𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐈 | bnha

unhuman

The last time she saw her papa alive was through a shoddy helicopter camera on the 5 o'clock news broadcast. 

Tears flooded her eyes.

(she never saw his last moment alone, with only a news copter overhead and cold steel at his throat. she never saw the way his lifeblood flowed from his body as his heart thudded in tune to some heavenly song from unseen seraphim. she never saw it.

but she heard it.

her papa gave her two gifts before he left with tears in his eyes: a worn and dog-eared book, and a shard of himself. he had a beautiful ability, one that allowed him to share memories and thoughts and sensations and, sometimes, himself.

that was his gift to her, a double-edged sword. she could share her joy, her sorrow and he could share his comfort, his advice. across the distance that divided the two, they were still bound together.

so she heard it as his mind cried out, as the steel bit into his jugular and windpipe, flooding his lungs with bitter blood, choking him on the very thing that kept him alive. 

her ears rang and her head was light as she felt what it was like to die, cold and alone.

that was the end. though she clung onto the shard of him with sharp claws, desperately drawing it back from the chasm beneath the painted veil of life but he slipped and fell into the chasm, and she was alone again.)

When she could see again, she saw only fire. Through the news copter's camera, fire curled in clouds rimmed with darkness and radiating light from within. It wove its way around the decimated concrete, consuming everything in its path and buffeting the copter. 

Her papa died and the heroes never came.

The flame consumed them both in a torrent of heat and smoke.