Darkness Ethereal | K.TH

Darkness Descend

"Are you crazy?" He asks, the emotions finally raw and uncovered in his voice. It isn't hard to tell that he'd rather choose death over this place— but he also knows it wasn't worth it to get his hopes up just to get it dashed down again.

Not this time, though.

"I'll take you," I state, eyes narrowing in the direction of his lonely confinement. "Did you really think I would just leave you here alone?"

"Yes."

The amount of sadness in his voice nearly breaks me more than I'd already been broken. He didn't deserve to have a mindset like this, didn't deserve to have gone through the things that caused him to have a mindset like this.

The world didn't deserve this angel.

I'm in the midst of my brooding when he glances at me again. "You still look like you're going to kill someone, Cher. Calm down."

"I just— just can't believe that he came and hurt you like that. How did he even get in, anyway? I understand that in the beginning I answered the visitor bell but after that..."

My voice trails off as I shake my head. The possibilities were endless with my brother— he could've bribed someone in the higher-ups to give him access, or maybe just the guard out the door.

Having multibillionaire parents that didn't care about you meant at least one good thing: you'd never have to worry about your expenses because they'd just practically throw money at you and expect that you survive all by yourself.

"Well, I'm not going to let you stay in here a second after your release hour." I stress firmly, simply refusing to think about my brother for a second longer. I'd figure out how he got in eventually, but right now was a different matter.

I hope that whatever murderous light he claims I have had faded as I worry over the minor details over adopting someone older than me into my house.

My parents wouldn't ever know about this. That I was absolutely certain— there was a reason why they'd thrown me a black Mastercard and kicked me out of their billion-dollar mansion.

And I was technically an adult now, since I'd passed my eighteen mark just a few weeks ago. No one would question two adults living together in the same house— just assume we were roommates or something.

This would work.

V's soft, even breathing wakes me from my brief reverie, and I look up to see his eyes closed. His long lashes are dark against his pale cheeks, and I breathe out a sigh of relief as I get to my feet.

It would be good that he was getting some rest.

Making sure that the moonlight could find its way into the room, I throw open the curtains as wide as could go. I'd always kept the jailer's words in my mind— about how V didn't do well in absolute darkness.

My fingers find the soft metal cylinder, clipped onto the pocket of the side of my jeans. Its surface is cool and comforting against my touch— something I'd give to V one day.

"Sleep well."

"V."

___________________________

My lip purses as I watch the guard outside. I'd been correct— my brother had bribed him, and with a ridiculous amount of money. The stack he was counting with a disgusting smile on his face must be worth at least a thousand.