Matt hung in the air like a broken puppet.
His feet kicked uselessly above the rooftop.
His face was red, choking, eyes wide with panic.
Cypriana's scream ripped out of her—
"ANDREW STOP!"
Andrew's arm was raised.
His hand trembling slightly.
Not from effort.
From emotion.
His jaw was clenched so tight it looked like it might crack.
Matt gasped, voice strangled.
"A—Andrew…!"
Steve stumbled backward, horrified.
"Dude, you're gonna kill him!"
Andrew's eyes flickered.
Cold.
Then—
"He's in the way."
Cypriana's breath came out ragged.
Her hands lifted instinctively.
Power surged through her veins like electricity.
Matt's body jerked slightly—
Not upward.
Downward.
Cypriana was pulling against Andrew.
Andrew's eyes snapped to her.
For the first time, real surprise cracked his expression.
"…Cypriana."
Her voice shook.
"Put him down."
Andrew's voice was dangerously soft.
"You're choosing him."
Cypriana's eyes filled with tears.
"I'm choosing life."
Andrew's lips twitched.
A bitter almost-smile.
"Life."
He spat the word like it was a joke.
Matt's body dropped suddenly—
Cypriana caught him with her power just before he hit the ground.
Matt collapsed, coughing violently, sucking in air like he'd never breathe again.
Steve rushed to him.
"Oh my god—Matt—"
Matt wheezed.
"I'm…okay…"
His eyes lifted, furious and afraid.
Andrew hovered inches above the roof now.
A shadow against the skyline.
The city lights made him look unreal.
Like something out of a nightmare.
Cypriana stood slowly.
Her legs trembled.
Her voice cracked.
"Andrew…please."
Andrew stared at her.
"I did this for you."
Cypriana shook her head desperately.
"I never asked for it."
Andrew's eyes darkened.
"You didn't have to."
His voice rose slightly, shaking with anger.
"They were hurting you!"
Cypriana shouted back—
"SO YOU KIDNAP THEM?!"
The words echoed across the rooftop.
Andrew froze.
The accusation landed hard.
Steve whispered—
"…Kidnap?"
Matt pushed himself upright.
His voice was hoarse.
"Andrew…where is Brianna?"
Andrew's gaze flickered away.
Silence.
Matt's voice sharpened.
"Where is she?!"
Andrew's jaw clenched.
"She's alive."
Steve's voice broke.
"Andrew, this is insane!"
Andrew snapped—
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"
The air exploded outward—
A shockwave.
Steve was thrown backward, slamming into a rooftop vent with a cry.
Cypriana stumbled.
Matt caught himself.
Andrew's breathing was ragged now.
His power was leaking.
Uncontrolled.
Like a storm breaking out of his skin.
Cypriana whispered—
"Andrew…"
Andrew's eyes were wet.
Angry tears.
His voice cracked—
"My whole life…"
The rooftop trembled beneath them.
"…I was nothing."
Matt's voice was quiet now.
"Andrew…"
Andrew's gaze snapped to him.
"You had friends."
His voice rose.
"You had confidence."
His hand lifted—
A metal pipe ripped from the roof, floating beside him like a spear.
"You had HER!"
Cypriana flinched.
Matt stepped forward, hands raised.
"Andrew, listen—"
Andrew screamed—
"NO!"
The pipe shot forward—
Cypriana reacted instantly.
Her power slammed into it midair.
The pipe stopped inches from Matt's chest.
Metal vibrating violently between two invisible forces.
Cypriana's voice broke—
"STOP!"
Andrew's breathing was wild.
His eyes locked on hers.
"You feel it too."
Cypriana whispered—
"I feel fear."
Andrew's voice dropped, intimate.
"You feel power."
Cypriana trembled.
Because he was right.
Under the terror…
There was something else.
A thrill.
A hunger.
A darkness that whispered:
You could make them all stop.
Andrew floated closer.
His voice softened.
"Come with me."
Matt's head snapped up.
"Cypri—no."
Andrew's gaze never left her.
"We don't need them."
His eyes flickered toward the city.
"Not rules. Not shame. Not whispers."
Cypriana's throat tightened.
Andrew whispered—
"They'll never hurt you again."
Her heart pounded so hard it hurt.
The rooftop felt like the edge of the world.
Matt stepped closer to her side.
His voice shaking.
"Cypriana…don't."
Andrew's eyes sharpened.
"Move."
Matt didn't.
Cypriana's breath hitched.
Steve groaned from the ground.
"Guys…"
Andrew's voice turned cold.
"Move."
Matt's voice was firm.
"No."
Andrew's power flared—
The rooftop cracked.
Concrete split like lightning.
Cypriana screamed—
"Andrew!"
Andrew's voice broke—
"WHY WON'T YOU JUST LET GO?!"
Matt shouted—
"BECAUSE THIS IS WRONG!"
Andrew laughed.
A broken sound.
"Wrong?"
His eyes were wild now.
"What was wrong was my dad's fist."
The air shook.
"What was wrong was everyone laughing at me."
The pipe vibrated violently again.
"What was wrong was her calling her a whore—"
Cypriana flinched.
Andrew's voice shattered—
"And nobody doing anything!"
Cypriana stepped forward suddenly.
Her voice cracked like glass.
"I'M DOING SOMETHING NOW!"
Andrew froze.
Matt froze.
Steve froze.
Cypriana's hands trembled at her sides.
Tears streamed down her face.
Her voice was shaking but loud.
"I'm choosing me."
Silence.
Andrew whispered—
"…What?"
Cypriana's breath hitched.
"I'm not your excuse."
Her voice broke.
"I'm not his trophy."
She looked at Matt.
Soft.
"I'm not your good girl to save."
Then she looked back at Andrew.
Her eyes were wrecked.
"And I'm not your darkness to drown in."
Andrew's face cracked.
Pain flashed.
"Cypriana…"
She whispered—
"I care about you."
Andrew's eyes burned.
"Then come."
Cypriana shook her head.
"No."
Andrew went still.
The air held its breath.
His voice was barely there.
"…You chose."
Cypriana sobbed.
"I chose life."
Andrew stared at her like she'd killed something inside him.
Then—
His expression hardened.
A door slammed shut in his soul.
"Fine."
Matt's voice rose urgently.
"Andrew, don't—"
Andrew lifted higher.
Above them.
Above humanity.
His voice echoed like thunder.
"Then you're all against me."
Steve whispered—
"Oh my god…"
Cypriana's breath shook.
"Andrew…"
Andrew's eyes flickered down one last time.
Not hate.
Not love.
Something worse.
Loss.
Then—
He shot upward into the night.
A streak of darkness vanishing into the sky.
Gone.
The rooftop was ruined.
Concrete cracked.
Wind screaming.
Steve sat up slowly, bleeding from his lip.
Matt was breathing hard, staring at the sky like it might swallow him too.
Cypriana stood trembling.
Empty.
Matt stepped closer.
"Cypri…"
Cypriana whispered—
"What have we done?"
Matt's voice was hoarse.
"We have to stop him."
Cypriana's tears fell silently.
Because deep down…
She knew.
Stopping Andrew might mean ending him.
And she wasn't sure her heart would survive that.