Red.

A colour that embodied the rage of every person under the influence. It absorbed and amplified violence tenfold, pouring it down mercilessly over the entire city. It had but one goal, one mission that it would stop at nothing to accomplish.

Consume him.

The moon faithfully reflected aggression, plastering a deep hatred in front of Aiden's eyes. It seemed as if it was bleeding, trickling down into his consciousness and blurring his purity, trying its best to taint his soul.

From his light brown eyes, streams of red raced down his face and upon reaching the verge of his neck, plunged themselves into the vibrant pasture of green, staining it with a deep sorrow and yet, a hint of will.

A voice caressed his earlobe. A voice so foreign but still so familiar.

Her voice.

"Join me, I miss you."

His entire body fell limp and he could feel himself letting go of the life he held so dear. The memories he shared with Alice became a slideshow, replaying in his mind. All the late-night conversations, the movie nights, the arguments that ended with the soft brush of lips, and endless plans for the future.

His fingertips released their grip on his own essence and his will to live diminished as his body began to collapse. His memories faded, and so did the residue of emotions. Happiness, sadness, jealousy, they all faded. All except one.

Anger.

His head was about to fall into the embrace of the grass, when her voice wallowed in the wind, delicately dancing past his ears. It contrasted the cold and sinister nature of the one before and it held her purity upright in the words it spoke.

"Snookums, don't come here."

His eyes snapped open and a jolt of electricity relayed throughout his entire nervous system. He stopped his descent immediately and forced himself to his feet as fast as he could but his blurred vision made it impossible to evade the army of prodding hands that forced his body back down to the pits of hell. A hand grabbed a hold of his throat, squeezing tightly as it diverted his gaze to the moon, hoping that his soul would delve further into the land of Tartarus. His breath became constricted, and his murky sight darkened.

He couldn't die. 

Not like this.

This wasn't the way it was supposed to happen.

He was supposed to die with a head full of gray and a voice that croaked with age. He was supposed to die with Alice in his arms as their souls looked to the sky. This wasn't the way...

The faint hint of red bouncing from Alice's brunette hair was the last thing he saw before his eyes closed once more.

His world was consumed by endless darkness and everything became quiet.

Too quiet.

⚜⚜⚜

He took a deep breath in, capturing the sweet scent. It was strong, so strong in fact that he could picture the cherry blossoms floating through the air. Peace flowed through his body with the deep breath and all sorrow departed with his exhale. His eyelids parted slightly, allowing light to replace the darkness for a moment.

His back laid firm against a vast land of white and after squeezing his eyes close and taking one last deep breath, he sat up, resting his hand on his head.

There was a glimpse of static in his vision but soon it faded, and he could see all around him clearly. An endless field of white, lacking a beginning and holding no end.

"You don't belong here." Alice's voice echoed in his ears.

His heartbeat fluttered and his neck rotated franticly, searching for the source of familiarity.

Nothing to the left.

Nothing to the right.

Nothing behind him.

Nothing in front of...

His head tilted and he rushed to his feet, his eyes clouded with confusion. In the distance, he could spot a full head of dark brown hair floating in the infinite stretch.

Aiden shifted his pace into a sprint, his eyes glued to the head. The soles of his feet slammed against the plain, but no sound was audible, and he had no time to question it. Alice was right there. He knew it had to be her. Who else had such luscious hair?

The closer he got, the further she drifted away and the faster he ran the more she felt as though she was creeping beyond his reach.

"Alice! Alice!" He yelled, outstretching his arm desperately in hopes that she'd turn around, but she didn't.

She didn't move in the slightest.

"Alice come on turn around! Alice, please! ALICE!" He called out in a shout of despair but not even that caught her attention.

Suddenly, he felt a grip tighten around his feet, causing him to trip and fall flat against the endless sheet of white. When his body crashed against it, it was as if all the sound and feeling from the collapse had been absorbed into a cushion, ceasing to exist altogether.

He looked over his shoulder, a petrified state decorating his face. Around his leg was a severed hand, its fingernails digging deep into his sweatpants and then into his skin.

He let out a loud groan as it peeled his flesh away, but his voice abandoned him when his sights set on the demon before him.

Headless.

Blood slowly trickled down its pale neck and mixed with a slimy clear liquid. It was clothed in a red robe and chains encircled its entire body. Its right hand was chopped off and a black liquid dripped from the area where it was lost onto the floor.

Its skin was tarred and the knuckles on its left hand were tattooed with strange symbols. It stepped forward and its footstep was the first thing that made a sound against the ground.

"So, it's you."

The voice was deeper than anything Aiden had ever heard before and as soon as the creature spoke, he felt the oxygen abandon his lungs and his heart became tight and burdened. His body trembled uncontrollably, and a large lump formed in his throat. He no longer had control over his body.

The hand that had sunken into his flesh released its grip and crawled up his body, stopping right above his throat.

The creature crouched down, and its entire body slanted to the right. Even though it had no head, Aiden felt its smile carving deep into his soul, engraving something far worse than fear.

"It is you. You are the one I need."

The headless demon raised its hand and thrust it forward, penetrating Aiden's chest and forced its grip around his heart, squeezing it. Aiden felt the constriction around his heart, but he could not react. He was paralyzed, cursed to feel his life squeezed from his very being, unable to do anything. He couldn't scream, he couldn't flinch, he couldn't move.

"Come to me."

The demon gave it one last squeeze and ripped Aiden's heart out.

⚜⚜⚜

Aiden let out a huge gasp for breath and his body flew up into a seated position. He grabbed at his chest and panicked at first but was calmed by the realization that his heart still beat. The rapid thumps were reassurance that he was alive and that was all that mattered at the moment.

"What a weird dream." He muttered as he scratched at his eyelids.

"Dream?" a youthful male voice questioned.

Aiden's eyes shot wide open and confusion rushed in without hesitation. It was only now that he noticed he wasn't at home but instead, he sat in the backseat of a car.

His hands instinctively reached for the door, the brown leather seats yawning at his slightest move. His fingers wrapped around the silver handle and he was about to open when the man spoke again.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. If you haven't noticed by now we're kind of driving right now. Unless you wanna be roadkill." The man said, looking up into the mirror at Aiden. He flashed a smile before continuing. "If that's the case then be my guest."

Aiden released the handle and straightened his seating. His eyebrows arched and he squinted his eyes. He clenched his jaw and scanned the man for a moment.

Dark blue eyes and a well-defined cheekbone. The man's hair was curly, mimicking a fantasy night sky filled with quarter moons and his smile was warm and held such a vibrant youth to it.

"Who are you?" Aiden asked, his voice cold and stern.

"Woah! Calm down there Serious McLerious, the name's Eren." He paused for a moment, feeding the steering wheel into his right hand as he turned a corner. "What's yours?"

"Aiden, but I bet you already knew that." Aiden kept his eyes focused on the man in front of him.

"Why would I know your name? Are you famous or something?"

This reply stumped Aiden, causing him to lean back, releasing the tension in his bones.

"Never mind. What am I doing here?"

The car swerved, avoiding a few people that recklessly crossed the street in a state of complete agitation. They lunged towards the car but Eren seemed to be a skilled enough driver to tactically avoid them.

"I found you."

The atmosphere shifted with Eren's words and Aiden's body tensed once more. He clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes at the mirror that reflected Eren's face objectively.

"Found me?" Aiden questioned, turning his head to the side slightly with his words.

"Yeah, I found you. You were laying on the front lawn of some blue house-"

"Alice!" Aiden interjected. "Take me back to where you found me! I have to save her!"

The car swerved once more, far more violently than before as the frequency and volume of mindless souls increased as they attacked the car.

"No." Eren's tone changed, summoning a thick layer of tension. He cleared his throat and flashed an embarrassed smile and continued in a softer tone. "What I mean is, whatever is happening to those people doesn't seem to be reversible. She's gone whether you like it or not and I'm sorry but I didn't risk saving some random guy just for him to go commit suicide."

Aiden's fingers wrapped around the door handle again and he edged closer to the only exit. His lips parted and his words were calculated and lathered in suspicion.

"Why exactly did you save me? A random guy?"

Eren noticed his suspicion and chuckled as he began to accelerate.

"You were out of it but still conscious when I came across you. Your voice was weak but I heard it clearly. A cry for help. I was going to leave you because I thought you became one of those Moonies but something about you was different. I guess your eyes weren't as cold as theirs either."

Aiden's exhale was perceptible. He grabbed his forehead and gave a nervous chuckle.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a bit on edge with everything. Thanks for saving me."

Eren laughed and shook his head. "Don't mention it."

"So what exactly is going on?" Aiden asked.

"There was supposed to be a blood moon tonight. I guess everyone stayed up to watch it but it turned out to be more than that. Conspiracy theorists are all over the internet trying to say what happened. Some think the food we eat is overflowing with chemicals and the moon is triggering some reaction that's been building up for years."

"What'd you think?"

"Kind of far fetched if you ask me. I'm more of a spiritual guy. Think this has something to do with the end of days, you know? Hey, are you religious by any chance?"

Aiden's eyes fell over the houses as the car passed them. They were lifeless as if everyone had offered themselves up to the moon. The emptiness was devastating. He wondered just how many sons and daughters slaughtered their parents, or if it went the other way.

"Is Alice really... No, she can't be!" He thought to himself, shaking his head to snap out of his dazed state.

"Not really," Aiden replied to Eren. He raised his eyebrow and gulped. "Eren. Why is around here so quie-"

Before he could finish his question, the tires let out a screeching cry in the silence of the night and the car skidded across the asphalt. The car came to an abrupt halt, sending Aiden's face crashing into the back of the leather seat.

He grabbed ahold of his forehead and groaned loudly.

"What the hell is up with-"

Aiden's pupils dilated and his hand covered his mouth. The blood drained from his face as he tried to put a number on them but it was impossible.

Hundreds if not thousands of mindless souls stood in front of them, crafting a human blockade that extended further than Aiden and Eren could see.

"Reverse! Get out of here!" Aiden commanded but Eren did not respond.

"Eren! Dude! Reverse! Eren!"

Aiden looked at Eren. It was clear to see. An aura seeped out of Eren, one of pure terror and despair. His face was pastel, so much so that he could be mistaken for the dead. His eyes trembled and so did his hand as he struggled to grip the steering wheel tight enough. Rivers of sweat poured down his face, drenching the black t-shirt he was wearing.

After looking behind them, Aiden climbed to the front seat immediately, taking off Eren's seatbelt as soon as he got there.

"EREN! SNAP OUT OF IT!" Aiden yelled as his eyes switched from the back to the front of the car over and over. "We gotta go! Now Eren!"

Aiden tugged Eren back to reality and the two scrambled out of the car. The car had become useless as both directions the car could take had been obstructed by the demented beings.

They stood still.

Aiden and Eren slowly backed away, moving in the direction of the houses that lined the street, hoping they could escape by hopping over someone's backyard but the glass cold eyes of the Moonies were glued to their every move even though they remained stationary.

In unison, they parted their lips when Aiden and Eren reached the sidewalk and chanted something far too familiar to Aiden.

"Look at the moon my love, isn't it beautiful?"

A shiver ran down Aiden's spine and Alice's face flashed before his eyes.

He stopped.

"A-Alice..." He stuttered.

The blockade on the right side of Aiden opened up, revealing Alice.

"Are you just going to leave me here all alone?" 

Her voice broke him.

It shattered his heart into a billion pieces and those pieces made it each their individual mission to stab him. Tears welled up at the brink of his eyes and there was no way he could stop the banks from overflowing.

"A-Aiden l-let's g-get out of h-here!" Eren panicked from behind Aiden.

Aiden clenched his fist and the tears poured out from his eyes.

"I love you, Alice! I LOVE YOU!"

The heads of the mindless souls snapped down and then back up before they began to charge towards their prey.

Eren grabbed onto Aiden's hand and tugged him away into a space between two houses.

Aiden sprinted as fast as he could and upon reaching a large wooden fence, he grabbed onto the top, and despite the wood clawed into his flesh, he forced himself up over it after Eren. The two kept running, their feet slamming against the grass lawn before they reached another fence and repeated their actions.

Behind them, the creatures still perused with no intention of stopping until they converted the two free souls they sought after.

"We gotta find somewhere to hide!" Aiden called out behind panting breaths.

Eren's grip tightened around Aiden's hand and he pulled him into another passageway between two large wall houses.

Eren pressed his finger into his lips, signaling Aiden to remain silent. Aiden obeyed, staying quiet even though his face physically questioned the abrupt action.

Soon enough his questions were answered when the chanting came into earshot.

The entire swarm raced past the two men as they held their breaths, hoping to remain as silent as physically possible. To be caught would bring nothing less than death or conversion.

The flow of the Moonies seemed to continue forever, thickening the tension in the air. If any of them happened to look across even a tad bit, it would be all over. No chance of escape. No chance of seeing the light at the break of day. If they were to be caught now...

Death would fall upon then by dawn.

Finally, after a few minutes, the streets had become baren once again, beaconing a moment to catch their breath.

"Aiden, there's a church near here that my father owns. If we can get there... w-we'll be safe."

Aiden folded his fist and slammed it into the brick wall of one of the houses.

"Dammit!" He cursed. He dug his fingernails deep into his scalp and let out a silent scream. He rocked his body back and forth before falling to his knees. "WHY'D YOU LOOK AT THE DAMN MOON, ALICE?!"

Eren outstretched his hand to offer Aiden comfort but quickly retracted it when he saw one of the Moonies staggering across the road further up the street.

"Aiden, we have to go now," Eren whispered, pulling Aiden out of sight and back into the passageway.

"I'm sorry about your girlfriend but we need to get to that church. We should be safe in the basement."

Aiden turned his attention to Eren at a sluggish pace, shooting him a stern and ice-cold look. His face contorted, and rage bellowed from his eyes.

"What's the fricken point huh, Eren?" Aiden snapped.

Eren took a step back, noticing the glassy eyes that stared into his soul.

"Did... did you look at the m-moon?" Eren asked, his back pressing against the wall. He hugged it tightly as he navigated carefully away from Aiden.

"The moon? THAT FRICKEN MOON? Look at it? Don't be an idiot! Why would I look at the damn thing that took her away from me, HUH? Why?! You don't fricken understand Eren! SHE WAS MY EVERYTHING! She was my everything Eren... She's gone and I didn't even get to apologize! She's gone! The last thing we said to each other... S-she's..."

Aiden fell limp, allowing his body to crash against the earth. He shut his eyes tight and rolled over onto his back, facing the night sky that mapped all the stars and held the blood moon on a pedestal for all to see. He inhaled slowly and stretched his right hand to the sky.

"I promise you, Alice, I'll get you back. I swear it!"

⚜⚜⚜

"We made it Aiden." Eren breathed a sigh of relief, locking the church door behind them.

Aiden looked around, the decorative murals above the pulpit catching his eye immediately. They depicted a group of six surrounding a table. At the center of the table were a large book and seven chalices of red wine.

Aiden walked down the aisle alone, raking his finger over the wooden benches that seemed to go on for ages. The marble pillars were beautifully constructed in between the rows of the benches and the red carpet that lined his path showed him just how luxurious this church had been.

"Your dad owns this place?" Aiden asked as he neared the pulpit.

"Yeah he does but he's been away for a while. He was supposed to come back tonight but all this crazy stuff happened so that's out of the window." Eren replied from by the door. "I'm sure he won't mind us staying here though."

"This place is pretty nice!" Aiden called out.

Eren chuckled before responding. "I hope it's to your liking."

Aiden stopped a few steps before he got to the pulpit and his face took on a puzzling look.

On the floor was a rune drawn in white chalk. Various symbols lined the circumference of it and in the center was a depiction of the moon, a circular red line surrounding it.

His eyes fixated on a few specific symbols, the same symbols he had seen on the headless demon's knuckles.

"Eren wh-"

It happened so quickly.

He began to choke on his words as the blood gushed from his throat. He grabbed at his neck and his body fell into the rune. His vision blurred and he could hardly hear anything over the gurgling of his blood, but if he heard anything at all, he heard this.

The words that sent him to his demise. The words that made everything clear to him. He was the cause of the blood moon's effect on everyone.

He was a demon.

A real demon.

"On second thoughts, my father will be coming home tonight."