Jet and Jade | Black and White 1

Chapter 32: Jade

I was smiling. I knew that.

I had finally won against Jet. I was finally the one standing while she broke down.

But... why wasn't I happy?

Why wouldn't my legs take me onto the rainbow of light?

Why couldn't I bear to see her like that?

She'd lied to me!

She'd pretended to be something she wasn't!

She'd... still been my sister. But I had torn the bond between us to pieces.

"You're going to regret this, Jade," Jet said weakly from the floor.

I looked down at her and suddenly, my anger flared up again.

Why should I feel sorry for her?

Why should I feel guilty for what I was doing?

I glared at her, unspoken words between us.

All I could think of were the words she used to tell me.

"Everything is alright... Jade... I'll always protect you..."

She was the one who hurt me instead.

"Don't worry. You're safe."

I was never safe from her lies.

"I'll deal with it. It'll all be over soon."

"We'll always be sisters."

By blood.

Jet didn't look away from my glare, nor did she shy away. She just took my anger in her stride.

I remembered what I had said to her.

"It's not your fault and it never will be."

Or was it?

"I haven't been honest."

It was nothing compared to her lies.

For once, I could see every emotion Jet felt in her obsidian eyes. I never had been able to. She hid them too well, but now, it was different.

She was mad because she thought Arvion had made me think like this.

She was sad for how I was treating her.

She was desperate to stop me from leaving.

But I would never let her. Now it felt like our years together didn't matter anymore. I was the one who had hurt her, not the other way around. I could affect her.

"Jet," I said. "I meant what I said."

She looked into my eyes, darkness overwhelming.

"You are no longer my sister," I repeated, this time with conviction backing me up and not just anger.

"I... know," Jet said, her voice quiet. "I knew that when you broke the bond - "

I scoffed.

" - and killed my soul in the process," she continued.

"Excuse me?" I said.

"I thought that everything always had a soul; that's why so many reapers were needed, but... Apparently, a person's soul can be shattered."

"What?" I said. "Are you actually trying to garner for sympathy?"

She glared at me.

She actually glared at me.

"Thanks a lot, Jade," she mumbled.

Her glare dissolved into tears.

"He told me that souls could only be touched by reapers..." she muttered. "The wicked ones get turned into spirits... or demons... or reapers... but... I guess he was wrong..."

"What sort of delusional words are you saying?" I said incredulously.

"Ha... Even the ruler of Hell can be wrong...?" Jet laughed bitterly, her shoulders shaking.

"Are you going crazy?" I asked. "Well." I snorted. "I didn't think that this was all it would take to hurt you. I thought you were unbreakable, Jet... wow."

"Jade... I don't know what kind of trash the Qwen has been telling you, but..." Jet looked into my eyes, her gaze bleak. "What do you think of me?"

"What do you mean by that?" I demanded.

"I mean how you perceive me, what you see me as now." She sounded as if she was about to break into pieces.

"Huh. Isn't it obvious?" I asked. "You're a liar, a traitor, the worst being in existence. Not to mention the worst sister I could ever ask for."

She closed her eyes. "Very well."

My former sister sounded resigned to her fate, as if she was about to let me kill her. I was sure she wouldn't, if I tried. I almost wanted to. But I wasn't abut to kill people in cold blood like her.

I wasn't heartless like her, and I wouldn't let myself become as hollow as a reaper either.

Are you really that innocent? a little voice whispered to me. Look at what you're doing to your own blood sister.

She deserves it! I snapped back.

Jet breathed out and stared right through me again. "Is this really... what you want, Jade?"

I laughed. "What I want is to make you suffer for what you've done to me."

It was the truth. And through the adrenaline and thrill at hurting her, I didn't regret this.

 I didn't feel bad.

Not one bit.