Noctura

seventy three

seunghoon

I REACH Minho just as Mariela is bending her wrist back into place.

She glares at us.

"You're both going to die together," she spits at us. "Is that what you want?"

I look over at Minho.

We lock eyes for a split second and I realize he's not only my best friend, he's my brother.

Mariela lunges at Minho. He collides with her and I step back as they roll.

She ends up on top. I throw myself onto her side and she sprawls onto the train car.

Minho gets on top of her, gripping her wrists, staring down into her eyes.

I slam my knees onto the train car so I can be next to Minho, looking down at Mariela.

She struggles to get out of Minho's grip. She tries to kick, move her arms, move her head. It does no good.

The knife in my hand suddenly feels heavier.

"It's over, Mariela," Minho says. "This time for good."

Blood drips from her mouth as she glares at us. "Oh, how good. The best friends who love each other even though one's human and one's Noctura. You're going to kill me, huh?"

She jolts upward but Minho slams her back down. Her head is hanging over the edge of the train car, just above the pavement racing beneath us.

Minho looks up at me.

"Don't side with him!" Mariela shouts at me. "He betrayed you! He lied to you all these years! Don't you want him dead?"

I stare into Minho's eyes as he continues to look at me.

He did lie to me. He was a Noctura, and he never told me. He joined the Alliance and he never told me. He was directly against the AAN, something he knew I worked for and dedicated my life to.

But it's because he had to.

And I can see it all so clearly now.

I turn to Mariela, gripping my knife more tightly.

"No, I don't want him dead," I say. "I want you dead."

I drag my knife across the front of her throat.

She sputters and coughs.

Minho lets go of her wrists and she grabs her throat, trying to stop the bleeding. But I can see she's losing blood too fast, she won't be able to regenerate from this.

"It's over," Minho repeats.

He lets her fall of the side of the train.