After coming back from the trip, Ace, Kertia, Icarius, and Querda stopped by Kwareds dorm. He ignored them, keeping the door locked and curtains shut as he stayed in his bed. He scrolled through Instagram, photos from the trip being posted by all of his friends. Friends.
"Kwared, you really need to talk to me, or Ace, and you need to talk to Phandrin please he's a wreck-," Kertia knocked on the door again for the third time that day. Kwared stayed quiet, ignoring it again as he shut off his phone.
He heard the boy sigh lowly, silence for a few moments. He was hesitant, and Kwared knew he was preparing to say something.
"You were voted to fight today," Kertia said, hesitance in his voice as Kwared sat up.
"When?" He asked, not wanting to make conversation, he kept his claims short.
"In a few hours... you should forfeit," Kertia said, Kwared hearing more footsteps.
"Yeah Kwared, as much as I loved seeing you fight, you need to forfeit this time," Icarius's voice rang through the doorframe. Kwared ignored this.
"What time exactly?" He said, the two boys staying quiet.
"Five o'clock," He heard Kertia mumble. He nodded to himself standing up and walking to his bathroom to get dressed. He didn't bother with his appearance. he was a disease anyways.
His bandages weren't on, his scars over his arms, legs, waist, and neck in full view as he stepped out of the dorm. he walked past Kertia and Icarius, keeping his head down.
"Don't watch if you want me to forfeit so bad," he mumbled, his tail hanging behind him, the usual wave is gone. Kertia felt his ears press down at the boy's appearance. His usual red fade in his hair was almost greyish, the boy's eyes sunken. His cheekbones were too visible, his ribs showing as well as the white lines and scars. his tail was matted slender, his ears pressed back. The bags under his eyes were horribly visible, his clothes wrinkled and tattered. It's only been a month.
He glanced at Icarius who looked at Kwareds back with pity.
"The scars in his arms..." Icarius whispered. Kwared didn't bother hiding it, the many holes in his elbows and wrists.
"He was doing so well too..."
They didn't even think to comment on his wings. Metal bars were driven through them, holding them together and closed. Fully black.
Not a single dot of color.
------------------------------------------------------
Kwared stood in the familiar bathroom, his arms reaching behind him to pull out the metal bar. He winced in pain as he flexed his wings, the muscles tense and strained. He stared at his reflection, aggravated at how doused he looked.
He ignored it, opening his pill bottle and taking the last 2 he had, slipping back out of the bathroom.
The deja vu almost hurt him physically as he walked down the arena guide.
He felt a smile form on his face as the lights turned to him. He grinned now opening his arms as he bowed, opening his wings to bow with him. The inky black making some people whoop. He looked up from his bow, jumping and doing a fly around the arena before landing down at his stand. A menacing cackle following the entire time as he occupied a crazed expression.
"Oh man this is gonna be good," he chuckled to himself as he glanced around quickly. He was so excited, his skin tingling as he closed his eyes sighing. The drugs felt so nice at this time.
He looked across at his opponent, smiling at the familiar wolf.
"Why am I fighting you-?" Kwared raised a brow, his grin growing at this opportunity.
