EXISTENCE

CHAPTER 12: Pitch Black

Adam was frantic. As quick as he could, he removed the syringe from within Hawa's limp arm. It was empty; he'd already been too late to stop it. In his arms now was a cold, limp Hawa, her eyes open wide and staring far beyond him and into a place he knew he couldn't reach. He looked over to Ethan - a bloody mess, laughing hysterically at his pyrrhic victory over the boy.

"I don't see why you still cling to her, you brat," spewed out Ethan. "She's long gone now."

Adam clutched the body in thought for a half a minute before laying her softly down on the ground. He got up and turned his head to Ethan, who had a maniacal grin.

"You know, the day they told us that Dad had died...I couldn't cry."

Ethan's grin lowered. What is he playing at?

"I couldn't cry or feel sad. All I could do was shut myself up in my room and think. It bothered me to not shed a tear over my dad's fake death."

"Where are you going with this?"

Adam looked right at Ethan. "But when I found out today that he wasn't dead, that he was alive, I got so happy. And when I told her..." he looked to Hawa's lifeless body, "...she was genuinely happy. She was happy that she hadn't killed a man she never even met. She even cried for it." He fixed his gaze upon the Englishman again. "And you had to come and grab that happiness away from her!" He lit up his hands. "You're gonna pay for what you've done!"

And that's when he heard it.

A sound that should not have been uttered. A sound that seemed so out of place, it was unnatural.

It was a soft giggle.

And Adam knew who that voice belonged to. After all, he'd only just laid down the body who owned that voice.

He turned to face the source of a newfound malevolence behind him. Standing there was Hawa, an unsettling grin spread across her face, her body pulsating with unbridled evil energy.

Mimi couldn't believe what she had just seen. Was this really the girl she had been fretting over for the past week? The same girl that had come in here, dazed and confused, looking for a family to call her own? She couldn't help but let the tears fall as she thought about this girl's tragedy, and about what could have been.

The girl finally spoke. "You do look quite a lot like him. The man I failed to kill." She walked over to Adam. "Let me take a look at your eyes, boy." She stared fiercely into Adam's eyes.

Adam did not flinch. He stood and faced the girl before him. "So you're Eve."

Eve laughed. "Yes, I'm back, free from the curse your bastard of a father put me through." She walked over to Ethan. "And unfortunately for you, you have those same, stupid eyes." She stretched out a hand to the wounded Ethan, who merely craned his head back as he became bathed in the dark energy radiating from Eve's hand. "Get up, Ethan. You have proven yourself to be of some use yet again."

Ethan stood, rid of all his wounds, looking good as new. "It is wonderful to have you back, lady Eve."

Eve scowled. "My only question is why did it take you ever so long to bring me back?" She winced and grabbed her arm. "You even damaged me."

Ethan lowered his head. "Permit me to ask your forgiveness. You were putting up a fight, you see. I could not risk completely obliterating your body."

"Hmph. See to it that you get some brains after we return."

"Y-yes, my lady."

"Now then," Eve turned to face Adam, who stood in his fighting stance,sword at the ready. Eve burst with laughter. "Well look at you, boy. Taking after your old man already?