Dark Beginnings ||Part I of the Dark World Series||

Chapter Three

ROHN

When I woke up the day I was supposed to leave, it finally hit.

"Fuck..." I mumbled before looking at Max.

I hadn't told him yet.

He had on his reading glasses, silently glancing over words before flipping the page, unaware I was awake.

"Max..."

He looked over, slightly startled, but smiled when he saw me.

"Hey."

I offered a quick smile, but it fell shortly after.

Max sighed before taking off his glasses and and staring up at the ceiling for a few moments. "You have to leave today."

My eyes snapped to his. "Who told you?"

"Amy. What are you planning to do about... well... your relationship?"

I sighed and looked away. "I... don't know. She can't go with me yet... and there's no way she'll be able to find me when she's allowed to leave."

Max scoffed. "Or me, for that matter."

I nodded, glancing away before sighing and burying my face in my hands. "I fucked up, Max."

I heard a small snort. "I noticed."

"Asshole," I said with an eye roll.

"Dick."

We stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter.

After we quieted, Max sighed. "Rohn, what if I went with you?"

I shook my head. "Not happening. You're supposed to be in here for another day or two, then take it easy for the next month and a half. You aren't doing that to yourself because of me."

"But I want to. We could figure something out."

"No. I'm not allowing it."

"You're not my dad. You don't have a say."

"I'm your best friend, and that's close enough to being your brother. I'm telling you no."

It got quiet again.

Max suddenly spoke up again. "So... that's it? What about that shit we said back in sixth grade?"

"That we'd stay together till death? Max... I think we both need to grow up. We were kids who didn't even understand what death was."

"Rohn, I know that you know that we both knew what death was from a young age... not that we were supposed to, but we did. I meant it when I said it. Did you?"

"Of course I did, Max... but we don't have that option anymore."

"It's sitting right in front of us, Rohn!" Max snapped suddenly, then groaned and held his head in his hands.

I sighed and got up to get his medicine on the counter. "And yet, you're not physically gonna be able to stand on your own two feet long enough to make it through the portal."

I walked over and handed him the medicine, and he took it gratefully before sighing.

"I just... don't wanna leave you if I don't have to."

"Max... I'm gonna get killed over there, okay? I can't wish anything like that upon you. You've never wanted to die," I said quietly, hoping he wouldn't bring up that last part.

His purple and blue eyes immediately looked at me before he snapped again. "And how do you know that?"

I flinched back, not understanding. "Max... what...?"