The Attack

8. The price of his death

Alec woke up because he was feeling this weird feeling of emptiness inside of him.

He frowned a bit, and opened his eyes. At first, he didn't see anything, but as his eyes started to get used to the dark, he saw Magnus asleep, in front of him, on his side, and Chairman Meow between them, also sleeping.

Alec noticed there was a bit of light coming from somewhere he didn't know.

The blue-eyed boy felt that emptiness inside of him, as if it started to grow. He whimpered low. He didn't know why, but he was feeling so alone. As if there was nobody left for him in the world.

Alec sat up on the edge of the bed, with his feet hanging from the bed. He suddenly noticed his back hadn't hurt, while he sat up on Magnus' bed. Alec whimpered, a bit in pain. The feeling of emptiness was hurting him.

He put his hand on his chest, and pressed it, trying to get all the emptiness off his chest.

Alec didn't understand that sudden feel of emptiness. Or why he was feeling so alone. Or why he could only think about Jace.

Jace.

Alec's heart stopped beating.

Jace...

Alec stood up, and heard Chairman Meow, meowing something behind him, in the bed, on Magnus' arms, now. He could barely breathe.

During those 5 years, Alec and Jace's bound had become weak. They weren't as close as they had once been. But Alec had always felt some kind of feeling inside of him, connected to Jace. As if there was a second alive being inside of him.

He didn't feel that anymore.

And that only meant one thing.

Jace had died.

He felt his chest tightening more, and he quickly walked out of Magnus' room, needing to go to the bathroom. Once he was out, he was lost for a minute, not really knowing where he was for some seconds, until he remembered he was in front of Magnus' room.

He turned his head to the right, and saw the bathroom's door. He went there quietly, not wanting to wake Magnus up, with his left arm shaking.

He entered the bathroom, and the mirror was already in front of him. The bathroom was kinda small. Right when you entered, there was the washbasin, with some drawers under it; there was also a tiny carpet on the floor. On the left of it, there was the toilet, and the bath. The walls were a smooth blue, and white.

Alec looked at himself at the mirror. He didn't really look good. He was paler than usual, and had dark bags under his eyes. His hair was more messier than ever. Alec whimpered a bit. The emptiness was getting worse.

He was denying the fact that Jace could be dead. Alec knew he was just making a fool out of himself. He couldn't feel that feeling inside of him, that reminded him Jace was still alive.

He looked at himself again, and slowly took his shirt off. He stared at his own body. His pale skin was covered in black runes, and scars from the past; the parabatai rune was on his back, though. Alec just couldn't turn and look at it.

He stood there for some minutes, just taking deep breaths, trying not to whimper painfully. A couple of minutes later, he looked at himself again in the mirror, closed his eyes, and turned, with his back facing the mirror.

Alec took a deep breath, and in an impulsive move, he turned a bit his head.

And he saw it.

The parabatai rune. Gray. Faded. Dead.