Burnt to Ashes - Kenichi Todoroki

Zixin's Rule

Izora's POV:

"Do you love me, Zay?"

"What?" Zay was sitting on the opposite end of my couch, his hands on his knees. He had been staring down at his feet ever since he got here. Not saying a single word to me. Not casting a single glance at me.

"I just feel like you don't want to be around me," I told him, "like you think I'm a nuisance."

"I don't like you asking questions like that," Zay mumbled, "it makes me question my reality."

"What are you talking about?" I asked him. "I just–"

"Love is subjective, as is every other concept like it. Would you rather argue facts instead of this," He challenged, "or would you rather get the answer you're not ready to hear?"

I had not the slightest clue what he was going on about. Zay was always a mystery, but you could tell at least a bit of what was plastered on his face. But in this instance, it was completely still. As if he was waiting for an argument.

That pissed me off.

"What do you think I'm so not ready to hear?" I snapped.

He shrugged and turned back to his phone.

"You're so frustrating to communicate with!" I walked over to him and took his phone from his hands. He looked up angrily and tried taking it back, but I held it over his head.

He stood up and full force pushed me to the ground. I grabbed onto the carpeted floor below me in pain. I still had his phone.

"Give it!" He yelled.

I didn't respond, but I could feel my head start to hurt. My ring.. I don't think even that high tech device could suppress my anger.

He dropped to his knees and as he went to slug me, I grabbed his arm. My hand was pitch black. I felt heavier. My heart did too.

Zay looked petrified, but still had that fiery anger in him. I looked to my other hand and realized his phone had been crushed into bits.

"What the fuck!" He yelled.

I had transformed into my devil form out of pure anger.

He yanked his arm away from me and still slugged my face, right near my chin. I picked him up and threw him into my couch, which clearly hurt from the harsh wince on his face.

"Leave me alone!" I rasped, "Just go home!"

He bared his teeth at me and I saw his scorpion tails come out from his back. Next thing I knew I felt a terrible burning hot pain from my eye. I roared in pain and immediately got out of my demon form. I reached up to cover my eye and when I removed it, blood covered my palm and filled the creases.

Tears streamed, from both eyes possibly, but my entire left side of my face felt numb. I choked on my tears as blood splattered onto the floor, getting on my clothes, getting on him.

But he just stood there. Smiling. Tears in his eyes too.

After the shock factor had passed, I could hear him running away, and I started to go lightheaded.

No.. no.....

I collapsed.

My vision was still blurry and skewed, but I could see the figure of my dad sitting in front of my hospital bed. Not seemingly worried at all, not even angry, just the same expression he usually wore. An expression drained from emotion.

My eye still burned a hint but I must've been put on some kind of pain medication because I didn't feel much. I didn't even want to know what I looked like. It would pain me.