9 Lives

Chapter 11, Broken.

He hugged me back.

I stopped crying and lifted my head to look up at him. He smiled down at me, his eyes teary, but sparkling with admiration. They were pools of the clearest water, glowing with courage and determination. His golden hair, haloed by the sun, gave him an angelic presence. I never really appreciated how beautiful he was. But he was right in front of me, and I appreciated it now.

Roy turned red with fury, yet he didn't say anything.

"Well, well, well," said Roland, who had appeared out of nowhere, a blade in one hand, a controller in another. "What a disgustingly beautiful sight. Too bad it has to end."

He pressed a button on the controller and Luke stiffened and backed away from me, with that cold expression on his face once again.

"What are you doing? We said we would give him back to her if she came with us," Roy fought. "Even though it does pain me to do so."

Roland walked up to his brother, only an inch away from him. "You said so, I never did," he growled. "You see, you mean nothing to me, brother. I want the power to bring others back to life and to kill anyone I please. That can only be achieved by killing the girl. You refuse to do so." Roland shoved the blade into his brother's heart. Roy looked at him with an expression of betrayal and shock on his face, before his eyes rolled back and Roland withdrew the blade. "And so be it."

Roy was face-down on the floor, lying in a pool of his own blood.

I was shocked. Roland murdered his own brother, his own twin, his own blood. How could a human being do such a thing? Roland showed no sign of remorse. He turned towards me and looked me dead in the eyes.

He's a power-hungry psychopath, and I'm next, I realized. But what did he mean by what he said? He couldn't bring anyone back to life just by killing me. Was he insane?

Before I had time to think, Roland handed Luke a sword.

"Because I'm so kind, I'll let him be the one to kill you."

My eyes widened and vile filled my throat. "What?" But I knew what he meant. He'll use that controller to force Luke to kill me. I couldn't fight back. I just stayed where I was, waiting to die. Roland pressed buttons on the controller, but Luke didn't move.

"What the hell is going on?" Roland barked.

Luke was holding himself back. He was fighting being controlled with all his will, all his might. He bared his teeth, and veins bulged out of his forehead. I was beyond shocked, but Luke looked like he couldn't take any more.

The last time I saw him was when he threw himself off the roof.