Flight School: Prey

闇の光

"NO!"

She screamed not as though the world was already, to her, on fire and in ruins.

The phoenix collapsed beside the boy and shook his still being. No. No—he was so still. Her heart was burning but everything; everything was cold and dark. "Iolani?"

"Io?"

"Io?"

There was no blood but this, she had expected. Death did not come in merely single terms and Jing understood this better than anyone else. She put his limp arms over her shoulder in attempt to lift him up. She struggled, stumbling. Vaughn didn't feel sorry.

He didn't feel anything at all.

The arrival of a council representative was marked by the sound of beating wings and the phoenix responded with a desperate call. It responded, circling above and then landing before her.

"Professor. Professor Alfred—this student has broken the rules," She breathed hard, feeling her throat constrict like a pulse. Dry. "Please punish him. And this sparrow needs medical care. Can you call a medic here? Now."

It sounded close to an order which, on ordinary circumstances, was absolute. Nothing was above the phoenix except the dragon and this was acknowledged by all. How unfortunate, then; that it was night, and the sun—set.

"Jane. I'm afraid that was not what I came to do," Alfred shook his head sternly to eyes that were wide with despair that soon found a place in her heart, nestled there.

Then what did you come to do? She almost spat in his face but things were eating. Eating at her being. Jing felt consumed by the darkness around and the light that was there, before, had now diminished.

"I have come to take you away."

"Away?" She breathed, laughing shortly as though she could find no other expression to wear. "Away? What are you..." A glance at the vulture confirmed a world that was falling apart. She felt so alone, and she wondered if this feeling had been borne, so long, by the person on her back.

Iolani Tori was

"You have no right to—" A dull sound was the only sign of the impact against her skull. All was blur, and then all was dark for the girl.

Iolani Tori was

Alone.

________________________

They had made a promise—he and Luka. The promise was to care, and to help. To care even when it hurt. To help even if it meant

Destroying themselves.

Luka found this promise far too hard to keep. He no longer felt the creature in his chest; as though he had lost it along his way while taking the canary to the gate. What was the point of keeping a promise when it would mean, then, leaving his heart behind? What was he to fulfil, without it?