Gifted | Sleepy Bois Inc

Chapter Twenty-Nine

A quiet sob escaped me. I slowly lowered Wilbur's body down onto the ground, then looked up at Smiley. The man's expression hadn't changed at all, but I could see veins showing on the back of his hand, which was gripping his weapon so tightly I was sure it was about to break.

"One by one," he said softly. "I'll clear this world of Gifted. I know you understand why I have to."

"You're messed up," I said, but there wasn't any bite in my voice. Not anymore. Instead, it sounded hollow, even to my own ears.

Wilbur. My brother. My best friend. My confidant. The shoulder I leaned on and offered to when help was in need. The one I loved best in the entire world.

My family. Wilbur and Philza, us three sticking together as tightly as possible. We were a found family, since we had no blood relation between us, but we were as much of a family as any other in the world.

Phil's going to cry, I realized suddenly. I've never seen him cry before. I don't want to see him cry.

"This world is messed up," Smiley said, gazing up at the sky. He looked forlorn. "But that's okay. If a couple people try their best, they can make it. The world can never be fixed, but I can come close."

His gaze wandered, falling upon Naida's figure, curled up on the ground. He sighed. "I never got to apologize to him for misgendering."

"I'm sure he was glad of it," I said, brushing a finger across Wilbur's cool face. "It helped him greatly. I never would have guessed it was him."

Smiley gave a grudging smile. "I suppose. I still feel bad, though."

I exhaled. I could barely hold onto my sword anymore, and my hands kept passing through Wilbur. Sometimes I couldn't see my legs, even though I could feel them there. It was getting harder and harder to stay in place.

"Is that all you can focus on?" I demanded. "Do you not feel bad for all the innocents you killed? My brother?"

Smiley shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said, almost sounding sincere. But I knew better.

I swore quietly under my breath. "That means nothing to me. I don't even know why I asked."

"I am sorry," Smiley insisted, taking a step closer. I glowered at him and he halted, stopping his advance. "Truly, I am. I see how you mourn him. I can see you struggling to stay here. Even if I don't kill you, your own power will."

"Shut up," I snapped, but I knew that he was right. Sooner or later, I would lose the battle. But who cared? I could feel that Wilbur was gone, probably waiting for me at the eerie train station. In fact, it would be better that way. To die at the hands of the likes of Smiley would be ego-crushing. But I also knew that it would be faster, and the more selfish side of me wanted that option more than stubbornly sticking it out until the end.

The street, Wilbur, Smiley, the night sky --- all of it flickered out of view for a second, replaced by a familiar room in the Tryxel building, with walls covered in pictures and scrawled over with various bounty amounts. Then it disappeared, replaced by the street again.

"See?" Smiley said softly. "You're fading."

I gritted my teeth and gripped Wilbur tighter. "I don't need you telling me that."

A flicker of hurt passed over Smiley's face, but it disappeared so quickly that I had to wonder whether I had imagined it or not.

I could hear the quiet shift of fabric as he raised his knife, ready to end my life. I closed my eyes again. I didn't want Smiley's face to be the last thing I saw before I died.