"R-Ryan..." The voice came through the phone, broken.
"What's wrong?" he replied, but the only answer was the sound of someone crying.
He sighed, "What do you want?"
"Sky Tower..." Her voice was barely a whisper. "Come pick up my body there."
The line went dead.
"Wait! Don't fucking do it!" He screamed into the silence, knowing it was already too late.
"FUCK!" He bolted for the door, grabbing his scarf and jacket. It was freezing outside, but that hardly mattered now.
"TAXI!" A yellow cab pulled over, and he threw himself into the backseat. "Sky Tower, go now!"
The driver caught his expression in the rearview mirror and floored it.
Please... don't do it. He knew exactly how far she'd go to make him pay for leaving her.
.
.
.
.
"HAAAAAAAA!"
The blue-haired boy gasped awake, sweat soaking through his clothes. His mind was a wreck.
[A nightmare?]
"...Yeah, something like that." He steadied his breathing, wiping the sweat from his face.
[You've been having a lot of those lately.]
"Tell me something I don't know." He got to his feet, legs still shaking.
[What do you see in those nightmares?]
"The reason I got into this shit in the first place." His voice was flat, emotionless.
[That human again...]
"Sighs... How long have I been out?" He ignored the comment, not wanting to go down that path.
[It's an hour till dusk.]
He sighed and rushed down the stairs. It was a miracle no one had found him sleeping here. If they had, he'd lose half his point allocation for next month—or face something even worse.
[Just indulge me this once.]
"What do you want?"
[An answer.]
"Fine. Ask the damn question."
[Why do you keep refusing to merge with your blessing?]
"That power will ruin me." He moved carefully down the stairs, avoiding patrolling guards at every junction.
[And what wouldn't? Living this way?]
"At least I have control over my own damn life." His eyes narrowed as he pressed himself against the wall.
[You know... it's truly sickening to watch you act like a weakling when you know just how powerful you could be!]
"Spare me the sermon. I'm not an idiot." He ducked behind a pillar, checking to make sure the coast was clear.
[I see. It's about her again.]
"Don't bring her up. I don't like it when you do that."
[Why?!]
"Just fucking don't, okay?" His voice was firm, final.
[You WILL die if you keep this up. It's inevitable. Only the strong get to live.]
"Stop it. Just stop trying to convince me already."
[...]
He ducked around another corner, skillfully evading the Reno-cam surveillance system. Years of this had made him an expert at avoiding detection.
[Well... it's your choice. I just hope for your sake the day won't come when you'll regret this.]
"It never will." The voice faded, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
..
...
Click.
The door was... open? He twisted the knob in surprise, and it creaked inward.
He crept inside, already hearing the sounds of students showering in the various rooms. Classes would start soon.
The moment he closed the door behind him, a voice reached his ears.
"About time you showed up."
He looked up. The room was dark, all the lights turned off, but he could make out a silhouette on the top bunk.
"Who are you?" He wasn't really interested as he began taking off his clothes, preparing for a hot shower.
"You can call me Eric."
Suddenly, the lights flicked on.
He looked up again, and this time his eyes widened slightly.
"You."
"Long time no see, banished prince." The man above him—now revealed to have deep golden blond hair and green eyes—grinned down at him.
Well, damn.