"I knew you would come."
Ash turned to the silhouette by the window. "Did you have fun seeing me being a fool?"
"I should be the one asking," the silhouette turned to face Ash. "Did you have fun using my sister and molesting..."
"Don't fucking call her your... don't call her that Rhys." Ash laughed in disbelief. "When I saw the dead body I couldn't believe it. I... I didn't want to believe it. I badly wanted a sign that it wasn't his body that was lying there."
He swallowed to moisten his suddenly dry throat. "When I found the first clue I was overjoyed because it was so like him to live a damn puzzle life. So, I dug some more and they led me here."
"Ash,"
"That Princessah... that girl... I didn't fucking hurt her because... because I thought if he's playing a game, heck why not utilize all the fucking pieces he provided?"
"Ash..."
"But it was all a fucking lie!" Ash hissed, his hand grabbing Devyn's neck within a second. "It was his fucking body that was lying lifeless there and you're roaming freely out here living his life." He felt his fingers tighten around the other boy's neck, his teeth clenching as he fought back a growl.
The pain of his veins bulging through his skin intensified with every moment he held himself back from tearing Devyn's throat open with his teeth. "You killed Devyn Kaniesky, and came here to replace him. You know what that means?"
The other boy started frantically hitting the hand that kept tightening around his neck.
"It would have been better if you had told me the truth when I first met you here. But you didn't." He threw the thrashing boy in his hand across the room. Crashing sounds of breaking furniture and glass followed soon after.
"No please Traceigh stop it. You're not thinking straight..."
"You did everything Devyn did. His tone," The door was thrown open and Ash ignored the pain that came with the blinding lights. "His walk, scent, who gave you the fucking right to imitate him!?"
"Devyn," Mateo ran to Devyn's side, Thane positioning himself between Ash and the injured boy.
"How did you get in here?" Nyx asked cocking his gun, the guards that ran in with them following suit.
"Wait," Stellan held up his hand, stopping everyone from firing.
"What do you mean, Stellan?" Nyx turned to him. "Are you...?"
But Ash was oblivious to all of that. He was focused on the bleeding boy on the floor only. His body had collided with the drinks' cabinet, breaking the soft wood and glass. There was blood all over his body too, his hair dark with blood.
Still, Ash was oblivious to that as well. As far as he was concerned, that was Rhys Grier, the guy that killed his partner and impersonated him. On top of the murder, Devyn's sister had been fooled. And worse? Ash had mistreated his dead partner's only remaining family instead of protecting her.
Because Ash had also been fooled. Nothing was right about any of it. Nothing was right about Rhys Grier being alive while Devyn...
"Did you think just because you were identical you could easily replace him and no one would know? Why...?" Ash took a step towards Devyn and Thane cocked his gun. "Why did you kill Devyn?! Why did you fucking do it Rhys? Give me a damn answer, because I need it. I need to give his sister an explanation. I need it. And I swear after you give it, you'll have to pay for it."
He lunged towards Devyn.
"What are you waiting for Thane?" Nyx called out when instead of shooting, Thane tried pushing Ash away but was thrown across the room instead.
"No, Traceigh," Devyn leaped from Matteo's arms at full speed, pushed Ash aside however, couldn't help getting hit by the bullet that left Nyx's gun.
"Devyn, fuck you," Matteo rushed to Devyn's side. "What the fuck was that for, huh? You fucking idiot."
"For fuck sake Nyx," Stellan shoved Nyx but it was already too late. Ash had rolled to Thane's side and grabbed his gun. He had already started shooting back while using Thane as a shield. Grabbing his own gun, Stellan rushed to Devyn's side. "Get out of here." He told him, keeping his eyes on his brother.
"Please..." Devyn was saying, a single tear rolling down his cheek. "Don't... kill... don't... kill..."
Matteo put down his gun and lifted the bloody boy into his arms.
Stellan and a couple of guards covered Matteo as he rushed out with Devyn. When he noticed that Ash was trying to inch his way to the window, Stellan called out for the guards to let him go. No matter how much they wanted him dead, Devyn didn't want that.
Besides, the psycho was using his twin brother as a human shield for heavens' sake.
But no one heard him. As soon as Matteo left the room Nyx had started firing and soon everyone with a gun was shooting.
Time seemed to slow down as Stellan watched the convulsions of his brother's body being hit by bullets. "No... no... Thane come to me... please..." He called out when he saw his brother hang his head.
But Thane couldn't hear him. Stellas got to his feet and ran towards his brother. The first bullet embedded itself in his groin, the second landing in his shoulder blade. A third flew past the side of his head, grazing his ear a little too much. That didn't matter.
His motion must have alerted everyone else to cease fire, or perhaps because Ash had already jumped out the window, but the silence that followed the moment he reached his brother was terrifying.
It was as though he had crossed over into another dimension with his brother. A dimension in which life handed over souls to death. A dimension in which, at that moment, only Stellan and Thane existed. Stellan, Thane, and Death.
"Thane, please don't do this... please don't fucking do this to me..." Stellan cradled his brother.
Thane seemed to smile a little at Stellan with his eyes closed, his fingers moving as though he wanted to lift his hand. But it was only for a fleeting moment. His brother wasn't moving.
"You know I fucking love you asshole if you leave I'll be wrecked please... Thane please, please... oh please... please..."