Lucas awoke tied to a chair.

He blinked several times as he fought to regain his consciousness. He took in his surroundings with a drowsy confusion. He was sitting in a chair, no, tied to a chair. Panic alerted him and he jerked awake, desperately trying to free himself from his bonds. The ropes tying him down were so impossibly tight, and tied everything but his head to the chair, restricting him. The harder he tried to free himself it seemed his bonds became even tighter. He started to breathe heavily as the memories of the night prior came flooding back to him. He became aware of where he now was. He was in Adonis's kitchen, sat at the dining table.

"Fuck..." He muttered to himself, his eyes fresh with tears. He got caught. He failed, when he was so very close. Now there was no telling what Adonis was going to do to him.

"It's a shame..." A hand slithered up his shoulder and Lucas winced in pain when a hand caressed the side of his face. There was obviously a bruise swelling. Lucas refused to look at Adonis as he sat in the chair beside him, continuing to caress his face lovingly.

"How did you find me?" Lucas said through gritted teeth.

"I put a tracker in your phone." Adonis stated bluntly, now finding no reason to hide his dark intent. "It didn't take me long to wake up, or to find where you had run off too. Since you decided to borrow my truck, I called a cab to drive me there. Your pills didn't last as long as you thought, you know."

"How long was I out?"

"About 8 hours."

Lucas frowned. It was the next day. His mother or someone must be wondering where he was.

"I texted your mother through your phone that you were spending the night, don't worry."

It was uneasy how comfortable Adonis was with this situation. Did he not realize he was holding Lucas hostage? How could he act so perfectly fine when he has killed someone? His own father? Has he killed anyone else? Hurt anyone else?

"I know what you did," Lucas spat, "I know that you killed your father."

Lucas winced when Adonis pressed harder into his forming bruise, "My 'father,' beat me on a daily basis. That scum deserved what was coming to him."

"But you... you killed him!"

"And?" Adonis tilted his head as if he didn't see what was so wrong with that statement. If anything, Adonis wished he would've tortured his father more before granting him death.

"And?! You... you're crazy."

Adonis smiled sadistically, "Crazy in love, yes. Did you like my pictures? I made sure to capture your beauty to the best of my ability. But I have to admit, it's much better having the real thing." He continued to caress Lucas's face, his eyes shining with adoration.

Lucas couldn't help the tears that streamed down his face. He could no longer pretend to be strong. He was scared. How had he gotten into this mess? He tried to plead with Adonis, hoping his words might reach his insane stalker, "P-Please let me go."

"Let you go?" Adonis frowned, "You always say the most ridiculous things, Luke darling."

Lucas squeezed his eyes shut as Adonis leaned forward and licked a trail under his eyes to be rid of his tears. Adonis stopped by his ear, "I'll be back, I've got to take of something first. And then, we can truly become a family." His words were shaky with excitement as he said the word 'family.'

Lucas was relieved when Adonis stepped away, but tensed up again. "W-Where are you going?" Lucas asked desperately, straining to turn his head to see Adonis walking towards the front door.

Adonis reached into his pocket, pulling out a phone and waving it. It was Lucas's phone.

"I'm going to see our little friend, Charlie. He's so sweet, he's offered to replace the brownies from yesterday. I'm going to go in your place." On the screen was the text exchange between him and Charlie. And of course, Charlie was innocently going to walk into his trap.

Lucas started to struggle in his bonds again, "Leave him out of this! Don't you fucking touch him!"

Adonis rolled his eyes at Lucas's tantrum, "Please, it's about time I be rid of the little leach. Clinging to you with hearts in his eyes... ugh, it makes ne sick." Adonis's expression was disgusted, and he shook his head as he turned back around and walked towards the door. Lucas spotted what looked to be the handle of a gun peeking out of the hem of his jeans. Lucas started to panic even more, violently wriggling in his chair. Adonis was planning on killing him. He was going to kill Charlie.

The chair rocked back and worth as Lucas cried out, "No! Don't, please!"

But Adonis ignored his cries and opened the door, leaving Lucas alone in the now empty house. The slamming of the door echoed in his mind, and ringing pierced his skull as he stared blankly at the front door, tears streaming down his flushed cheeks.

"No..." Lucas muttered. "No!" He continued to rock his chair, until it eventually fell backwards onto the ground. Lucas hit his head on the ground and cried out, now laying helpess on the ground still tied to the chair by strachy ropes. Adonis was going to kill Charlie. He was going to kill him. Lucas looked desperately around the room, looking for something, anything to help him out of his dilemma. But there was nothing, nothing that could help him as long as he was tied to this fucking chair, where he couldn't move a single fucking muscle.

"Fuck!" He screamed, wriggling helplessly, as if that would help him. He couldn't do anything. He truly was helpless. Was this really how this was going to end? Charlie dead, and Lucas held hostage by an insane stalker and murderer? No, it couldn't. It couldn't be.

"Sai..." He breathed.

[Yes, host?] The sound of Sai's voice was just as robotic as it usually was, and it didn't sound empathetic to Lucas's situation in the slightest.

"Help me... please..."

[Help? How can I... help?]

"I need to get out of this chair, help me get out of this chair."

Sai didn't answer. Lucas's head fell limp on the ground, tears dripping down onto the eerily clean dining room floor. It was cold and hard, it made Lucas cry even harder.

"It can't end like this, Sai. There has to be something you can do, please." He urged.

Sai didn't answer, again. Lucas bit his trembling lip as he kept eye contact with the front door, "Sai? Are you there?"

Nothing. He was alone. There was no one coming to help him. He lay cold and helpless... it reminded him of his death - when he was still Ethan. Where he laid on that pavement, bleeding out, desperate for someone to save him. It was painfully ironic. He failed in the last world, and he would fail in this one, too. All his efforts to succeed, all his stupid plans he had made in the past to become... popular, they were completely and utterly useless. More than anything at this moment, he wanted to die. Death seemed more appealing than living with the guilt of being the reason Charlie would die. Death would be easier than having to live with Adonis for the rest of his years until his time in this world would come to an end. Death would be easier than constantly reliving the painful memories of the ones he had grown to love in this world, knowing he would never be able to see them again. Giving up was the easiest thing he had ever done in his life. So maybe he would just... give up.

His eyes closed as he layed limp in his bonds. He barely registered the front door opening and a pair of footsteps approaching him. The footsteps stopped just beside his head. Lucas's brows furrowed when he heard a voice, "Host?"

It was Sai, he was sure of that, but his voice was no longer in his head. Lucas fluttered open his eyes to see a small boy bent down in front of him, staring down at him innocently with big blue eyes. He didn't recognize the boy, and watched carefully as the boy spoke again, with a young sweet voice, "It's me, Sai." The boy smiled, "I've come to help."

"Sai...?" Lucas breathed. Was he seeing things? Had he gone insane? "Are you really... how are you..."

The boy poked Lucas's cheek with his small pointer finger as he answered, "I purchased the system body from the shop and transferred into the nearest body closest to Host."

"System body? But I don't have enough points..."

"I know. But Sai wanted to help." The boy - no, Sai, smiled brightly as he reached his small hands and started to release Lucas from his bonds. Once Lucas was out of the chair and could finally move his body again he threw his arms around the small boy, holding his close. The boy blinked and stayed still as Lucas cried, this time tears of happiness.

"Thank you, Sai. Thank you so much." Sai was confused with this gesture. He confused with the feeling he had never experienced before. His first feeling ever - warmth.

Lucas pulled away and planted a big kiss on Sai's forehead before scrambling to his feet and rushing towards the door. Sai watched the boy rush out towards the street and stop in the middle of the road. Lucas forced a car to stop and rushed to the front passenger's seat. When Lucas came to the conclusion he wasn't going to get a ride willingly he opened the door and forced the man out of the car, throwing him onto the ground. The man cursed and stumbled to his feet only to get a face full of exhaust fumes as Lucas sped down the street and towards the school.

Once Lucas was gone, Sai rubbed at his forehead. He could feel his soul being ripped out of the body, by a force unknown to this world, to drag him back into the system and reprimand him for breaking the rules and interfering. But Sai simply smiled, reminding himself these few moments in this world, in a body - it was worth it.

-

Charlie glanced down at his phone, smiling warmly. He was glad Lucas was still talking to him, that his worry yesterday didn't mean anything. Charlie pushed his phone back into his pocket and leaning against the brick wall against the back of the school. Charlie thought it was a strange place to meet up with Lucas, but Charlie decided not to think anything of it. He was just glad Lucas had agreed to meet him.

He gripped the container of brownies in his hand. He had remade them. He hoped Lucas would like them, and finally be able to taste them. Charlie anticipated the look on Lucas's face when he took the first bite of one of the brownies. He hoped he would like them. Hoped they would bring a smile to his face.

When he heard footsteps he turned towards that direction with a smile. "Luca-"

He stopped when he saw Adonis facing him instead. He frowned, tensing up. "Miles? What are you doing here?"

"Sorry, Miles isn't here right now. Leave a message after the beep. Beep!" Adonis smiled playfully, only adding to Charlie's nerves.

"Where's Lucas?"

Adonis's smile dropped, soon replaced by a scowl, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

When Charlie didn't respond, both equally confused and frightened, Adonis rolled his eyes. He reached into his pocket, grabbing Lucas's phone, and pulling up the text conversation. He takes several steps forward until he has pinned Charlie against the brick wall. He holds up the phone in front of Charlie's face, an inch away from the tip of his nose.

It takes a moment for Charlie to realize what he's seeing, and that it wasn't Lucas who wanted to meet him here, "W-Why do you have Lucas's phone?"

Adonis shut off the phone and slips it back into his jeans. He keeps eye contact with the boy peering up at with wide eyes and a confused expression. He thinks back on all the moments this boy has interfered with him and Lucas's love, how he's stolen his attention away with those deceivingly innocent emerald eyes. How he's stolen the smile that belonged to him; that should only be shined at him. No one else.

Adonis could feel his anger rising, and reached for the gun hidden underneath his shirt. In a swift movement he took a few steps back and pointed the barrel of the gun directly at Charlie's temple. Charlie froze in terror, staring directly down the barrel of the gun.

"I should've gotten rid of you a long time ago." Adonis glowered, cocking the gun.

"M-Miles?" Charlie cried, "What are you doing?"

"Don't call me that." Adonis hissed.

"Why are you doing this? This isn't like you. What happened to you? What happened to us?" Charlie's voice cracked and his trembling hands went to his face as he wiped away his flowing tears. He hiccuped as he cried, "We used to be best friends, Miles. What did I do wrong?"

Adonis was hesitating. Why was he hesitating? Why were Charlie's words getting to his head. His hand shook as he struggled to pull the trigger.

"Shut up!" He screamed, "Just shut up! I hate you! I fucking hate you!"

Charlie jumped at the sound of his screaming voice, trembling with fear. Adonis continued with his rampage, hellbent on making the boy feel powerless, "You never loved me! You lied. You're a liar! You used me, invited me into your perfect fucking family just to show off what I never had! I hate you. I hate everything about you." Angry tears streamed down Adonis's face, but he was too distracted to notice them. His voice became strangled, "I hate you."

Charlie swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling his heart twinge with pain at the sight of Adonis's tears. He took a step forward, raising a hand in attempt to comfort his old friend, "Miles..."

Adonis straightened, raising the gun again, anger flashing in his teary eyes, "You have everything I have ever wanted. Everything but Lucas. I won't let you take him away from me. He's the closest thing I've got to a fucking family."

"You were my family, Miles. I loved you like a brother." Charlie shined a broken smile.

Adonis shook his head repeatedly, "Shut up."

"Miles, please... can't we just go back to the way it used to be? We can be a family again."

The grip on the handle became impossibly tight, and all Adonis could see was a flash of blinding hot rage.

He screamed, "I SAID SHUT UP!"

And his finger finally pulled the trigger. A loud shot was fired, it echoed across the schoolyard. Adonis blinked and watched the smoke rise from the end of the barrel. Time seemed to slow as he noticed the bullet which was meant to penetrate Charlie's head had instead lodged itself into Lucas's chest instead. A dark crimson pooled and spread into his shirt. Lucas raised a shaky hand to his chest, pulling away to find his hand soaked with a terrifying warmth. Charlie cried and raced to catch Lucas as he fell backwards and into Charlie's trembling arms.

The gun in Adonis's hand slipped from between his fingers and landed on the grass beneath his feet.

"No..." He breathed, disbelieving what his eyes were showing him. His hand went to his face, wiping away the drops of Lucas's blood. He watched in horror as Charlie cradled Lucas's body, whilst Lucas coughed out blood and held his chest with a pained expression.

"Lucas-" He started, taking a few steps forward. It was then that he was tackled to the ground by Ben, who had heard the gunshot and rushed to witness the situation. Ben restrained Adonis by pulling his arms behind his back and pinning him against the grass with his knees. Adonis started to struggle and scream Lucas's name over and over again. His screams became a mix with his cries, as he now realized what he had done.

Ben called to the newly formed crowd surrounding the scene, "Call an ambulance!"

A student pulled out their phone and dialed 911, her voice mixing in with the countless others trying to comprehend what had happened.

Charlie continued to cry and clutch Lucas close to his chest, and through his sobs he muttered apologies. Through pained huffs, Lucas holds up a bloody pinky, smiling, "Charlie... our promise, remember?"

Charlie takes Lucas's outheld hand with both hands and holds it as tight as he can. He shakes his head, continuing to sob. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't say a word. So all he did was cry for his friend that had saved him, holding onto his hand for dear life in the fear he would slip away at any second.

Lucas coughed again, looking up towards the bright blue sky. His eyes were becoming heavy, but at least the pain in his chest wasn't as bad anymore.

"It wasn't... supposed to end like this..." He muttered to himself. His death meant the end of everything. He hadn't yet accomplished his mission, and so his soul would most likely be obliterated. He had failed. His emotions and the love for others got in the way of his decision making. He sacrificed everything to save the life of another. Of his very first friend. And, strangely, he didn't regret it. He would do it a thousand more times if put in the situation once more. He thought back on all the people he had grown to care about in this world. His mother, his bratty kid sister, and his very first friend. He didn't want to leave them. Even if he had the chance to say goodbye, he wouldn't take it. He didn't want to say goodbye. He didn't want to go. And that hurt more than the gunshot.

"Charlie..." He breathed. Charlie focused on Lucas, and leaned down to put his ear against his lips so he could hear his fading words.

"My real name... is Ethan..."

"Ethan?"

Lucas smiles at the sound of his real name, "Yeah, nice to finally... meet you."

And then the world fades to black, and Ethan feels his soul fall back into oblivion.

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End of Arc 1: High School

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(Q&A: Comment any questions you thought were left unanswered or that you didn't understand, I'll answer them to the best of my abilities.

Also, this is just an idea that I'm throwing out there, but what if I created another book that would follow the aftermath of the characters after Ethan has moved on from that Arc. For example: What happened to Charlie? To Adonis/Miles? I would probably call it something like TSP: Aftermath. Each chapter would be about an Arc, it would be like a short story, mainly to give you readers - and me - closure. Would you guys want to see that or...?

See you in the next Arc - Arc 2: Mate)