Madness [ Claire Sequel ]

Chapter 23

Kira's POV

A month passed before we heard of any activity from Trevor. He sent an army our way, but was stupid enough to come here himself. Arika, Tyler, and I were in the Death Room when it started.

"Tyler! Take Kira and Arika to the cells in the basement! Put them as far away from each other as you can! Kira, cut your link to Arika! Trevor knows we didn't kill them. We have to make this look as real as possible! Tyler guard Kira's cell, Nygus will guard Arika's. Go!" Lord Death ordered.

Before I knew it, Tyler was jogging out of the Death Room, Arika and I on his heels. I was five months pregnant, and that put some physical strain on me, but I would last. I would make it.

Tyler locked Arika up well in the farthest left side of the basement. We jogged all the way across the cells to the farthest right side of the basement. I walked into the cell, but I didn't hear the door slam shut behind me.

"Tyler?" I asked, turning around to see his figure in the door. "Kira, come here." He said. Shakily, I closed the distance between us, and he wrapped his arms around me. "My brother knows where you're going to be. He knows you two are down here. He's going to come straight to you, because he knows you're the host and can call her back into your mind. But you have to promise me, no matter what happens, that you will stay there." He put something in my palm, but I was too panicky to process what it was. He pressed his lips to my own, and I reacted in the same manner. I felt a small smile lift the corners of his mouth before he chained me up and left, slamming the door shut.

I saw his shadow against the dim light in the corridor. It was dark in my cell, so dark that my Madness decided to come out and play, showing me things that weren't really there.

"Tyler!" I heard someone scream from the middle of the corridor. It was Trevor. "Hello, Trevor. I see you're covering your scars." I heard him chuckle, even though I cringed. "Are you enjoying them?"

Trevor growled and soon, his shadow joined Tyler's. I heard grunts and a few curses, and then Trevor was pushed against the wall, into my view. I gaped at him, struggling slightly. Tyler punched him in the nose and then ripped a knife from a holster at his hip. I turned my head immediately, but heard the sound of the blade sinking through fabric and deep into skin. A silence followed, and then Tyler panted, stepping away.

"A-Are you alright?" I whispered, looking at the scene. Tyler nodded. But, all of a sudden, that didn't stand true for myself.

A horrible pain whipped through my torso, and I muffled a scream with my hands. Blood poured from a nonexistent wound on my ribcage, and the scream finally escaped my hands and went into the air.

Tyler had the door open and the chains off before I could register what was happening. "What's wrong!" He shouted over my scream of agony. "Ar-Arika..!" I whispered, growing weak. Tyler picked me up bridal style and carried me out of the cell, to what I thought was Arika's cell. It was, instead, her death bed.

Arika lay on the far right wall, her chains gone, her body cut in several places. I must've subconsciously repaired our link when Trevor died.

I pushed myself out of Tyler's arms and ran to her corpse's side. "Arika..." I gasped out, my shaky hands hovering over her body. She coughed blood, and I realized she was still alive.

"Tyler! Get my dad! Hurry! Now!" I screamed. Tyler didn't hesitate. "Arika. Please stay with me." I begged. She weakly grabbed my hand and smiled despite the pain she was obviously in. "You.. Silly girl..." She chuckled, coughing more of the thick, crimson liquid. "You can... Bring me back..." I knew what she was talking about. "Not while I'm pregnant! He'll die!" Arika nodded. "Which is why... You're not going to... Bring me back..." She paused, coughing even more blood than before. "Leave me... Dead, Kira... That's what... I want... Don't... Bring me back... I love you... And dad..." She coughed again. "Oh... You and Tyler... Make an adorable... Couple... Be happy... With him... You... Deserve... It..."

Arika sighed, and the life in her eyes left. My hands went limp, and I looked up to Tyler and my dad when they appeared. "She's... She's dead..." I whispered. Neither of them moved until I started crying. Tyler turned me away from her body as dad picked her up and carried her away.

That day, we placed Arika's body on a pile of wood and burned it in the forest.

***

I spent the next two weeks mourning. Tyler had been taking Arika's place in the room across the hall, and I spent most of my days sleeping. I knew this wasn't healthy for me or my baby, but I couldn't do anything else. Physically, I could've marched to Arachnis and burned the valley it resided in. But emotionally, it was hard just breathe.

Arika was the most important person in my life. Before even myself. Even though I knew I could bring her back, she said I shouldn't. So I wouldn't.

"Hey, Kira?" Tyler opened my bedroom door. I nodded at him. "Yeah?" "Stein's here to see you."

The last thing I wanted was a visitor. But it was dad, and I couldn't say no to him. He'd just lost a daughter, too.

Dad looked normal. Not any different in any way. Sometimes, I think that he's immortal and will long outlive even Lord Death, but then I think that that's impossible.

We exchanged greetings and I sat down on the couch, dad taking the seat across from me. "Kira, I've got something for you." He said, pulling a vile out of his lab coat pocket. I raised a brow at the thick, black liquid. "What is that?" I took it from him. "It's going to help you. I know this is really hard for you. All you need to do is drink that. Okay?" I glared at the liquid for a moment, then nodded and popped the lid from the vile and swallowed the bitter liquid.

Images slammed into my head, giving me a major headache. I could barely catch what all the images were before it was over. I sat back with a groan, and suddenly remembered every missing piece. Including my going to dad for the potion to make me forget Soul.

"Why did you do that, dad?" I groaned. "I was perfectly fine! Soul, too! Jeez!" He shook his head at me. "I thought it was about time you two got back together. You were happy with him." "Yeah? Well I'm happy with Tyler right now. I'm fine without Soul!" I told him. Dad was silent, only nodded. "Alright. Well, why don't you tell Tyler that? I'm sure he'd like to know."

I watched as dad got up and left. I knew what he meant when he said that. He meant that Tyler was standing within earshot of us when I'd said that.

Tyler walked into the room and sat down next to me on the couch. "I'm sorry, Kira." He sighed. "I've been sending mixed signals all this time." I raised a brow at him. "I really hate you."

My heart broke, my stomach dropping. "Good. I said that because I wanted to get my father off my back. I hate you, too." I stood to leave the room, but Tyler stood and grabbed my wrist, pulling me against him. He leaned down and kissed me, his hands on my back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and opened kissed him back. He licked my lips and I gasped. He shot his tongue into my mouth and I giggled.

We separated and smiled at each other. "You are such a bad liar, Kira." He whispered into my ear. I shrugged. "It worked, didn't it?"

"Oh, Soul isn't going to like this." Black Star said. He'd walked in through the unlocked front door. Tyler blushed and excused himself upstairs. "I'll keep it a secret if you kiss my cheek!" Black Star cheered. I rolled my eyes. "Fine." I kissed his cheek and he smirked. "Hahah! Score for Black Star!" He said, waltzing right back out of the house. I shut the door after him and laughed.

He was ridiculous.