Ink

Chapter 37

Mephistor's POV
~

The beast watches as the man in front of him tilts his head to the side.  Before long, Klaus begins to laugh, causing the beast to growl.

"Is something funny?" There is no response.

The laugh continues. The sound is strained and laced with pain that Mephistor assumes is a product of his beatings.

The beast tightens his grip on the man in front of him. Klaus's hand shoots up in response to attempt to relieve the pressure.

"My patience is wearing thin, Klaus." Mephistor growls. "Where is she?"

When Klaus doesn't respond, Mephistor's eyes narrow. "Speak!" He commands.

"C-can't brea-" Klaus struggles to choke out.

With a raise of his brow Mephistor releases his grip. Klaus gasps for air while his hands cloth at his throat. "You sure did get stronger ." A hint of humor is evident in the advisor's tone.

"I'm not going to ask again." The king says.

Klaus clears his throat before pushing himself back up against the wall.

"If I knew anything-which I don't, by the way. Why would I tell you anything?"

The beast growls.

"You must know something."

Klaus shakes his head.

"I lost control." He begins, sadness creeping into his expression at the memory. Caleb nearly dying and Alliana on the ground bleeding out before his eyes. He hated the memories of that night. "I-I lost control and then I ran here to find some way to stop this-thing-from happening to me." Klaus's voice grows weak. "I know nothing else."

Mephistor's head tilts to the side, inspecting the man he once called his friend. Next he looks down at his hands and takes in the sight of his monstrous claws.

This thing. What a thing it was indeed.

"Can't you see what's happening, old friend?" Klaus's voice brings the king back to reality. "The virus has nearly consumed you." His hand lifts to rest on Mephistor's shoulder. "We need to get you the cure before-"

"The cure?" The kings whispers. Klaus' eyes widen as he notices the monster-like features on Mephistor's face begin to return to normal. His hand reaches to grip Klaus's as if holding on to him will keep him sane. "You're saying that there's a way to end this."

Klaus nods. He watches as the king begins to transform into the man he once knew. The kind-hearted and gentle Mephistor.

"Klaus." He exclaims before wrapping his arms around the man in front of him. Klaus laughs in response, overjoyed that he is being embraced instead of choked.

"Mephistor."

The young king smiles. He had, even if only for a little while, beaten the beast. That fact is enough to cut this over-joyous moment short.

"Klaus, I'm not sure how much time we have left before he comes out again." One hand runs nervously through his hair."Listen to me, old friend, all that I've done-" The silence in the room is defeating."The lives I've taken-"

"It wasn't you. I know." He offers a smile."I know, Mephistor."

The king, however, offers nothing sort of a smile in return.

"That is the very thing, Klaus." His eyes meet his friends full of sadness and regret. "I'm not sure if it wasn't me."

Klaus raises an eyebrow.

"You can't possibly be serious. The virus made you his way. You can't take responsibility for the actions of the monster you unwillingly became."

"But can't I?" The king's posture fails him as he falls into his friend's arms. "It was me, was it not? My face that they saw before they met their end, my hands that tore them apart as they screamed for mercy-" Tears from Mephistor's eyes drop onto Klaus' torn and tattered clothing. "How can I not take responsibility for something that happened inside of my own body?"

The king desperately waits for a response from his most trusted advisor and friend. When the silence drags on he begins to think that he may be too late. Maybe he had lost Klaus the moment he decided to turn his back on their friendship.

Klaus's next action catches the young king off guard. He wraps his arms around Mephistor and sighs into his shoulder. Mephistor can help but grip tightly onto his friend as though he's his lifeline. At that moment. He felt like perhaps he was the only thing keeping him sane at this moment.

Klaus lets out a shaky laugh after a few moments of silent embrace. The kind of laugh that the king could not quite decipher, but found himself laughing back at.

The sight is heartbreaking. As one broken man holds another for dear life. Connected by an unbreakable and tattered bond.

"I will never abandon you, my friend." Klaus whispers.

Mephistor closes his eyes and takes in the moment. He feels the beast creeping up behind him. A single tear falls from his eye before he pushes back from Klaus and looks him in the eye. Klaus' own eyes water as he sees the sickening red creep into his friends irises, accompanied by black veins growing underneath them.

"Soon, you might not have a choice, Klaus." Mephistor whispers with the final shred of humanity he has left.

He stands with a threatening growl and looks before the man he knew as a friend one final time before leaving the room with lighting speed. Once again condemning Klaus to whatever torture lay ahead.

"Goodbye, Mephistor." Klaus whispers before finally allowing himself to fall apart.

Goodbye Klaus. Mephistor whispers before he is completely pushed from the mind of the beast.

~

I'm sorry this took so long guys! I've been trying to get adjusted to college life (even though it's only a month long program where I take two classes before I actually go away in the fall). Now that I've gotten used to things I plan on updating as often as I can. Thank you guys for all of the amazing support and love and thank you for continuing to support Ink!!

Until next time,

Rose