Our eyes dart towards the vacant pistol in the middle of the room, and his head tilts as he ponders over who can reach it first. I close my eyes as I refrain from blowing out a frustrated breath. It's a never-ending batch of these fuckers. Opening my eyes back up, I clutch the handle of my blade and make a run for it.

Mateo's man drops to his knees to grab the pistol, and I jump on his shoulders, craning his head back, and slide the knife across his throat. I smirk as I watch his eyes widen fractionally, blood oozing from his throat.

"Hope you don't mind." I laugh, stealing the gun from his weak hold. "I'm going to need this more than you."

Opening the barrel, I catch three bullets left in the cartilage— three shells to get the fuck out of this hellhole. Pain radiates through my body as the adrenaline subsides, bringing my attention to my bleeding stomach. I hack up a coughing fest from the over-polluted air and rest my head on the wall, clutching my wound.

Blood strains my hand.

My tourniquet isn't working.

Just a few more minutes, Mika.

Sucking in a deep breath, I straighten back as if I am incapable of feeling pain and advance into the next room. My lips parts for a breath of surprise to tumble out. Fuck. Four men watch me warily as they grip the pistols in their jean pockets. Their eyes narrow, challenging me to-- go ahead, give us your best shot.

I twirl the blade between my fingertips. "I'll make this worth your while."

Cracking the kink in my neck, I shoot two bullets dead into two of their chests and tackle the other. The two bodies -thud- to the ground, and I kick the other in the stomach, using the frail body as a shield when the last man shoots him dead. I drop his body with a crazed smirk on my face and flirtatiously twirl my fingers.

"Now, it's just you." I wink.

His eyes turn icy, stoic as I knee him in the stomach, causing a grunt to escape him. I wrap my arm around his neck, yanking his entire body down to slam him against the floor. His eyes roll like a woozy cartoon, and I jump on his lap, gripping the blade with both hands. A dark smile across curves my lips as I stab, and stab-- and fucking stab.

Blood spats my face.

I sigh in relief.

I don't know how I managed to outsmart them.

Suddenly, a cry of pain and surprise escapes my throat as I bounce back from the force. My heart thumps a little faster when I see the collection of seven soldiers in front of me. Shit. My chest inflates and deflates rapidly and harshly as I take the single bullet into consideration. Another bullet strikes my shoulder, and I fall back, gnawing my lip in pain.

To protect, Asiel.

Everything will be worth it if he makes it out--alive.

From the corner of my eye, I catch a bullet heading my way, and I contort my body like acrobats do, missing the shell. Their rapid succession of fires dwindles as they have to reload--this is my chance to fuck them over. I fire my bullet at one of the random soldiers, causing his brain to decorate the walls. They click their guns back into place and fear easily washes over me.

I pull out my lucky knife and thrust the blade into another soldier's forehead. Perfect. Gunshots ring out in furious succession, sending a bullet into my thigh. Pain explodes through my leg, causing me to fall to the ground. I weakly crawl towards the wall for protection, another shot landing perfectly in my leg.

Gasping for air, I rest my body against the wall and stare at the darkness on the other side. Pain shoots through my body and my hearing is nothing other than rapid fire. I cry out as I rip my sleeve and wrap the fabric around my leg to stop the bleeding. My shoulders burn from the abrasion of the bullet, but all the pain is overshadowed by the shell in my thigh.

Pounding of footsteps stalks closer, showcasing the satisfied grins on those fucker's faces as they unleash another two bullets in my leg and arm. I yelp in pain, tears springing out of my eyes from the excruciating pain.

"Looks like we won," One of the buzz-cut copy chuckles, elbowing his gun in the other's stomach.

I force a smile. "Fuck you."

Wait-- I almost forgot.

Slowly, I inch towards the blade in my ankle, and the blink of an eye-- I pierce the fucker in the kneecap. He collapses, dropping the gun, and I quickly scoot the MK towards me, spraying bullets wildly at the rest of them.

"Must be bruising for your ego to die in the hands of a weak girl," I laugh, dropping the MK on the side and coughing out a mouthful of blood.

The coughing frenzy is endless as the smoke consumes the room. Struggling with my shaking hands, I wrap my other thigh, screaming into the abyss in pain. My lungs burn as I huff for every single train of oxygen-- slowly becoming light-headed. I need to keep fighting. Mika, you need to do this.

I flip onto my stomach, using my arms to drag me into the other hallway. Those fifty feet seem so much further than I anticipated, but I can't go back--Literally, sprays of fire block any other exit. I try to stand, but I cry out in pain as I drop to the ground, causing another strike of discomfort to tremor through me. Pieces of the ceiling plunge to the ground like leaves in the fall. I don't think I'm going to make it out of here.

I laugh. "I'm sorry, Asiel-"I pause as another glob of blood trickles down my lips. "I hope you don't miss me-- it will be easier if you don't." I blink away tears, blowing out a breath as I count the shapes on the ceiling wallpaper.

My leg refuses to move.

My vision blurs as the lightheadedness side-effect hits, causing an odd, white-like tint to the atmosphere. A little girl floats on the ceiling, cuddling her teddy bear. Wait, I think it's younger me? What is she doing here? My heart pounds as she drifts over to me-- the pure, innocence beaming off of her.

Using my elbows, I try to hoist myself up but scream out in pain.

"It's okay, Mika!" Her young, light voice waves in the air like the wind. "You did amazing. I'm so proud of you. You're exactly what I wish to be like when I'm older."

Tears leak down to my trembling lip. "R-Really? Even all the horrible things I did? You want to be exactly like that? A monster?"

She nods, using her thumb to wipe away my tears. "You gave everything up for the person you loved. What's something more heroic than that?"

My face scrunches as a passionate tremor rolls through me. "It's nothing. It can't undo all the horrible things I did. Maybe I deserve this-- to die here in the cold and on my own."

She shakes her head, tears gathering in her eyes, sliding down her rosy cheeks. "Don't say that. You're strong— so strong. We couldn't control the outside world, but we did what we could do. You never gave up— that's what makes you a hero. We can Rest In Peace now."

The dark cloudy smoke collides with the white flashing aura, radiating off of my younger self's body. My hand reaches out to grasp onto her to escape the peace and terror I caused. Find sanctuary in heaven or hell— wherever I go.

"Mika!"

"Mika!"

"Mika!"

The deep, throaty voice ground me back to reality, causing the light to disappear. Squeezing my eyes shut, I groan loudly as someone helps me up, pressing my body against theirs.

"Goddamnit, Mika!" He shouts, throwing my body onto his back. "You promised me. You freaking promised me you wouldn't die. I should've known better to trust you."

The entire room flips upside down as I lie on his back, feeling an ache with every step. My droopy gaze darts at his hand— the serpent snake tattoo.

Eugene?

A collection of shells fires from Diablo's hand, probably clearing up the room. Gently, he lays my body against the wall and I see new additions to my collection of bodies. Diablo holds his flashlight in his mouth and unscrews the bolts on a vent.

"We have less time than I thought." Diablo sighs, his hands trembling with the tool. "Mika, you're going to have to help me. You need to fight and crawl out of here. Okay?"

I glance down at my blood tainting the concrete floors. "O-okay. I can do it."

The vent cover falls to the ground with a -thud-, and Diablo kneels, encouraging me to use his knee as a booster. "I'll help you. Just try. Don't stand still. It's going to burn."

Screaming in excruciating pain, I drag myself to Diablo, and he pushes me into the vent. The confining area reeks of smoke and burns against my palms. The lack of space brings out the ache in my thighs from rubbing against the bullet.

I take a deep breath and say a few words of encouragement...

"I can do this."

At this point, I'm overwhelmed with enough pain that it starts to feel like I'm fine— as if I wasn't reaching death closer and closer with every passing breath. Nope. Adrenaline kicks in full gear, and I zoom through the vents, following Diablo's commands.

I cover my nose with my shirt since smoke would only do more harm than good. But as easy as it was for adrenaline to spread through my veins— it disappears. The entire space starts spinning— I can't see where I'm going anymore.

I collapse, unable to move a muscle.

"It's only a little further, Mika," Diablo pleads, pushing my bum. "Please! You can't give up now. Mika! Mika, you've come so far! Come on!"

"Everything hurts," I say, forcing all my body weight up with my elbows.

Somehow, I find the will to keep going. I crawl slowly like a fucking snail while Diablo pushes me further from the back. The fresh wind hits my face as we reach the end of the vent, collapsing into a pit of grass.

I land on my backside, causing a painful cough to escape my throat. Distress shoots through my body. It's impossible to move again. I'm gassed out. Mika's tank is empty.

"Good job, Mika." Diablo kisses the top of my head and throws me over his shoulder. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

"W-w-what about Asiel?" I ask, my arms waving frantically from hanging on his shoulder. "I need to know if he's o-okay."

"He's fine, Mika," Diablo says, opening a car door. "We have to worry about you."

My head hangs on the shoulder of the leather seat, clasping onto my stomach. "Eugene... It might be because I'm barely functioning, but thank you for this. Thank you for helping me."

"Don't thank me," Diablo states, shifting the car into gear. "It's the least I can do after everything I exposed you to. I never realized how horrible I was. I need to do a serious evaluation of my life."

I laugh, groaning from the ache. "Good! It's about time. What's your plan? After tonight?"

The tires burn against the asphalt roads as he speeds off, opening the windows to let fresh air in, and leans his arm on the surface.

Diablo taps his head against the steering wheel. "I don't know. Maybe open up a new club. An ethical one this time."

I snort. "Is that possible?"

Diablo narrows his eyes in amusement. "Anything is possible in my world. It won't be the same not having you working there. What will you do?"

I twist my head to the side, admiring the vacancy of the streets. Dogs and cats running around in search of a home. Garbage cans tilt over on the streets. The shining vibrant lights from the fast food signs, advertising to get our money.

What will I do?

That's an interesting question.

It's hard to view myself in a place that isn't miserable. I achieved my goal, but I lost him in the process. Is it time to go after a dream? But what if the only dream I had was to be with Asiel? It's stupid and cliche— makes me look childish, but receiving love makes me never want to lose it again.

But it's too late to take three steps back.

Instead, I have to go forward.

"I don't know what I will do," I say, licking my lips. "If I make it through the night, I could travel around the world. Paris. Tokyo. Milan. I have always been a girl with rich taste. But I'm not sure I'll get to experience it."

"Stop." Diablo's nose flares. "Don't say shit like that."

I laugh uneasily as my lack of mobility causes my head to bang against the dashboard. "Eugene, I'm... N-not going to make it."

A bright light burns away at an extension of life. I'm back again. Younger me. She's smiling down at me, extending her hand. Is it going to hurt? What's death like exactly— will my soul be gone forever?

I don't want to die.

I'm not ready.

There are still things I want to do, even if I'm lost while figuring it out.

I drift away from the light, but it attaches to my leg—everyone is waiting for me.

"Just hang on." Diablo's hold on my body feels faint, like if he isn't really there. He straightens my body on the seat. "Mika! Mika!"

"Eugene," I whimper, my lips quivering. "I'm scared. I'm so scared!"

"Mika!" He shouts, swerving the car, receiving a rapid succession of honks. "I know. I know. Hold on. Stay with me. Count to one hundred."

"Eugene." Tears pour freely from my eyes as I grip his hand. "I'm not ready. I don't want to die. I can't. I don't wanna go!"

"You're not going to die, Mika. Hold on. I'm begging you." His voice comes out like a genuine plead. "Mika. Keep talking! Stay with me! Stay with me! Goddamnit!"

"I-I'm s-so tired."

"No. No. No. Don't go. You're not leaving. Mika!" My eyes dart at teary, snotty-faced Diablo, unfastening his seatbelt. "Don't go. Keep your eyes on me. Keep talking--just don't go."

I'm slipping away.

I feel the hold on my body slipping away.

My soul is flying high, soaring in the sky like a kite.

"Someone help, please! She needs help. Please. She needs a doctor!"

"Sir, sir."

"Please, she's dying. Don't let her die. Mika, please don't go..."

Suddenly, all the pain floats away like magic, my vision cast with light--only bright white light.

My hands roam around the soft, pillowy surface. What's this? A bed? Why am I lying on a bed? My eyes flutter open, resting on the radiant fluorescent lights. They're so intense. It causes my eyes to squint. The area reeks of death. A consistent beep rings in my ears as I glance at my heart monitor. With my lips dry and feeling like death, I rip the tubes in my throat out and gasp for oxygen.

The pain invades my body as I rip the collections of wires off my arms and drop my blanket on the floor. A pang forms in the back of my head as my heart monitor goes off, alerting the world of my arrival. I groan as a pair of thrashing feet halt at my doorway, spattering his chocolate pudding on the floor with a wide mouth.

"Holy shit." Diablo exhales a sigh of relief and cleans his mouth on his long-sleeved shirt.

With furrowed brows, I move my hips to the side, gripping the monitor to hoist myself up, only to collapse to the ground. My vision turns blurry as a pair of arms saves me from the freezing white floorboards. The pain devours my body like a virus. I can't do anything.

Even breathing feels impossible.  

I'm gasping for oxygen, just receiving enough to remain conscious, but appearing as if I was in an out-of-body experience. Diablo presses his fingers on my neck and slams his fist on the object on the wall.

"The doctors are coming, Mika," Diablo explains, brushing my hair away from my face.

My head throbs at the sound of the howling heart monitor. To my surprise, the noise diminishes, and a faint smile stretches across my lips as my eyes flutter close. It's like I'm soaring in the sky, in the cotton candy clouds, with the pearly white gates in front of me-- this is so amazing!

Too bad. Everything turns into a tornado of darkness when chirping crows and weeds spiral up the gates. My back thumps against the harsh surface as I feel the dirt underneath my fingertips. My breath emerges in the icy darkness as my body trembles, clutching into a ball. Am I in hell?

"What's happening? Is she dying? Mika!"

The pleading, desperate voice whirls through the wind in a faint succession. At least the pain can't reach me here-- well, the physical kind. The crinkled flower petals fracture under my feet as I charge forward toward the abyss. If this is real life, it's really fucking depressing. The night is starless, with no pop of the universe's charm.

My pace quickens toward the center of my eyesight. I don't know what I'm running toward, but I never tremble in fear, even if it's the Devil I'm about to face. Suddenly, I stumble over a pile of dirt and fall to the ground. The atmosphere alters as I slip back to where I came from, colliding with rotten weeds.

I'm falling.

I'm dying, aren't I?

Shit.

My fingernails dig into the dirt, trying to save myself from getting swallowed up by the void, but nothing works. I grit my teeth. I can't go out like this. Suddenly, like a jack in a box, a living sunflower bursts through the dirt and I latch onto it. My muscle strains themselves as I hold my body up on the power of this magical flower.

The wind intensifies, gyrating my body around like a leaf on my tree, crashing my body into the ground. The ear-piercing, pounding heart monitor surrounds the area like a funnel, picking up an octave with every passing second.

"Sir, you need to leave. You will not want to see what comes next."

My hold slips, clinging to the edge of the flower, watching their flower petals fall to the void, one by one. Just for a few more seconds-- that's all I need. But it's like the God in this universe wants me to fail, and my grip falters.

My arms and legs flail around in the darkness as I fall and fall, and fall.

My eyes burst open.

I clear my throat, feeling overwhelmed by the raw dryness of my throat. My attention drifts to the grip on my hand as I recognize the serpent snake tattoo on his. I open my mouth to speak, but my voice merely comes out as a failed squeak.

Diablo's head shoots up, his eyes widening with pure happiness.

"As-ie-l?" I swallow saliva in hopes of easing the strain on my throat.

"Don't strain yourself, Mika," Diablo says, pouring water into a cup and mouth-feeding me it. "You have been breathing through those tubes for months. Don't worry, even in a coma-- you still radiated the definition of beauty."

I cheekily laugh, choking on the water. "W-What happened?"

Diablo gives my forehead a peck, meshing his growing, poking beard, scratching my skin. "What do you remember?"

"Everything up to the car ride," I explain, toying with the bracelet on his wrist. "After that, events get pretty shaky."

Diablo sniffles, his eyes blinking back tears as he peers at our interlocked hands. "I thought I was going to lose you. We arrived just in time. Any second later, and you might've died that night, but I had faith you would make it. You're the strongest person I know."

I roll my eyes. "Gee, I try. Where's Asiel? D-Did he?"

Diablo shooks his head. "Don't worry. He's alive, mourning you, actually."

My eyebrows jump to my hairline. "Mourning me? H-How?" I nibble my lips, sensing the fear creaking in. "How long have I been here?"

He strokes my hair out of my face, making me feel like an adolescent girl. "You lost a lot of blood that night, Mika. They were lucky enough to get you stable, but you slipped into a coma. You woke up two weeks ago and flatlined until they were able to resuscitate you. Today marks officially five months."

My stomach bottoms out. "W-what?"

Diablo sighs, pressing his lips against our intertwined hands. "That's not all. The bullets... hit very vital nerves. The damage remains unclear since you were in a coma, but it's possible that you won't be able to walk again."

My heart vibrates in my ears as I gape at my legs, trying to move them. "Ahhh, I guess I'm not as invincible as I thought." My eyes fall shut as I slowly breathe in and out, barely keeping my tears at bay. "How's Asiel?"

Diablo's eyes soften, giving his brown irises a glossy glow under the lights. "It's okay to be upset and mad at the world, Mika. You don't deserve this."

I heave heavily through my nose. "I do, actually. I've done so many things to people, Eugene. The pain... I caused. There's no saving me. I've been damned from the start. Maybe this is what I des-."

"Don't you fucking dare, Mika." Diablo's jaw ticks. "It's only a possibility, but I'm letting it become reality. I have enough money to get you everything you need to get better."

I pout. "You ignored my question. How's Asiel?"

My heart relaxes at the thought of Asiel living a better, happier life without me. It stings a little, but I'll give everything up for him to receive an ounce of happiness. We're far too different to make things work-- he embodies the good and I embody the evil-- two opposites of the spectrum.

A fault in the constellation.

Diablo flips my palm around and drops an item in it. My hands clam up at the sight of my engagement ring. I cover my mouth to stifle a sob, my heart dropping out of my body. How did Diablo get this?

"To the world, you've been presumed dead. Asiel arranged a private funeral for you and left your engagement ring on the grave. He brought the plot beside you, and plans to be with you in the afterlife whenever his time comes," Diablo explains, handing me a picture of Asiel's swollen red eyes during my funeral.

"Asiel has flowers sent to your grave every week. He used to do it himself but recently moved away to Europe in search of a reason to live. I won't lie to you Mika, he's broken without you. He's barely holding onto the grips of reality without you there with him," Diablo explains. "You can change that. All you have to do is explain everything to him."

"I want to." I bite my lip, playing with the tips of my fingers. "But I don't deserve to be forgiven. I don't want to be. Why the hell should I get to be happy when I ruined people's lives, Eugene? Asiel will be fine. Obviously, it will hurt for a little while, but he will find someone who deserves his love."

My tears fall to my lips, tasting like sweet, salty glory. "I'd gladly give up my dream for him. It's what he would've wanted. He doesn't want me-- he said so himself."

Diablo's eyebrows crinkle with a frustrated expression. "Have you even asked him? Maybe you should give him a choice. It's been months since everything went down-- things could've changed."

I shake my head. "I made my decision. I don't want to hurt him anymore. Asiel doesn't need me-- I need him, but right now, I need to focus on getting better."

Diablo sighs, dropping a kiss on my knuckles. "Fine. Once the doctor gives you the okay, I'm having you transferred to Sicily."

"Sicily?" My eyebrows crinkle up with confusion. "Why?"

Diablo rises from his chair. "Because I'm leaving you too, Mika. We outgrew each other years ago, but I've been afraid to let you go. I've done terrible things to keep you at my side, and I'm not proud of them. If you hadn't noticed, you're my Asiel. I don't want to live without, but it's not right of me to continue to use my power of authority over you."

My heart rate accelerates. "But who's in Sicily? Why not leave me here?"

"It's Isabela. She's going to be your support system. Isabela convinced her future husband to let you live with them while you recover." Diablo wears a depressing frown. "If you need anything... anything, I'll be on the next plane to help you, but I don't think you would or should involve me in your life anymore."

My heart splits into bite-size pieces of shards. It's gut-wrenching to lose the love of my life, but someone that's been a constant in my life-- for better or for worse-- is leaving me, too? Tears cascade down my cheeks. I didn't realize how much I cared about Eugene until he was one foot out the door.

He's right-- together, we're an abomination, but a mess I learned to value very late in life. We're users, vampires sucking human bodies dry. There's just something so oddly wrong about our connection that leaves me lost on a path I'm forced to explore on my own.

"You stayed until the end. My end." My voice breaks. "W-what will you do?"

Diablo shrugs, wiping the tears falling from his eyes. "I don't know. Start from scratch. Don't worry about me. Find a new purpose. Worry about getting better, Mika. Take care."

Like a hurricane, he disappears after the storm as if he hadn't been a part of the aftermath.

THE END....

I'm not kidding this is the last chapter guys... to be honest in the original version of story, Mika was supposed to die. 🙈 the main purpose would've been Mika sacrificing herself for Asiel which would of been her character defining moment

I felt like the story or the message of the story couldn't fully be portrayed unless she died, but obviously I went against my original idea like how could I kill Mika?

It would've been heartbreaking... now guys don't get too upset with me yet...  I have two special chapters for you guys...

I think you will love them or at least I hope you do... I do... and then we can get ready to say goodbye to these two amazing characters I grew to love so very much— Imma miss them...

What about you?

What do you want the epilogue to be about?

Also 👀👀have you guys figured out who could be the two leading characters for a spin-off 🙈👀?

Thank you so so so freaking much for all the support on Mika!! I hope you like the official ending (the epilogues) and I'm super grateful for all the love you gave Mika!! I can't thank you enough for sticking around with me until I finished this book!!

I hope you guys come back ❤️❤️❤️❤️💜💜💜

Love ya