

The sparks burnt a hole in her stomach, and she clutched at herself, choking on cries.

"You... you know—" whimpered Cibil, feeble hands digging into her dress. "I can see—h-hundreds of years into the future, and y-yet—" Tears welled in her eyes, and they slipped down her face. "I-I..."

Her lips quivered, and a sob tore from her. "I won't be a-a part of it." She managed a sour smile, and she coughed out a laugh. "It's i-ironic... isn't it?"

Mark shook his head, vision going blurry. He held Cibil closer, breaths shallow. "D-don't say that," he said. "Don't say that, Cibil."

Cibil's brows furrowed, and she coughed out blood, the color stark against her skin. Her hands weakened over her stomach.

They both knew she wouldn't last.

No matter how hard they wished, or believed...

Tears poured down Cibil's face. The gaping wound in her stomach still hissed with sparks.

She was too young, too fragile.

She was just a kid.

Cibil rose a trembling hand and clutched onto Mark's shirt, smiling up at him.

She was just a kid.

"Do you believe in... destiny, Mark?" breathed Cibil, blood clinging to her lips. She searched his eyes, looking up at him.

Shouts echoed throughout the ballroom. Sparks ricocheted off the walls and the floors. A bolt collided into a chandelier, and it crashed down. Crystals scattered and slid over the floor.

"Because," breathed Cibil. "When I-I was a little girl... I always tried looking ahead." She swallowed blood. "To see how, or—when I'd die."

Dark cried out. The pill was beginning to lose its effect.

But so was Antinstine's powers.

"The more I... tried, the more I realized that..." Cibil's brows furrowed. "No one can... ever know how they die. Not even seers like me." Her voice grew weaker the more she spoke, and her eyes began to droop. "B-because... if you can see exactly how you die, then—" She choked on a cough, and tears slipped past her eyes. "—then that means you're not living right."

Cibil's hand tightened in Mark's shirt, and he looked down at her, breathing hard. They needed a healer. If they could just find one—find one now—she might live. She would live.

Cibil wearily smiled, and the light began to fade from her eyes.

"I never let myself live," she whispered, voice breaking. "And now... it's too late."

She met eyes with Mark, eyes glittering.

"Don't give up, Mark," she breathed, lips quivering. "Don't stop fighting to change the world for the better." The wound in her stomach hissed, and she drew in a ragged breath. "Humans and Evolveds... they can live together." She wearily smiled. "You've p-proven that, Mark."

Her eyes glittered, and she stared up at the ceiling, watching as an arc of electricity zipped through the air.

"Tell Pearl that..." Her breaths shallowed. "T-that I love her, okay?"

Her hand tightened in Mark's shirt—gave it one last squeeze—and slid down his chest, falling limp in her lap. She took a deep, shuddering breath... lashes fluttered... and when she exhaled, the life bled from her eyes.

I haven't cried yet because I know this isn't the worst scene :,)

Thank you so much for reading!! Tell me what you thought, aaaAAA!!

Have a wonderful day,

Love, Kass xoxo