C0RRUPT3D C0NN3CTI0NS. [smalletho]

PROLOGUE.

  Etho had a major problem. A problem that shrouded his mind, his every waking thought. No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't escape it. And he hated it. He hated everything about it.

  As a new season started, all connections between Double Life soulmates were meant to be severed. There was no longer any shared damage, and all mental connections between soulmates were lost. Well, most mental connections were lost. Unfortunately for Etho, his ties to Joel clearly weren't entirely gone. Every second of every minute of every hour was clouded with nothing but Joel. Every night was filled with visions of his face, whispers of his voice, clouded and fading memories. And he hated it. He hated it with every fiber of his being. He wanted to forget, to move on and continue with his new life, But he couldn't. He couldn't will himself into thinking about something else without his thoughts trailing back to Joel. He couldn't allow himself to sleep without dreaming about Joel. He couldn't sit in silence without hearing Joel's voice echoing throughout his head. He craved Joel. His voice. His touch. His warmth.

As Etho strayed from spawn, wandering to find a new group to settle with for the season, his mind urged him to find Joel. And he despised that feeling. He hated the lack of control over his own mind. And as a result, he hated Joel. He did everything in his power to avoid him, and he was filled with anger towards the mental chokehold that he had on him. He kept his composure around others, but his mind strayed away from conversations and towards the man who grasped his heart in his hands. He would've loved nothing more than to end Joel's life immediately, ending the connection with it, but he feared that the latter wouldn't come to fruition, and he would instead live his life overrun with guilt and grief and hatred and mental anguish. And so he continued to struggle, to fight a battle within himself. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't avoid seeing Joel's face forever. And as he sees the man who controls his thoughts like a puppeteer, his heart fills with passion, hatred, and a thirst for blood.

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A/N: Hello! It's been a while since I've written a story, so I'm starting short with some backstory :) Let me know if you have any questions, suggestions, or constructive criticism/feedback! Thank you lovelies <3~

-ONYX.