Did you ever feel like one moment of your life significantly flipped everything else on its axis? My stomach stirs with uneasiness as we wait for Mateo's entrance. It's agonizing painful how slow time goes when you want everything to happen in the blink of an eye, like when you're waiting for the last five minutes for the school bell to ring. It's entirely idiotic to compare our situation to a mundane event like school, but it's the same type of dread.

Mika tries to make the slightest sound possible as she entangles herself with the metal chains. With over a dozen chains, it's hard to repeat the pattern from memory. I'm not much help, of course. I've been unconscious for more than half of our time here. It would be a miracle if I knew the perimeters of the room.

It's almost too hard to believe how everything has spiraled into a tornado over a few days. Two weeks ago, I was planning my wedding to my soulmate—only to find out the itty-bitty truth of everything. Destiny and fate are our friends with the constant entanglement of our lives— I don't doubt we would've run into each other one way or another.

One part of me wishes I collided with a revengeful Mika, seeking for the vengeance she deserves after being brutally gang raped and watching her friend die. The hopeless romantic in me is happy we met during a time when we both needed each other. I think this is how our story is supposed to end.

It would be a fairytale to believe we will walk out of this in love with each other.

The harsh reality is that life isn't meant to be a fairytale. The good, the bad-- nothing sensational happens when the two opposites of the spectrums clash. We both just crash and burn, falling to the darkest realms of the earth. I don't know if fate will give us the opportunity to survive through his mess, but I'll pray until the fucking last goddamn second.

A blasting slam of the door burst through the room, nearly shuttering my eardrums. Mika halts her movements, sporting a cold, stoic expression as Mateo's pacing gets louder. The sound of a click of his Glock fills the room as he collects the other bullets in his palm. He yawns, dark blue bags under his eyes from exhaustion.

Good.

I can't fucking believe my cousin I trusted more than anyone-- has been the one with the knife in my back the entire time. Why would he turn on me? Why would he murder my papa? He was like a fourth son to him--after Gato, of course. Is power worth sacrificing everything? It's astounding to me.

Why would anyone want to be Jefe?

Mateo holds the one bullet between his fingertips, displaying it to us before shoving it into the barrel. "Hope you guys didn't miss me-- it's time for my favorite game. Do you guys have enough luck to survive another night?" He leaves the question in the air, but no one answers. "Let's test the waters... who's first?"

I open my mouth to answer, but remember what happened earlier-- he will go after Mika first. As much as I want to beg him to shoot me-- Mateo will torture Mika. Anxiety courses through my bloodstream as he waves the gun between us. Eventually, his dark, calculated gaze lands on me and aligns the barrel with my forehead.

My stomach sinks with dread.

It's better me than Mika, right?

Mika's ocean-blue eyes widen with horror but quickly disguise the fear with a distant look. It's almost convincing to me, but I see the way her hand grips the chair arms— she's terrified for me.

"Do you have any final words, Mika?" Mateo asks, a shining glint in his eye as he keeps the gun locked on me. "It's essentially your fault he's dying."

Mika scrunches her nose. "How is it my fault?"

Mateo cocks his head. "If you went along with the plan, then I would've got rid of everything Asiel cared about except you. You could've been there to clean up the broken pieces, but nope. Mercy is too good for you."

"Fuck you." Mika spats. "How am I supposed to trust the word of a psychopath? You would've killed him, regardless. It doesn't matter— Asiel deserved to know everything."

"M-Mateo, there's still time to discuss this," I say with caution.

He scoffs. "Discuss what? You're going to die tonight or tomorrow. There's nothing you can say to get you out of this. Just remind your father to hide his secrets better next time."

My eyebrows furrow. "W-what are you tal-?"

"Enough with the chit-chat," Mateo orders, digging the barrel into my forehead. "No last words, Mika? No, I love you? This might be your last chance."

Mika sighs, glancing to the side. "I hope one day you can forgive me, but I know it's not possible. I'll spend every last second of my life making up for my crimes. I love you to the moon and back."

My heart swells like an air balloon, flying into the starry sky, but reality causes me to come crashing down. How can her sentences move me so much when betrayal lingers behind her every word?

"Lovely. I doubt Asiel has anything to say to you." Mateo winks at me. "Your time has expired."

My blood thumps to the sound of my erratic heart—anxiety trickling into my bloodstream. I tightly squeeze my eyes shut, heaving in and out with fear. Gosh, I hope these aren't my last moments.

BANG.

My eyes spring open to the fire of the gun going off, whirling past my ear as Mika tackles Mateo down to the floor. Holy shit. I could've just fucking died. A sigh of relief leaves me before I yank my hand from the cuffs and search for the pin in my pocket. Mika and Mateo are wrestling over the gun, tugging at each other's skin.

After locating the pin, I shove it into the other lock, jiggling the pin in all different directions. Sweat rolls down my forehead as I struggle with the lock and watch Mika take everything head-on. She elbows the shit out of Mateo's face, causing his hands to cradle his injured eye as she grabs the gun.

While Mika does a search and seizes in Mateo's pocket— a click sounds and the lock falls off my wrist. I rub my raw wrists; the ache spreading through my veins. Cages fly in the air when Gato grabs Mika and slams her to the ground, knocking the air out of her.

Quickly, I grab the metal chains and wrap the restraints around his neck, pulling him off of Mika. Gato flails his hands in the air, trying to rip the chains off his neck. I pull it harder, choking the shit out of him as Mika kicks his face back. Gato's movements slowly come to a halt, his head lagging to the side.

Mika grabs the other groups of chains and smacks Mateo in the head, knocking him out. I loosen my hold and check Gato's pulse— it's barely there. With a thumping heart, I rush over to Mika, taking her face in my hands.

She's panting, sweating from head to toe as cuts mark her face. Every breath I take is painful, but looking at the scars and bruises on Mika's face rips my soul apart. She bites her lips, and my thumb grazes the spot where she's nibbling.

"Let's go before they wake up," I whisper, dragging her head into my chest for a half hug.

I don't give Mika a chance to respond before lugging her out of the room by her wrist, running down the darkly dim hallway of the prison. It's like a never-ending maze of turning left and right, entangling us into a spiral of the unknown. Mika yanks her arm out of my hold, causing me to stop and look back.

"Asiel," Mika says, distancing herself. "We have to kill them. I have to kill them. They're going to keep coming after you if we don't. This might be our only chance."

I shake my head. "Let them be. Let's just get out of here and run far, far away."

Turmoil washes over Mika's face. "No. I'm not going to spend the rest of my life hiding from them. They don't get to win. It's time they paid for everything they have done to me and you."

"We aren't letting them win." I softly sigh, stalking to Mika, entangling our fingertips as one. "But you can't die for them. We will go about this revenge in a better way. A way we both make it out alive."

Mika's eyes falter to the ground. "I-It feels like I'm betraying Riley by letting them live another day. Try to understand me, Asiel. I'll kill two birds with one stone. I'll get justice for you, too." 

"Mika," I plead, my voice cracking. "If we stay, we will die."

Mika breaks away from my hold, taking a few steps back. "That's why I'm not asking you to stay--you can leave, Asiel. We're supposed to go our separate paths, remember? It starts here--tonight. You don't have to comprise anymore of your morals for me."

I grab her hand before she has a chance to walk out of my life forever. "No. I won't leave you. If you're staying--I'm staying. Fuck my morals. You're the only thing that matters right now. We will end everything tonight."

Her lips curl into a small, sweet smile, and she jumps into my arms. It's almost childlike-- killing them will set free the vulnerable teenager in her that's been lost under all the rumble. Would my soul be damned if I continue being with my brother's murderer? What does that say about me as a human being? We both didn't ask for these circumstances, but does it make this right?

Our hug is short-lived by the evaluation alarm going off and the beaming red light. "Thirty minutes left for evaluation. Gates will close every five minutes. Make your way to the front gates now."

Panic flares in my chest. "What the hell is happening?"

"They're awake," Mika blurts out.

"Fuck."

Shielding Mika, she thrust the bullets into the Glock and closes it, throwing the trigger back. All of a sudden, I'm struck to the floor with a powerful pang spreading through my skull. My finger touches the spot, feeling damp against my finger.

Blood.

Gato envelops the metal chains around his hand, flashing his crazed, sadistic grin as he restrains my neck from receiving oxygen. I'm gasping, clawing at the chains for a release as Gato's laughter rings in my ear. The entire room turns blurry, barely outlining the figures of Mika and Mateo fighting.

Three bullets fire, searing holes into the wall.

"This is for kicking me out of the familia! You motherfucker. I dedicated my entire life to our familia, and you tossed me into the fucking garbage. I would've never betrayed your father. Say hello to your fag brother for me." 

My chest ignites with the desire for oxygen as I slowly crawl to the light source in the sky. I stop fighting, unable to feel any part of my body. It's like I'm those flimsy car wash guys, waving aimlessly in the air.

A piercing bang causes the restraints around my throat to loosen, and I gasp for air, coughing like manic. "God, I've been waiting to kill him for twenty years. Miserable piece of shit. He had no right to kill you-- that's reserved for me."

Gasping severely, my gaze floats to a nonmobile Mika on the floor. Oh, my gosh-- she isn't dead, right? Where did the bullets from before land if Mateo was walking around perfectly? Please-- this can't be happening. I crawl over to Mika, watching how faintly her chest rises up and down-- no bullet wound in sight.

My head falls on her chest with relief.

I grip her hand. "Thank god."

Another ripple of bullets vibrates through the room, piercing Gato's skin. "He wasn't a part of the gigantic scheme. Gato just didn't like that you kicked him out--see, he was actually innocent. It's easy to tie everything to a dumbass like him."

Mateo kicks Gato's body as insurance to make sure he's dead. "Now, it's too bad Mika will miss the grand finale, but this will do." Mateo creeps towards me as I boost myself, trekking until my back hits the wall.

I put my hands up as a defense. "Mateo, you don't have to do this! You can be Jefe. You can rule the Morterero cartel. I don't care-- I won't try to stop you, but just let us go. We don't need to spill any more bloodshed."

He scoffs. "How dare you think you get the right to negotiate with me? Your father didn't give my dad a chance. Why should I give you the privilege my father didn't get?" 

"We don't have to follow in our father's footsteps."

Mateo laughs, ruffling his fingers through his hair. "Stop being so fucking righteous. You want to save me? I've been planning your downfall since you were in diapers. I'm supposed to be the Jefe, but your father was always so fucking self-absorbed. All of you guys are. You think you're so much better because you follow some bullshit code and honor the church's rules."

His beady eyes narrow on me. "You're worse than I am. You hide behind this little facade. Feeling guilty doesn't make you any better, Asiel." He pulls the trigger back. "You know what-- you will follow in your father's footsteps. To the fucking grave."

Everything happens in a blink.

Mateo fires the gun and I'm shoved to the ground by Mika. She clashes with the surface of the wall, losing her footing and sliding down to the ground. My eyes widen at the blood seeping into Mika's shirt and into her palms. She squeezes her eyes; the blood pouring out of her in rapid succession.

I run over to her, taking her into my arms, resting her head against my shoulder. "No. No. M-Mika?"

Pain mars her face as she clutches the wound. "I underestimated how much that would hurt." Mika laughs, causing a whine to slip from her lips.

I nuzzle the baby hairs away from her eyes. "Mika. Are you crazy? Why would you do that? You aren't supposed to take the bullet for me."

Her lips curl into a little grin. "I would burn down the world for you. Asiel, my life is yours. I'm going to be okay. We will be okay."

Tears spring out of my eyes, trickling down to my chin. "Mika! What are we going to do? You're bleeding so much." My hand lies over hers, dampening my palm with her blood. "It isn't supposed to end like this."

A dozen soldiers charge forward, two of them laying their hands on Mateo's shoulder. "Jefe, we need to go. The gates are closing in ten minutes."

Mateo nods, dribbling his finger on his lower lip. "Five of you, stay here. Make sure neither of them makes it out of here alive. Let's go, deliver the news to all the other familias. They don't need to answer to a pussy anymore."

Before Mateo escapes down the hallway, he sports a barbaric, ruthless grin as his soldiers shield him. A cough croaks from my throat as the room appears musky, smokey, and foggy. He's burning the place to the fucking ground and leaving us here to die with it. I'm ready to give up-- die right here with Mika.

What purpose do I have to fight?

I'm the weak link.

Mika's the strength--I'm only the heart.

She grips my collar, tugging my face closer to hers. "You can't let Mateo escape." Mika coughs into her shoulder, blood dribbling down her chin. "You promised one of us would get vengeance for Riley and me. Asiel, you need to do it for me."

I shake my head in protest, my tears falling on her face. "No. I can't leave you alone, Mika. It's not supposed to fucking end like this. We can both get him."

A hopeful smile spreads across Mika's face. "I'm just going to slow you down. You need to do it for me, please."

"M-Mika," I sob, biting on my trembling lip.

"It's my one request. Mateo is the ringleader-- he was the reason why we were raped that night," Mika admits, wiping the blood on her sleeve and her eyes widening.

Rage like nothing I've ever known infects my bloodstream, scorching me from the inside out. Mateo played the innocent game all too fucking well. Why does the Devil live and the God die? It shouldn't be like that. I'm tired of fucking being righteous.

Mika's quivering, pale hand passes me the gun. "Don't worry about me, Muñeco. I'm a survivor. I don't plan on dying tonight. I'll meet you on the outside."

I sniffle, carrying the heavy gun in my hand. "Promise?"

She kisses her thumb and extends her pinky out for mine. "I promise."

After entwining our hands, I gulp, staring at the two soldiers observing us and the other three guarding the exits. How the fuck am I supposed to take on all of them? Mika uses my body to boost herself upward, wincing every here and there.

Again, Mika proves why she's the toughest person I know when she stands up, acting as if she isn't brutally wounded. "I got them, Asiel. You worry about Mateo." She wiggles her eyebrows as the glint of the shiny blade in her hand sears my eyes. "So, who wants to be first? No one? Great. I love a little game of duck, duck--goose."

The switchblade lands on the tallest, lankiest man with a buzz cut in the room, causing Mika's grin to reach ear to ear. "Ooo, let's see what you got, big guy."

Before the man could grab his gun, Mika hops onto his back like a spider monkey and glides the blade across his neck. He falls to his knees, decorating the floors and walls with his dark, cherry-red blood.

Mika cracks her neck, wiping the smeared blood off her face with a crazed smile. "Who's next?" As expected, neither of the two replies, but Mika decides for the soldiers, stealing the gun from the dead man and shooting them clean in the skull. "Guys, seriously. It isn't fun if you guys aren't fighting back."

Her eyes float to me, and she mouths for me 'to go'-- I hesitate. My soul is chained to hers-- I don't want to leave her alone, but I need to finish what Mateo started. It will only end when he's dead. My eyes speak a million different words before I leap into the darkness of the hallway, pushing the clouds of smoke away from me.

Ignoring the burn sensation in my lungs, I run like the little train that could. It isn't until I'm met with two soldiers guarding the hall that I screech back. Glancing down, I look at the gun with three bullets left. I could waste two on these dumbasses and pray Mateo receives the last one or save them for better odds against Mateo.

Oh, what the fuck.

I fire the bullet into the soldier's kneecap, causing him to kneel to the ground. Charging forward like an angry bull, I bash the bottom of the Glock against the other soldier's head. His head bangs against the floor with a -thud-, and I leap on top of him, jabbing my fist into his cheek. My knuckles burn with agony as I punch until he's nonmobile.

A growl rips from the other man's throat when Mika appears like a ghost, kneeing him in the balls. She winks, and my heart does a cartwheel in my stomach. "Keep going. Just leave them to me."

I give Mika one last glance before sprinting down the hallway. Sweat trickles into my eyes as I play a game of cat and mouse with Mateo's crew. I might be slenderer than them all, but that means I'm faster. Two of his awfully skilled soldiers collide with each other as I escape in between them, only to crash into a rugged surface.

My body trembles with fear as I gape up to meet a rigid, firm face. His nose scrunches up with heaving rage as he claws his nails into my skin. Gasping, I squeeze my eyes shut, ready to meet my fate until a rapid succession of bullets comes from the background. The man eases his hold on my body, and I took the initiative to thump my pistol against his skull.

He goes down like a light.

Relief inflates my lungs.

The exit is only a few meters away.

One.

Two.

Three.

I'm out.

Mateo stands against the car, back facing me, with a cigarette in his hand. My lips twitch-- it's finally his time.

Tendrils of smoke rope into the air, coming from inside of the building that's burning from top to bottom. The two men with Mateo alert him by tapping his shoulder and pointing at me. His eyes darken with blazing fury, tossing the cigarette to the ground. My legs burn, using adrenaline as a source of energy as I swing my fist against Mateo's face.

"Jefe!" My attention drifts to the shouting voice-- finding Julian? He tackles Mateo's men, evening the playing field for everyone. "We're ending this tonight."

Mateo steals the upper hand because of my distraction and changes our positions for me to be on the bottom. His hands wrap around my neck, cutting my circulation for oxygen. "I'm almost surprised you left Mika to die in there. You hate her that much?"

My jaw twitches, and I claw at Mateo's eyes, causing a growl to rip from his throat. "S-St-op t-tal-k-king ab-o-ut- he-rrr." I inch forward, colliding our foreheads together, breaking his hold on my neck. "It ends tonight. You will die for your sins. You fucking piece of shit-- it's all your fault."

Mateo erupts into laughter, smashing my face in with his fist. "Oh, really? Is that what Mika told you? I thought you realized not to trust her anymore." He licks the blood off his lips. "I didn't think of it alone-- your faggot brother helped me. He wanted to make your father proud, and he needed to prove he wasn't gay. So he fucked Mika. I just sat back and watched. You're attacking the wrong person."

I stiffen with shock.

Ander?

Ander raped Mika, too?

Then why didn't she tell me?

A torndo of questions whirls in my brain. My big brother?

Mateo pounces on top of me, his eyes deranged, gripping my shirt, and banging my skull against the pavement. "How does it make you feel to find out everything in your life has been a lie-seeking justice for a man that raped the girl you love? You fail to even get justice for her."

I lose the will to fight. My arms fall to the floor as Mateo swings my face back and forth between his punches. A glob of blood escapes my mouth. I'm light-headed. The entire world is disappearing from my grasp.

Why?

Why do I have to be related to such a fucked-up familia? How am I supposed to look Mika in the eye again when all my familia has done is brought despair upon her? Mika... why didn't you tell me? Did you think I wouldn't believe you?

My souls drifts away to the abyss.

"Jefe!"

You fail to even get justice for her.

No.

No, I didn't.

Not yet!

Instincts kicks in, and I forage through my pocket for the gun, tapping every perimeter until the material grazes my skin. Pain explodes throughout my entire body. But I fight for Mika because she deserves to rest in peace. I remove my hand underneath Mateo's body, lifting the gun skyward against his head.

"You're the sickest one out of all," I sneer, gasping for a thread. "This is for Mika! You piece of shit."

My nose flares as I pull the trigger, firing the bullet into the side of his skull, blood spattering on my face. His entire body goes limp. His hopeless eyes stare down at me, unblinking, as he collapses on me. He's dead. Holy shit.

I nudge his dead body off me and wipe the nasty blood off my face. Julian's jaw locks as he sends a ripple of bullets into the men below him. Relief doesn't have a chance to sink when I glance at the burning building--Mika.

Panic seizes my lungs. "Mika!" I trek forward, through the burning agony, biting my lip to search for her.

Before I could touch the handle, the building combusts into ashes, sealing everyone's fate inside. The force sends me flying back, slamming my back against the grass as the fire burns brighter on the starry night. My heart rips completely in half. Ambulance sirens sound in the distance. There's a boulder in my throat as I crawl forward, only to be dragged back by Julian.

"Mika!"

"Jefe!" Julian shouts, holding my body back with a bearhug, my face crumbling into a million pieces along with my heart. "She's gone. I'm sorry, Jefe. She's with God now."

"No. No. She can't." A wrecking sob rips from my throat. "She promised me. She promised she wasn't going to die. Let me fucking go! I have to go save her!"

"Jefe! She's gone." Julian's voice cracks.

I fling around, trying to break out of his hold, but I'm crumbling into the building debris. "Why? It was supposed to be me! Not her. I was supposed to die. Let me go save her! Please! It's all my fault. It's all my fucking fault. What am I going to do without her?"

Julian sniffles. "Everything will be okay. You will make it through this. You aren't alone."

"I-I didn't even get to tell her I forgive her."

I can't control my sobs as I bury my face in the palm of my hands, screaming, sobbing, whimpering.

I thought you said you weren't going to leave me, Mika.

Did you guys see the other photo that's with the song? I feel like it really represents Mika and Asiel. ❤️💜❤️ they're so perfect!!

Do you guys think I should change the cover for when the book is finished? I'm working on some new aesthetics too just for fun 😂😂...

These pictures reminded me of Mika and Asiel!! ❤️❤️❤️💜💜💜

I'll leave you guys with this —-

Because I'm sure you guys are all going to hate me🙈🙈.... Two chapters left guys 😝😝

Thank you for all the support and I love ya!! I'm so grateful for your support!!❤️💜❤️💜🤍