Luke felt like he slept for a long time. He knew he didn't though and he didn't know why he knew. For once, he felt time slipping out of his fingers fast, but he couldn't do anything to stop it.
A slit of light entered his vision as he attempted to open his eyes.
The room was in soft colours, but the light hurt as if it was trying to swallow the shadow whole. He searched desperately, almost in panic, for a clock... a time. How long had he been sleeping? Oh yes, and where did Eira go? Did she make it back safely? Did his excess powers, his fear, destroy her?
Out of panic, he tried to sit, but something on his wrist jerked him back. He looked down, both of his hands were cuffed to the railings of the bed: powerless cuffs, to stop him from using his powers. He let out an exasperated breath and laid back down. He eyed the drip pierced in his hand, the liquid didn't seem to even move, only the small drops indicated that it was pumping something into his blood.
Although he wanted to get out, he knew it was impossible. He had a good sleep, the best sleep he has ever gotten in the long time, but he felt weak. He closed his fist and then opened them, testing his strength.
The door clicked open and Luke expected someone, anyone he was familiar with. Anyone besides her.
Skyler closed the door and locked it behind her. Luke's insides jerked, he twitched into alertness.
"S-Skyler..." he muttered, his throat was exceptionally dry that his voice didn't sound like his.
"You're finally awake." Her tone of voice sounded dangerous, something in her eyes told him that she changed. It was full of hatred. "But I guess that's a bad thing."
Luke stayed silent.
"Last time I came, Eira was here. Then the nurses, the healers... Why do you deserve so much attention?" Skyler lifted her chin, "I should get attention, but no one even notices me."
She moved around the bed, trailing her hands along the railings. Luke sat straighter. He knew if he screamed, everything would happen faster.
"Now that you are cuffed, you can't do anything."
Luke eyed her up and down. His eyes narrowed, feeling uneasy about her words. Her eyes gave him the answer. With quick movements, she launched over, holding his moving head before covering his mouth with her own hands.
"STOP! Skyl-"
A band snapped open, clenching around his mouth. He could not scream; his sound was muffled.
"I don't like poison." Skyler breathed when she leaned away. She took out an empty needle, ripped the package open and pulled off the cover. Luke's eyes widened. He had never imagined that Skyler would turn into a cold-hearted murderer. She had a face of an angel. Her unwillingness and hesitation to cooperate with Evans at first got him believing that she was as innocent as a dove. She was tricked and deceived and perhaps, she had enough.
She pulled, drawing air into the needle. Luke tried to scream, but all his strain were in vain. His cuffs rattled against the metal.
"Save your breath, no one will hear you." Skyler eyed the needle before she grabbed his arm. He thrashed it around, doing everything he can to stop her. But she was unstoppable.
"It didn't have to come to this but I don't want you to tell Eira or anyone else that I had betrayed them, or worse, caused the explosion at the gates of Gataria. Evans didn't give me the power I wanted, didn't make me powerful... just played with me like a puppet. I want to come back now, I'm not going back to him anymore." Skyler looked at him, "and this is the sacrifice you have to make."
The needle pierced into his arm and he let out a muffled scream. Her grip tightened as she pushed, the length of the vessel shortening as the air was pumped into his blood.
She pulled out the needle and repeated her actions again. The air drew in, before she stabbed it into his skin, the door shook.
"Hello? Who's in there?! Luke?!"
It was Eira's voice. Luke's eyes widened in relief, but time was slipping by his fingers like sand and he feels his life coming to an end again.
"You don't deserve to live, Lukas." Skyler whispered, "If it wasn't for you... Evans, Eden... he wouldn't have died."
Luke's dark eyes rounded.
When Skyler's cold fingers touched his arm again, he stopped struggling. She raised the needle and lowered it.
Suddenly, a violet hue popped one of the cuffs open. Luke widened his eyes in shock. He had conquered powerless cuffs, hardly anyone has done that. He didn't realise that there was that little excess energy doing the trick, awakening his instincts to help him survive. Taking the chance, Luke ripped his mouth cover off and went for the needle. Through the struggle, like a dance between the two, the needle eventually rolled to the ground and Skyler was instantly under his powerful grip.
"L-Lu...kas....!!"
Then, with panicked burst of black magic, the air became thick. Luke couldn't even see through the powdery things his powers had released. Suddenly, when the black mist cleared, he saw what he had done. He let out a harsh gasp, paling at the sight of her. Skyler slumped to the ground, her neck twisted. Her chest wasn't moving.
The door opened and Eira walked in, her eyes rounded at the sight before her.
She screamed.
A/N
Four chapters in a row (well... one is super short, so let's say three chapters in a row). Sorry for the long wait. More updates are coming soon~ But unlike what I said earlier, I did not finish the book completely, I kinda lost inspiration and some brain work is needed for the rest of the unwritten chapters. I'll post at least once every week until that very day all my chapters are... out in the wild.
What do you think so far? VOTE or COMMENT if you want to!
L