This is a VoiLanta fic. Both charcters came from The Dark Element. The song title is Final Masquerade by Linkin Park.

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Atalanta was running. Her footsteps were echoing against the metal floor of the empty hallway. She could faintly hear another set of rapid footsteps behind her, and she knew that he was getting close.

The heroine increased her pace as she focused on her destination. She needed to get away. She needed space. She needed to be alone.

Upon arriving in her room, she immediately locked the door behind her. She leaned her back against the wall as Void arrived at the door of her room and was banging desperately at it.

“Please, Atalanta. Let’s talk about it,” he said pleadingly.

“We have nothing to talk about,” Atalanta’s voice was shaking, and it wasn’t because of fatigue from running.

“Atalanta…” Void trailed off, sitting down with his knees to his chest and his back on the door, unknowingly imitating Atalanta’s position on the other side.

He could feel the waves sorrow and pain that was emitting from his old lover and he knew, even without looking, that she was crying. Not that he could blame her as he too has tears streaming down his pale face.

He remembered a song that he and Ata used to sing and he started to sing softly. “Tearing me apart with words you wouldn’t say. Suddenly tomorrow’s moment washed away. ‘Cause I don’t have a reason and you don’t have the time. We both keep on waiting for something we won’t find.”

Void was pouring out all of his emotions into the song as he remembered how happy they used to be and how that happiness became the reason they drifted away, and eventually fell apart.

“The light of the horizon was brighter yesterday. The shadows floating over, the skies begin to fade. You said it was forever but then it slipped away. Standing at the end of the final masquerade. The final masquerade.”

Atalanta knew in the beginning that it wouldn’t work, but she let herself fall for him nonetheless. She loved him so much that it was painful for her to leave him. But it was needed. They were starting to suffocate each other.

“All I ever wanted the secrets that you keep. And all you ever wanted the truth I couldn’t speak.”

Atalanta sang in regret. They both shared the darkness inside of their minds that led them together. The pain, the guilt, the sorrow.

“’Cause I can’t see forgiveness and you can’t see the crime. And we both keep on waiting for what we left behind.”

Shortly after they became together, they started to become overprotective of each other, to the time where they began to cross their partner’s privacy.

“The light of the horizon was brighter yesterday. The shadows floating over, the skies begin to fade. You said it was forever but then it slipped away. Standing at the end of the final masquerade. The final masquerade.”

Their relationship was slowly deteriorating and they knew it. They were only hanging by a thread by the time Atalanta cut it off.

“The final masquerade. Standing at the end of the final masquerade.”

This is now their final stand.

“The light of the horizon was brighter yesterday. The shadows floating over, the skies begin to fade. You said it was forever but then it slipped away. Standing at the end of the final masquerade. The final masquerade.”

Atalanta had given up.

“Standing at the end of the final masquerade.”

And Void was letting go.

“Standing at the end of the final masquerade. The final masquerade.”

“I understand now,” Void whispered, standing up from the position he was in. He wiped his tears away but they keep on falling. His acceptance of the fact that they were already over didn’t lessen the pain that he was feeling. He started to walk away with a heavy heart.

“Void…”

The dark elemental stopped in his tracks and turned around to see Atalanta standing at the open door of her room, smiling despite the tear track on her face. Void resisted the urge to wipe it off.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I still do love you but…”

“It won’t work,” Void finished for her, sniffling as he wiped his last tear away. “I know.” He smiled. “I know.”

Atalanta bowed her head as the smile disappeared from her face. “I’m really sorry for hurting you like this,” she said, sniffling softly.

Void walked to her and lifted her chin so that she was looking at him. “You don’t need to be sorry, Atalanta. I don’t regret loving you, and I never will,” he whispered, wiping her tears away.

Atalanta smiled a little at his declaration and looked at Void. They both leaned forward and their lips met for the last time.