Avani Earthborn |:|TEL-1|:| ✔

SIXTEEN

"Cole?" Avani ran towards the figure.

And passed right through him.

Avani looked back. "Huh?"

Cole laughed and shook his head. "Avani, dead people cannot come back from the dead."

Avani frowned and looked down.

"Don't worry, though. I'll be with you in your mind." Cole shrugged.

Avani rolled her eyes. "That does no good, Cole."

"Oh, yes it does. I can boost your self-esteem!"

"So...you sure you're not real??"

"Oh," Cole said in a sarcastic voice, "I'm just casually walking around when I'm supposed to be dead. No biggie."

Avani smiled. At least someone cared to make her happy.

"Hey, Cole?"

"Yeah?"

"What were you about to tell me when...it happened?"

Cole looked down. "That's for you to find out. I'm dead, aren't I? So all the information that I know will go dead with me."

Avani stomped like a four year old. "But that's not fair! Even if I killed Azalea earlier-"

"You think you killed her?"

Silence.

"W-what?"

Cole's eyes became colder and colder. "I said you think you killed her?"

"I-I tightened- the veins- she's gotta be dead-"

Cole laughed. It came out bitter. "Well she's not."

"How do you know?"

"Avain! Use that brain of yours!" Cole flung his arms. "If I'm dead, I would be able to know who else is dead with me!"

Avani looked down and rubbed her arms.

"Look," Cole said in a gentler voice, "I know that you want to save this world-"

"You think I wanna save this stupid world?!" Avani couldn't hold it in anymore. "You think I wanna save this world that doesn't deserve saving? I'd rather die than live to see another day in this terrifying world!"

She dropped to her knees and cried.

But this time, her tears were now poisoned, too.

She cried oil.

Greasy black oil.

The oil stung her eyes, it hurts to cry.

"Just let me die..."

"Avani."

Avani shook her head.

"Avani, look at me."

Avani brought her oil stained eyes up to his crystal blue ones.

"I'm two years younger than you. And I still survived."

"Y-you didn't...and it's because of me..." Avani cried and lowered her head. It was her fault. It was her fault that this wonderful child didn't live his life happily. It was her fault that he died painfully by the hands of their enemies.

"Avani! Pull yourself together! There was one purpose for my life and that was to find you!"

Avani stopped crying. "What?"

This time it was Cole's turn to look down.

"I can't believe I just exposed myself like that..." he murmured.