𝐚𝐤𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐚 [𝟏𝟖+]

FINALE

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𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧 paced around the room anxiously, the weak wooden floorboards creaking under his weight. Dahlia was sat on the edge of the bed, resting her arms on her knees and bobbing her leg up and down. They both awaited their fate. They would either die in each other's arms, at Gerald showing up. Or, they would live to see another day at Oliver's arrival.

They doubted not Gerald's strength, for the madness coursing through his veins would surely make him gain the strength of the insane. They were unsure about Oliver's dedication, and of course his ability to overtake his father if and when the situation occured. They knew for certain that someone's life was going to be taken today, and Lucien wanted to ensure that it wouldn't be him or Dahlia. 

As Lucien looked out the window, Dahlia sneaked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. In a moment of comforting silence, he grabbed her hand and lifted it to his lips, where he placed an affectionate kiss on her soft skin. 

"Do you think we'll be okay?" She asked, her speech slightly muffled as she dug her face in his shirt. He reassuringly rubbed her arm. 

"Whatever happens, we'll be together." 

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Oliver tightened his grip around the steering wheel as they drove towards the forest. Ryan was sitting in the passenger seat, staring out the window and observing the peaceful nature with a frown painted on his lips. "Do you think we should pick up the pace?" Ryan broke the silence.

"Hell no, not when the cops are riding on my tail." Oliver shook his head. The police officers were driving behind the pair, two police cars filled with police officers prepared for anything. At first, when they heard of the situation, they found it hard to grasp. Who wouldn't? It was bizarre. A crude tale of the lack of humanity. 

Gerald was staying vigilant however, and the medical history of him treating his arm at the vet was undocumented. No one had reported seeing him, in fear of his reaction. Gerald became a problem. A problem bigger than anyone had imagined, and even more dangerous than the demons he'd taught himself to resent. 

Oliver on the other hand, was scared. Not scared of getting hurt, not scared of becoming a human shield, but scared because he knew what his father was capable of. His madness was ultimately beyond comprehension, his anger completely clouded his judgement. Yet, in a way, he resented himself for what he'd become.

At one point in time, Gerald was a normal man. A hard-working, determined, family man. No one could say for certain what drove him to insanity. What inspired this deep hatred inside him. What pushed him over the edge, and what destined him to cause harm to the people around him. To Gerald, family was expendable. Notoriety, a sense of belonging is what he longed for. He found no sense of belonging in his family. 

His wife's death was the nail in the coffin. The last straw which led him to believe that Oliver was no longer his son, and that neither of them belonged within a humane society. Poor Oliver, dragged along into the worst of situations by his father, yet having to keep fighting, allowing himself not a moment of weakness.

And Dahlia, who had fallen for the wrong person at the wrong time. Oliver had never seen a love so passionate as the one between Dahlia and Lucien. Instead, he watched relationships fall apart. The relationship between his mother and his father, and ultimately the relationship between him and his father. Gerald stopped being his father the moment his wife died, and Oliver knew. He knew deep down that Gerald held some sort of resentment towards the young boy, though he never dared show it. 

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Gerald drove, the long way to the forest, in hopes that no one will catch him. His gun was tucked safely in his glove compartment, and he stared at it every once in a while through the crack in the compartment. As he glanced towards the black object, he wondered if this was the best course of action. He would give up his family, his life, to cause pain to those he convinced himself were the enemies. "No, It's the right thing to do. I have to put an end to this, once and for all." He reminded himself. 

After approximately half an hour, he arrived at the outskirts of the forest. The trees were as beautiful as ever, the leaves rustling as the cold air gently blew past them. The moon shone brightly as the night approached. He got out of the car, and began walking through the forest. The fallen leaves crunched beneath his feet, and his hand was in his pocket where he held on tightly to the cold hand-gun. 

He walked, and walked, until his feet hurt and his legs ached, until his limbs and his muscles begged for a break. In the distance, he saw a cabin. 'Could that be it?' He pondered in his mind, hesitantly walking towards the small, rustic property. A disgusting grin grew along his lips, and he picked up his pace, ignoring the burning pain in his body and the breathlessness in his chest. 

This was it, this was the moment when everything he's done will have been worth something. 

He got closer, and closer, until the cabin came in plain sight. The wood was damaged, by termites and water. The windows were stained, and clouded, with age and humidity, and dried droplets of blood were sprawled across the front porch. He stood in front of the cabin, still and frozen. He could feel in his gut that something was approaching, but he didn't care. 

In that moment, pure anger and fury guided his movements. Slowly, the door creaked open and out came Dahlia and Lucien. Hand in hand, Lucien with his signature death-glare and Dahlia with her hair falling over her face as she kept her head down. Gerald broke down into a fit of laughter, haphazardly pulling into his pocket and pulling out the gun. He aimed it towards the couple. 

"It's funny, meeting here like this once again. The last time I saw you, you had a gunshot embedded in your skin," He pointed at Dahlia, and then shifted his attention to Lucien, "And you," He paused and laughed, "You were holding her in your arms like a sad Romeo. Like your love is somehow unconditional and- and real." He spoke. His words dripped with bitter venom, and Lucien cocked his eyebrows at him.

"You're jealous, right? That Dahlia and I have something? Something you never experienced, even when your wife was still alive." He mocked the man, and Gerald shook his head slowly. 

Gerald's finger was inching dangerously close to the trigger, when four police officers and Ryan and Oliver jumped out from behind the cabin. The police officers cocked their guns and pointed them at Gerald. Gerald's smile dropped rather quickly, and he snarled. 

"Drop your weapon and put your hands where I can see them!" One of the police officers shouted, tightening his grip around his gun. Gerald chuckled and turned towards Oliver. "You were never my son, you know that? We may be related by blood, and my wife may have given birth to you, but I've always seen you as nothing more than an obstacle." He paused, then continued, "You're not a man. You're weak, just like your mother!" He yelled, and suddenly, dropped his gun. 

In a split second, a police officer ran behind him and grabbed his arms, before roughly putting him in handcuffs. "Gerald Sullivan, You're under arrest for first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, and the possession of an illegal firearm. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law." The officer grunted as he pressed Gerald against the dirt. 

Gerald stayed silent, and looked at everyone around him. "It should've been you who should've died, not your mother!" He screamed at Oliver, and Oliver stared at him blankly. Lucien and Dahlia gathered around Oliver, Dahlia rubbing his shoulder as they watched the older man thrash and struggle as he was being pushed into the back of the police car. 

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(A/N: I wanna thank you all for reading and enjoying my book, it's been quite a journey. I have more books to come, so stay tuned for future updates! I hope you've all liked Akrasia as much as I enjoyed writing it.)