Strings Of Fate

Chapter 85: The End (Part 1)

 The door was opened, emitting a groan as he stepped into the empty home. There was still a faint smell of charred meat. lingering in the air, presenting a soft reminder of this morning.

How quickly things had changed in so little time.

This felt very much like the period when they had been apart. The time of which this home stopped feeling like a home..Because it wasn't the house that made it home, but rather, it was the man he lived with.

It was he who brought the light to it, that made him eager to return here each day.

But now...there was no light. Rather...It was quiet, dark. There was no laughter, no idle conversation. No Angel.

Nothing.

This place simply felt hollow without him; it didn't feel like home any longer. His life felt incomplete without his other half.

His footsteps echoed throughout the home as he stepped further into the living room, the shadow behind him closing the door.

This all felt like a bad dream; one of which he wanted to wake up from. He wanted to wake up with the man in his arms, snuggled up in bed, with the early morning light shining through the window. What he'd give to just wake up even in the middle of the night. To have his partner tell him that this was all, in fact, just a bad dream. To comfort him and caress his face, kiss him, tell him that he was here.

To know that he was still here.

To feel his presence.

To feel the love held for him.

But this wasn't a bad dream...this was real. Nothing would change that, no matter how badly he wished it. Only his own actions could drive something to change now.

He looked down at the crystal in his hand, now completely empty and void of color. Nothing was emitting from it; it was simply dark and hollow.

He could no longer feel his soulmate's presence. His other half had been ripped away from him..and there was nothing he could have done. At least, not without stupidly getting them both killed.

His steps carried him over to his arm chair. Slowly sitting down in it, he put his head in his hand. His eyes remained on the crystal as the frown that had been plaguing his face since the event happened deepened. His thumb caressed it's smooth surface as his mind replayed all the memories of his partner. His smile. His laughs. His witty remarks. All of those things he's come to love.

Alastor sighed. His fist tightened around the crystal, teeth gritting together in frustration.

He hated how he was unable to do anything at all. He'd been completely powerless as his partner was just ripped away from him. The look on Angel's face as he was taken away. He'd smiled with hope in his eyes...but also a trace of fear.

Angel deserved to live a full life...to be happy and free of pain. And yet, he still felt guilty for not attempting to intervene, even if it would've been pointless in the end.

No, there was nothing I could have done..

He thought, attempting to assure himself.

You could have tried.

The other half of his mind argued.

To do what, exactly? To foolishly have myself killed? To have Angel killed because of my would-be attempt to save him?