Sigil | Ghost The Band

Intenzioni fallite

The air was thick, stuffy and overwhelmed by the scent of formaldehyde, which prickled in the air like electricity. A bone-rattling cough escaped Calliope as she tried to sit up, unsuccessful in her attempt. She gasped, but the inhalation brought her no relief.

Her hands shakily reached out, coming into contact with felt against a cool surface, though she had a hard time deciphering the texture like she was wearing rubber gloves. She was fairly certain she wasn't. Her thoughts could only focus on how wrong everything felt, a dull ache present in her chest that she couldn't place.

Pushing upwards, she could hear stone scraping against stone. It was a lid. Trying to muster the strength, she pushed, her numb arms proving to be useless. The action felt hopeless; futile, like running in a dream.

Another cough escaped her as the toxicity of the air pricked the back of her throat. Cal tried to speak, but no words escaped. She was growing panicked, desperate, as she pushed against the lid with more force. Over and over again until it finally budged.

Sighing in relief, she pushed it off all the way and it landed on the floor with an ear-splitting shatter. Groaning, she lifted herself out of - what appeared to be - her own grave in the mausoleum. Her head throbbed as she lowered herself onto the steps beside the sarcophagus, trying to remember something. Anything.

A bouquet of sorts had landed on the steps in her struggle to climb out of it, and she wept at the sight of the Gardenias. Everything came flooding back to her as she picked up one of the flower buds, dried and fragile with age.

It made no sense. Her blurry eyes travelled over to her hands and she recoiled at the sight, a quiet sob escaping her. She couldn't look at them again, and with a realisation that felt like ice water being dumped on her, she tried to fathom why she was there.

She was dead.

Her pact flashed across her mind and she felt a sudden haste to find Terzo. Or Imperator, or anyone that could convince her that it wasn't true. It couldn't be true. She refused to believe it.

Calliope raised herself to her feet, shivering. Her legs were numb, cold as ice, but she could manage. She had to. Hobbling over to the large doors that seemed all too familiar, she ripped them open, using both arms to complete the task.

She still couldn't find her voice... and was thus forced to quietly navigate the dark halls, using the cool, marble walls to guide her. Every breath she took sent an icy thrill down her spine. The rasping gasps that landed on her ears made her sick to her stomach.

Her breathing normalised slightly as she finally reached the staircase, climbing the stairs with extreme effort. She risked a glance down at her dark grey skin, seeing that they seemed in a better condition now, too. Cal ripped her gaze away as the flesh slowly repaired itself, feeling like she was about to faint.

Once she was in the corridor, she could hear the hell breaking loose, as Secondo had promised. How much time had passed? Doesn't matter.

A shrill, distant scream of pure agony caught her attention, but she ignored it, hurrying in the direction of the mortuary.

Every step on her bare feet sent shockwaves through her body, shockwaves which she could only assume were indications of pain. How could she possibly know? She couldn't feel anything but the soul-tearing dread in her chest.

The sterile, hospital-like hallways seemed unfamiliar to her now, and she followed the only trail she could remember, hoping to find something, someone, anything at all. Just not him... please.

The sight she was met with as she rounded the corner chilled her to her core, and she felt a sob wrack through her, hurrying toward them. She could easily recognise him, leaning against a wall, a dark substance smearing every inch of the hall. She just knew it was blood.

"Omega?" She rasped out, kneeling in front of him. He didn't move, his head bowed. More frantically, she grabbed his shoulder but was left with the same reaction.

"Please wake up," She whispered in a tearless plead, pulling him toward her, resting his head on her lap. She was begging him at this point, over and over again, an unfulfilling chant.

He was colder than ice, his hands covered in what she knew to be his own blood. He was deteriorating. Terzo was dead. His ghouls were following suit.

The thought broke her, and she wrapped her arms around him, whispering in incoherent cries that this wasn't supposed to happen. She did what she was supposed to. He should be okay, Terzo should be alive. This is all wrong, this shouldn't be happening.

She glanced down at his stoic face once more, seemingly at peace. The sight shattered whatever was left of her and she couldn't bear to look at him for too long, nudging his silvery curls out of his eyes before squeezing her eyes shut as she held him tighter.

Omega made sure she was at peace when the time had come, and she couldn't do the same for him. She wasn't there for him like he was for her.

The thought of what was behind the doors Omega'd clawed at broke any sense of composure she had, and she wept openly, knowing that she'd failed, and she'd failed so miserably. Calliope wasn't there for Terzo, nor was she for Omega, Earth or Sodo.

It hurt her to do so, but she moved away from Omega, having to see for herself whether or not her worst fear had been realised. Numbly, she walked the hall into the embalming room, a single coffin waiting in the centre for her, like it knew she'd be coming.

Holding her breath, she lifted the lid, and a silent wail left her lips. Cal cupped her mouth to smother the sound, hesitantly reaching out to lay a hand on his chest. Terzo was gone.

She collapsed onto the edge of the wooden coffin, sobbing violently. She'd never felt this helpless in her life, she'd never felt this much pain in her life. A single thought echoed in her head, in a voice that she couldn't be sure was hers, reminding her of a single thing over and over again.

You failed. You weren't here for them.

And she was left with the evidence of the failure of her intentions, right here in her arms.

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a/n:
thank you for reading! feel free to yell at me in the comments and let me know your thoughts! ♡
alternate ending "Atonement" is on my page!