The night fested on the city for some time. But eventually, even darkness needs its rest. Night clubs closed down for the night. The restless outers reached their limits, scurrying off to hideaways until the next night breaches.

“Everything's clear here sir!”

“Same as here!”

“Confirming the same, sir!”

Grownups began waking up in a groggy state, pondering their life decisions as they ready themselves for work like every other day. But thinking about it never matters. Not if you already made the decision in the first place.

“And? Status reports!”

“Well sir, we caught wind of the last surviving child from the local orphanage, but that’s all we found.”

Clicking his tongue with visible annoyance, Chief Knox huffed at his cigar.

“So there’s no sign of our target?”

“Sorry sir, but that’s what it seems like.”

The chief took another huff at his cigar. But the foul taste of nicotine filled his taste buds as he aggressively bit the bud.

“Damnit! Where the hell could he have gone now?!”

And to add to the rude awakening of a drowsy morning, snow began to fall with subtle pace. It pittered softly, and patterned for others.

***

He ran. As fast as he could possible perceive, he glazed throughout the awakening streets. There weren’t many, but a few early men and women were already on their way to work with their umbrellas shielding them from the freezing crystals.

Passing familiar buildings, such as coffee shops and laundromats, to the closed off streets of the bank incident, Effryn saw it all as he sprinted.

He had an ‘appointment’ with a certain someone very soon, but before going there…

Hmmp!

Effryn twisted his foot, shifting his body to take a sharp right turn in a cross section of a street. Luckily for him, since there were hardly many people out, he could easily pass through what would have been crowded streets.

And so, he set way to Eizers house, to check up on Gale.

The sun was slowly peeking its way through the clouds, letting light caress the very soles of the earth even while still snowing.

Effryn made the trek home in a fairly short time considering the distance. All that’s left for him was to climb the hill leading up to the street of Eizer’s place, and it would be home sweet…

…

Shit?!

Fear stole his Expression, causing his instincts to yell at him to hide behind the outer wall of a power station.

Why does a cop have to patrol now?!

If he got caught now, everything would be over, so the best and most logical option was to hideaway and not get caught.

He waited. The patrol continued its cruise down the hill as if nothing happened.

Effryn let out a sigh of relief. Thank God he didn’t see me.

Picking his head up, Effryn braced himself and continued up the steep road.

Aw man, even if it's only been a day, I still missed Gale. I hope he's doing fine without me.

More wholesome thoughts filled his brain as he climbed. He really cared for Gale. He was the only family he had left after all.

Just a little more and…

The heart shrivelled up, and his lungs felt like they were about to crush from pressure. His vision became distorted, and he felt his brows shutter in anguish as he saw the rows of police vehicles and police men blinking with their red sirens.

-The whole block was a snaring zone of police. And they all seemed to huddle around Eizer’s house.

He fell backwards, catching himself only just enough to not make enough noise, and dashed off into the yard of a close neighbor closest to the top of the hill.

Lucky for him, each house was practically identical, so they each had more or less the same innings as Eizer’s place. All he needed to do was sneak behind each of the houses, and find an opening before being noticed…

Effryn clicked his tongue with annoyance. How the hell am I supposed to do all that? I’m just one kid!

Resting in a large patch of uncut grass, Effryn thought about what he should do. Considering the police force out there, he figured they were there for one thing-Him. But the amount of them there would indicate he’s some massive terrorist or something along those lines.

What the hell have I really done?! It was all self defense…

That’s right. Every little thing he’d ever done was because he was unnecessarily dragged into doing it. Not because he wanted to. He shouldn’t have to pay for something he had no say so in. He should just should run. There was only one last job left after all.

And so, Effryn made up his mind to return later. The risk was nowhere near the reward for visiting the house. He would just leave now, finish up his business, and come back to Gale once the police leaves-

The police...and Gale…

“Shit?!” he covered his mouth while yelling.

If the police find out that Gale is living there, then legally, that could only mean one thing…

“If my perception is correct, won’t he be taken away?” the ghost read his mind, though slightly pissing Effryn off.

“I have to get him out of there no matter what!”

Determined to save Gale--the last remaining family he had left--he sucked up the fear of being caught, and quickly vanished behind the cloned houses.

The never changing blinding of sirens surrounded the atmosphere. Some were red. Others blue.

Huffing a puff of his cigar, Chief Knox reminisced what the departments had told him when producing new cruisers to keep up with the new generations of vehicles.

“Supplies for our new toys are coming, but they had one problem. Apparently, the lights they used came from two different companies, and they each gave us different colors. So now they expect us to suck it up and use them! I mean, can you believe that?! They’re implying that we have different colors in the force!”

Those were the words of the former police chief, or in other words, his mentor. What a man he was. Knox thought.

Scurrying patterns of footsteps brought him back to reality.

“Sir!”

It was his subordinate, Watt, who’s expression told him that something was off.

“We searched the building, but there was no sign of him.”

Knox inhaled another puff of smoke, and released.

“What about the owners?”

“One of the guys called them, and said the owners were out on some kind of business trip out in Texas. They had left their son here alone, 17, until they got back. But ever since we informed them, they immediately booked a flight back. They should be here soon.”

“And what of the son?”

“He wasn’t here. By the time we entered the building, we found nobody there. Though, there are signs suggesting there have been more than one person living there at a time.”

A contradiction to the parents word. Knox knew it had to be Effryn-the young teen thought to be connected to a hospital shooting and murders, along with the sudden attack of an orphanage, where nearly everyone was killed. His fingerprints were found around the throat of the man in charge.

“How many people?”

Watt shifted papers, staggering on getting them straight.

“T-two extra, Sir!”

“Two…”

At the local orphanage, there was a man-made fire, with signs of clear beatings and bullet casings used on some of the children. If everyone were present, then with no doubt, there would have been no survivors.

Yet one child was still missing.

“Do they think it was the surviving child?”

Watt lowered his notes. His expression changed, telling Knox everything he needed to know before hearing it.

“Yes, we think Gale Landers stayed here.”

Dropping his cigar and stepping on it to extinguish it, Knox readied himself.

“Did you check the surrounding area?”

“We wanted to sir, but the neighbors said we would cause too much distracti-”

“And what?! Do they want warrants, cause we can get ‘em!” Knox furrowed his brow in disbelief. He reached for the ham radio on his chest, and blared a message.

“To all receiving, I require you to search and locate a missing child by the name of Gale Landers! Search the area near by, ask neighbors if they’ve seen something, anything! And if they want us to leave tell them we can bring a warrant later!”

“S-sir!” voices shouted through their line.

In all their cases so far, this was the closest they’ve been to either Effryn or Gale. So if they let this chance slip away…

“I’ll check down the road, you go look around the slope.” his men shouted while running.

...then they would probably never find out who exactly was behind the real brutal killings at the hospital and orphanage.

Just as Knox was about to set out with his men, Watt interrupted.

“Sir, I nearly forgot, but we’ve also received information about one of the missing doctors.”

Dr. Zylar? What do we have about him at this time?

“Just recently, they confirmed his death, leaving it responsible as ‘assault by poison.”

Shit.

Police were everywhere. They spread like hogs through each yard, and checked every logical place possible.

Effryn looked over view a dense wooden fence, and counted at least seven in one yard.

C’mon Gale, where are you?

Just as someone glanced at where Effryn peeked, he was already gone.

Where could an eleven year old hide during a police raid? Or did Eizer figure this was coming and take him somewhere?

Hmm. Effryn bite down on his lips.

“Any signs here?”

“Nope. Do you really think those brats are around here?”

“I bet they ran off while we were here getting slapped with complaints from their neighbors.”

“Heh, honestly makes you wonder if we should keep searching around here or not.”

Effryn made his way around the yard behind different fences, keeping his position low while also hearing the searchers.

If they can’t find him, then how could I? he thought as he came to a halt.

There were too many eyes looking in his direction. If he moved too much, they could see the rustling of leaves and vines. So, he hid behind a black dog house. It was small, but enough to keep Effryn hidden.

“!!”

The dog house quietly shrieked.

“Huh?” Effryn whispered. “Did they leave the dog here?”

The house slightly rustled, though hardly enough that Effryn was the only one to notice it.

There were small cracks that allowed someone to see inside the house, though with it still birthing dawn, there wasn’t enough light to reveal what was inside. And judging from how dark it was inside, Effryn assumed the door was closed, keeping whatever was inside covered in darkness. The dog must be either scared to death of these people, or he just doesn’t care to think of a single world of these people.

“Let’s check over here. I don’t think we’ve looked.” a woman shouted. Effryn peered towards her, and saw she was pointing towards his direction.

Crap.

Effryn lowered himself, and looked for a way out. But wherever he looked, everywhere seemed impossible to go. The searchers had all eyes at his direction, so any move he made would be seen without a doubt.

The pressure on his lip increased. So much so that he thought he could taste his blood.

Shit shit shit! Am I really about to get caught here and now?! All I wanted was to check up on Gale before leaving. And here I come to find out that he’s not even here…

Slumping against the dog house, Effryn felt all hope of escaping leave. Sure, he could run, but for how long? He was just some shut-in kid running from trained officers. He could get far, right?

“I won’t even get to kill him.” he muttered.

He could hear their footsteps slowly edge towards the dog house. They were looking around, checking other hidden spots, so there was still some time left until they reached it.

If this were a game, he would have bet a minute until they’d reach him. Probably less.

But he didn’t care. His only thoughts were on Gale, and where he could be. If only he knew where to look, then…

“Effryn.”

A sudden soft voice spoke.

“Huh?” Effryn asked, looking around to find the source.

“Here.”

It spoke again, but this time, he knew where it came from.

“Doggy?” he whispered with fear as he tried getting one last look in the dog house.

“No idiot, it’s me, Gale.”

“G-gale?! What’re you doin-”

“Shush,” he interrupted “or they’ll start looking here.”

All this time, Gale was in the dog house, and was technically at his back the whole time. At least he found him before he’d be caught to tell him goodbye. So he should at least say something as a farewell.

So then why…

“...”

...was it so hard to say anything?

“Man, you really screwed up, didn’t you Effryn? I mean, here you are, about to get a dead end and everything…”

“Quiet you; don’t mock me.”

The sound of crunching leaves and snow grew.

“So I guess you kept your promise of coming back, even if it was the last.”

“I…” Effryn tried, and desperately wanted to say something that would make it seem as if that weren’t true. But no matter how he looked at it, there was no way out of this. “Y-yeah, suppose I did.”

Gale grew quiet for a second, before leaning his hand against the wall facing Effryn.

“I mean, even if the cops never found us, you would still have come by one last time before running off to your death somewhere.”

“G-gale…?”

Effryn felt his heart sink as he leaned closer towards the dog house.

“You didn’t plan on coming back alive. You would either kill everyone you wanted and end up killing yourself once finished, or you would have died trying.”

Effryn wanted to respond. He wanted to deny everything Gale said, and say that he really just wanted to visit him.

-But no matter what he tried, the only thing pouring out of Effryn weren’t words. But tears.

“Effryn,” Gale sighed, lowering his voice which made him sound more knowledgeable. “I want to thank you for everything you’ve done. For making all our brothers and sisters happy. For making Frael have a much happier life than what she would’ve originally had. And for taking care of me when there was nobody else. I am truly grateful for having you as a big brother, so that’s why…”

Gale moved away from Effryn’s side of the dog house. Light began to seeth into the house, enough until he could finally see inside.

-But it wasn’t anything to do with a natural cause. It was actually pretty simple. Gale opened the door of the dog house on the other side which let light pour in.

He felt his heart racing. Either from the fact that Gale was about to give away his position, or from the sad expression Gale wore.

“G-gale?! What’re you doing?!” Effryn hissed as he clawed the wooden house, feeling small splinters enter under his fingernails. He ignored the pain.

“I enjoyed our little journeys we had together, and this facade of a life we shared. But I think I should really settle down and start a normal life. I mean, I can’t go committing heinous crimes after all. Plus, there’s so many other books out there to read, and I can’t exactly collect them if all I do is hide away from the world. So that’s why I’m giving myself up and calling it quits.”

The door open wider now, and Effryn could clearly see the immensely sad expression on his face. He could also see that Gale wasn’t just crying. He was practically drowning in tears.

Though his heart burned with sorrow, Effryn gently put on a smile.

“If that’s what you want, then do it. Go live Gale, and have fun doing it.”

Gale nodded, and wiped away the oncoming tears, as fruitless as it was. He crawled out from the door onto the frozen grass.

“H-hey! There’s the missing kid, ain’t it?”

And soon enough, the officers swarmed around Gale. They began asking him rapid fire questions.

“Are you okay?”

“Why were you hiding from us?”

“When was the last time you seen the young man Effryn?”

Gale flinched especially when they asked that.

“Hey! The chief wants to speak to him personally, and he wants everyone to regroup!”

Each of the searchers looked at one another, nodded, and said nothing else. Two officers offered their hands to Gale. He wavered for a moment, before grabbing them.

And with a deep breath, he muttered something that only Effryn seemed to hear through the ongoing fall of numbing snow.

“I pray you find what you’re looking for at the end.”

Gale slightly turned his head back, but only enough to where Effryn could see a fraction of his eye. But it was enough to give off that he was streaming.

Effryn slammed his fist against the crunchy white, and felt an incredible urge to shout, attack-or even kill the people taking away Gale. But before he could make a move he noticed one last detail.

H-he’s...smiling…

A sad, yet happy expression was what Gale must’ve had as the cops took him away. He must be relieved. Effryn thought about the effects a young kid might have from running away from danger, and how hard it must be.

But was he really running away from danger?

Ha, no. I was only dragging him along as I was the one running from danger. I doubt he was ever actually in harm's way.

Effryn couldn’t help but chuckle and laugh at himself. How pathetic, he thought.

In the end, Effryn could only cry as he watched the cops take away his only family member left. A brotherly bond he was able to form from the short time they spent hiding with one another. All he could do was watch it be taken away before him.

But it had to be for the best, right? If they took him away, then they’d take him to some foster home, or if he was lucky, maybe even find him a family that he could grow into. He could take the spirit of every brother and sister he once had, and share the kindred aspect of a loving family he once learned, and make everyone's love pay off, as he would be the only one to ever get adopted.

“I love you Gale. You were the best little brother I could’ve asked for.”

Effryn muttered his words, but even he wasn’t sure if Gale heard them.

And in agony, Effryn watched the cops disappear with his little brother, leaving him completely alone in this cruel world.

***

“So young man, I have a few questions that you might be able to answer. Think you can do it?” Knox rested himself on the steering wheel of his cruiser. Adjusting the rear view mirror, he focused its gaze on Gale, who stared blankly off into the rainy sun rise.

Gale made not the slightest movement. His eyes didn’t even flinch.

“When was the last time you heard or spoke to the individual Effryn?” No answer. “You two were close, weren’t you?” No answer.

Knox pressed off the wheel with a heavy sigh. He lit a cigar, and began smoking it.

“Whatever. We’ll find him soon enough. Anyways, we’ll be dropping you off with some religious folks to take care of you. Said they were a foster church or somethin’.”

Gale couldn’t help but glance at the detective for a moment, before returning his gaze back to the rain.

Knox plugged the ignition key in, and was about to turn the engine on. But before he could, Gale muttered a completely attention grabbing phase:

“You won’t find him. Not alive anyways.”

“E-excuse me?!” Knox quickly turned around at the young boy whose gaze was focused on the white drops. He asked again, hoping to get any kind of information from the boy.

But Gale said nothing else. So, Knox set the cruiser to drive and began his drive to drop off the final survivor of the orphanage. He hoped the kid would spill something about Effryn on the way there. Even if it was just a single word.

-But during the entire ride, neither said another word.

***

“Damnit Gale!” Effryn cried. He wiped the tears from his face. They kept falling.

He was sprinting in some direction. He didn’t know where. He didn’t care. He just wanted to expel some energy to burn fuel, kinda like his own antidepressant drug.

The snow felt like buckets of freezing water pounding his flesh. His feet were drenched from the puddles that swelled in his shoes. His hair was soaked. His clothes wet.

Gale’s sad smile was the only stabbing image that flashed in his head. He wanted to protect that smile.

To watch that smile grow.

To watch that smile make someone else smile.

To watch that smile help birth another smile.

But most of all, he wanted to help that smile not be lonely. He wasn’t smiling for Effryn. Gale was a logical person, too logical at times. Effryn knew he didn’t smile for him.

“No,” Effryn cried out to the pouring skies. “He smiled for himself in hopes he could start a normal life somewhere else, and leave this godforsaken city.”

He understood. Why stay in a place that simmers with terrible memories? The best thing to do is leave and completely forgot the memories ever existed in the first place.

“Enough.”

Effryn’s footsteps flatlined.

“I have to finish this. Then I’ll just go and...get him back. Y-yeah. I’ll go...and get him back.”

Looking off into the deadset of the city, Effryn felt a hatred for the view grow. He hated the long piecing towers, the same industrialized working zombies, and the never changing social superiority that others felt towards him. How they often pitied him, thinking ‘Glad I’m not in his shoes.’ and walk away, only to completely forget he ever existed.

But he had to keep his feelings tucked away for just a little longer. There was still one goal left for him to take care of, then everything would be finished.

“I assume you plan to end your life afterwards, correct?” the ghost asked out of nowhere. It pissed him off.

“Shut the fuck up.” he responded, hiding his teary face.

Maybe Gale was right. Effryn thought as he began his pace towards the city he once grew to love. What did I want to do after I finished killing everyone?

His mind pondered the question, but he brushed the thought off.

I just need to finish this, and I’m sure my mind will clear itself up.

He prayed his thoughts were right, because if not…

“These thoughts inside my head will soon swallow me up.”

“Here at this building again? And what are the chances you get drugged like the previous attempt? Or are you prepared for this being the very last building you ever walk into?”

“I’m going to make sure...I don’t get tricked again...again? Never...Never again?”

Effryn rambled on. At this point, he hardly knew what he was even mumbling on about. Only the deep interlocking of his mind could really tell, if that.

Before his cold wet body, stood the bulky construction building that he and Eizer would sparsely hang out at. He always wondered why they never finished it. Oh well, no point wondering now.

Taking a few steps forward, Effryn noticed small shards of broken glass splattered everywhere across the first floor. He grew curious for a second, kneeling over to observe the shards.

And for an instant, he saw the pathetic look stitched across his face. His drippy hair nearly had enough length to cover his dead eyes, but weren’t quite long enough to fully mask him. His mouth was perpetually gaped, as if he had lost the privilege of speaking by his mind. His clothes were of course soggy and cut. “Oh, I look bad.” He said aloud? Or did he think it?

He noticed an extra long shard glimmering in the dark. Losing interest in the rest, Effryn decided to pocket it, and moved on from the mystery of the never-finished lobby.

Past the glass were the stairs; the only way to the top. His last time going up the stairs, he met some kind of runaway couple who drugged him. What a pain. If I ever see them again, I’m killing them.

He began the slow ascend upwards with his gaze purely looking up.

But before even reaching the third floor, his foot struck something.

“What the hell?”

It didn’t feel like a loose brick, or building materials. He looked down, and saw why it was neither.

A fragile smile spread across Effryn’s face as he stared at the dead young boy. It was the same kid who drugged him some time ago. Rigamortis must’ve kicked in, being how intense his body looked while holding onto some girl, the one he probably was with last time Effryn saw him.

“Hehe...HA! What’re you doing now, huh?! You’re lying dead, pathetically, with the person you sacrificed it all for! How did that turn out for ya!” he yelled maniacally as he kicked and rubbed his shoe over the dead boys face. “Man, I really wish I remembered your name right now loser…”

After a minute of repeated screaming and kicking, Effryn grew tired. “I’m bored now.” he simply said, and continued on his way. He never gave a thought to might have killed them, but he didn’t care either way.

For a moment, he realized he slowly began to lose interest in this world and not care for a single thing. But he too, lost interest in thought, and merely walked upwards.

A sudden thunderous strike mixed with the snow, creating a small rumbling for the building.

“Here.”

He reached the top of the building.

Everything was pretty much the same last time he saw. The dark, metal sheets used to cover the roof were still in effect. The small maintenance building near the edge of a corner stood lonely, with an air conditioner on top that neither Effryn or Eizer could ever get to work. And to the side of that, had been a series of construction cranes, with one that hovered over the building. Then one day when Effryn took Evvryn out here, she decided it was a good idea to be stupid and climb it, causing it to fall.

“Man she sure hurt the hell out of my leg.”

And there, in the darkness, Effryn saw it. The silhouette of a man, surrounded by what seemed like darkened bodies sleeping in weird positions around them.

“Oh, who beat me to the party?”

“Human, those people aren’t sleeping for fun. They’re…”

“Dead.” Effryn said in monotone.

The silhouette wavered in darkness, like a moth shivering from the lack of light.

Effryn approached the man. As he got closer, he could hear whimpering coming from the silhouettes direction.

“Hey.”

The silhouette jumped, perking its head towards Effryn. “H-hey, is that you Ken? T-thank goodness, I would have been a goner without you…” a man said, lifting himself up, though with some trouble. “Y-you have to protect me! Y-yes, protect me! L-let me hold onto you, and...and you’ll figure the rest out yourself. I-It's your job after all!”

After finally picking himself up, the man limped his way towards Effryn. As he walked, the more light was shed on him. His nicely tailored shirt and dress pants were drenched in deep blood.

Yet, Effryn saw no cut or wounds on the man himself. Actually, he was sure the man wasn’t hurt at all.

Effryn smiled gently, making sure the scared man wouldn’t notice.

“Sure it’s me. Come now; let me protect you.”

“T-thank goodness! I’m glad you called me! Immediately after we left, we got a message saying our base was trashed. Can you believe it?! My hard work, TRASHED!!”

The darkened man continued to go on about how all his hard work leading up to this moment, and how Ken was supposed to help carry him to start anew.

Effryn couldn’t help a snort. “Excuse me.” he blew it off as a sneeze.

“D-don’t get a cold now! Here, let’s hurry and get insid

“G-gath...my shares…!”

An incredible burning pain filled the man’s side. But being as this was the first time anyone had ever attacked him, he had no way of telling that he’d been stabbed.

It was sad how fast he was dying.

“Oh wait; you’re dead already.”

What a sad excuse of some mob boss.

Effryn plucked out the shard of glass he stuck inside the man. Blood quickly oozed out, staining the clear white with red. Snow began to slowly mix with the color of sin.

Another thunder crackled. The building shook. A wicked smile plastered grew.

“I did it. I really did it…” he exasperated.

He raised his head and stared off into the thundering clouds. His arms went numb. His head rested heavily against his neck. “I’m so tired.”

There was no one left. At least, no one he could think of. At long last, he could finally live a happy, peaceful life with Gale. All he needed to do was go back home and-

A tear glazed down his cheek.

“Oh yeah. He’s gone now.”

He cried more. Then more. He cried more, and more. There came a horrifyingly scary point where he couldn’t tell the difference between the cold drops of snow, or the incredible storm that had been brewing inside of him.

“I guess I should just die now. Not like much of the world is looking bright for me.”

Effryn lifted himself up. His gaze fixated on the clifftop. His legs need only to move towards the edge, and fall gracefully to his end.

“So in the end, you decide suicide is the best way for you. How sad, yet fitting, of a being such as yourself.”

“Shut up, liar.”

Effryn’s remark was sharp, but the ghost merely laughed it off. It’s mimicking cries were so eerily similar to Evvryn’s, it was nearly enough to make him jump on its own.

He took a step forward.

He took a step forward.

And he took a step forward.

Peering over the edge, Effryn had the entire view of the city. The bustling work of man still operated even in the raging cried of God. If it meant to feed a family, man would endure most to please.

If only I still had my family. He thought. At times like these, he thought his mind would be racing, fluttering back and forth, eventually convincing him not to jump. But this was nothing like that. His mind yearned for one thing and one thing alone: an escape. And escape from this hell his life brought upon him. Sure, some of it was his fault. But what other way was there that would have been his way? He exhaled deeply, and felt all the pressure featuring in his shoulders simply die away. Then maybe things wouldn’t have gone this way.

He took another step. A few more and he would be-

A unique thunder crackled. It sounded close. Dangerously close, as if it were right behind him…

Besides the thunder, he felt his mind slow down.

Slowly, Effryn turned to find the source of sound. Pain unexplainably filled his back shoulder. There, standing drenched in snow, was his long time friend. Someone who helped Effryn whenever he needed. He always thought that if it weren’t for him, he probably wouldn’t have made it very far in life.

“Sorry I’m late, friend.” he softly cried. Light briefly flashed; showing that he clearly didn’t want to be doing this. He held a small handgun, and pointed it directly at Effryn.

“E-Eizer? What brings you here?” Effryn asked, ignoring the strange pain that only seemed to be growing.

“I’m here to come through on a promise.”

Eizer shifted the gun at Effryn’s head, pressing his index finger against the trigger..

“H-hey now...what are you…” Effryn raised his hand to better see Eizer through the bright light from Eizer’s hand..

Thunder crackled once more. A flash of light appeared in Eizer’s hands.

“W-what the hell?” Effryn muttered. His hand felt hot. Like hot. Burning fire hot.

Then nothing. It went numb?

He glanced at his hand, but he felt his strength crumble once he noticed most of it was blown off.

“S-shit… S-shit?! S-shi-”

Another crackle.

This time, the burning touch was directed on his left thigh. He collapsed on the ground.

“Eizer…?” Effryn cried. “Eizer!”

“I’m sorry. If I knew what you were really up to, then maybe…” another crack of light. “...you wouldn’t have turned out like this. Tst, another miss.”

Another miss? Hardly being one since he shot him in the gut.

Effryn’s face contorted with sadness. The last person in the world he ever expected to backstab him was instead shooting him in the back.

“Why?!?!” Effryn screamed, his body suddenly becoming filled with freezing despair. He tried desperately to look him into his eyes, but even that proved difficult. All he could manage was to keep conconsious, even if just barely.

“It’s all my fault. All my fault…” Eizer repeated over and over.

Another piece of light cracked. Effryn was sure that he would die soon. Very soon.

“All...of our memories...for what? For...this…?” Effryn coughed blood.

Where did they go? All our precious times together? How… What sick, twisted God would allow this? I bet their laughing their crowns off seeing me… Strange? God? When did I ever start thinking about that? Only thing I ever thought holy was Frael. Then again, the ghost…

The ghost. The strange thing that mimicked Evvryn and could only speak to Effryn. It's only separating factor from a mental disorder was the proof that if had a force. It could move objects. Activate simple machines. Hell, he thought from time to time that it could even read his mind.

It helped him from time to time. But nearing the end of things, it changed.

That’s right! Everything was that things fault! Damnit! Damnit damnit damnit!! If only I could get my hands on it, then I could strangle, cut, rip...kill it. If only…!!

A rage festered like a disease inside Effryn. A boiling hatred; one that could only be appeased by killing.

“I’ll...KILL YOU!!” Effryn shouted with every last bit of energy in him. He forcefully willed himself to stand, ignoring all the pain that came with it.

Surprised, Eizer leaped backwards. “Effryn...why didn’t you die right there? Why continue?” he cried. His expression looked genuinely perplexed, and extremely distressed.

“I’ll kill...kill...kill…!” Effryn started. He moved his legs towards Eizer, slowly increasing his pace until he reached an impressive immediate sprinting speed. “I’LL KILL YOU GHOS

The final thunder crackled. And with that, so did the final bullet leave the guns chamber. Effryn knew it was the last, being he watched the last bullet come soaring right into his brain.

Memories of what used to be a lazy, ignorant life flooded his thoughts.

Times where he’d just spend all day playing games. Some days, the person he grew feelings for and had the chance to fall in love with, Evvryn, were there. Others, she was out.

Nei popped into his mind. He regretted not being able to give her a proper answer on how he felt, but what could he do?

Then there were times where Effryn and Evvryn would both go out to the orphanage, and play with all the children. They would go visit Mother and Father, even helping around the house with chores and such.

And in a few cases, were the times Effryn and Eizer would sneak out at an ungodly time of night. They’d always go to one specific spot, and ironically, it was here. The same place where Eizer shot Effryn six five times, with the final sixth slowly entering his head.

These may have been time spent on doing mostly nothing, wasting life on something meaningless. But to Effryn, these were the greatests times of his life.

More images of the past cluttered Effryn’s mind as time practically stopped. The rain seemed to move in place. The more he thought back to his old life, the more he seemed to drift away from this world, and into some kind of dream world. Oh, if only that kind of world really existed, now wouldn’t that be fucking nice…

Light flashed. Snow poured.

Effryn fell face forward. His body sluggishly came to a slew, yet he didn’t move afterwards.

***

“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry…” was the only thing Eizer muttered as he stood over the corpse of his best friend. He brushed his hand across his dampened hair, feeling a heavy burden swell.

On all sides of the building, he noticed blue and red flashing. The cops were here.

Eizer glanced down at his old friend, muttering a simple “I’m sorry.” before lifting himself in a sluggish manner upwards, moving directly for the stairs. “But I have a life to live, too.”

He said his goodbyes, before descending the fragile stairs, leaving his friend covered in the cold, wet snow.

“What a sorry excuse of an ending; especially for a human.” something whispered. “All his efforts for naught. Even if they yielding some fruit, nothing matters in the end. Not if your mortal. A dark force has already been released in this world-universe-and there is not a single soul able to stop it. But so what of it? I grew tired of watching these beings after being attached to that boy for some time. I could hardly care a world. It’s humanity's burden to bear. Even if said burden is a true monster…”