Chapter Twenty-Five"Oh, don't stop on my account. I was enjoying the show," Grey said smoothly, his voice dripping with mockery. He placed one hand lightly on Idris's head and the other beneath his chin, the gesture almost tender, but the malice in his eyes was unmistakable.Idris froze. His body stiffened as the icy touch of Grey's hand cut through his playful demeanour. The grin faded from his face, replaced by a flicker of fear.Miles scrambled to his feet, his heart pounding. "Grey, stop! You don't have to do this!" he shouted, desperation edging his voice.The skies answered with a flash of lightning, illuminating the clearing in stark white light. The first drops of rain began to fall, light at first, then heavier, drenching everything in moments. Crimson stirred at the sound of the storm, his groggy eyes catching the dark scene unfolding before him. He shot up from his makeshift bed, snatched Miles's sword, and hurled it toward him."Catch!" Crimson barked. Miles reached out and seized the sword midair, his grip trembling as he turned back toward Grey.Grey's expression contorted into one of mock sadness. "Oh, but why should I stop now, Miles? Everything I desire is within my grasp. I mean it literally." His voice was soft, but the cruel undertone sent chills through the air.Raising his hand, Grey performed a slow, deliberate gesture, like sliding a door shut. In an instant, Miles and Crimson collided with an invisible barrier. The impact sent them reeling backwards, but Miles recovered quickly, slamming his fists against the unseen wall. "No! No, no, no!" he screamed, his voice cracking.Idris looked at Miles, his expression calm despite the tears streaming down his face. He met Miles's frantic gaze and managed a trembling smile. "At least," he whispered, "At least I got to have a real friend... even if it was only for a little while.". And I got to die with the face of—"SNAP.The sickening sound of Idris's neck breaking echoed louder than the thunder. Grey's hand moved in a slicing gesture, and though he held nothing visible, blood spattered the ground as Idris's head separated cleanly from his body.Miles's breath caught, his world tilting as he watched Idris's body slump to the ground, lifeless."Idris!" Miles roared, still pounding on the barrier. His voice was raw, filled with rage and helplessness.Grey held the severed head aloft by the hair, its features still bearing the face of Laurel. He turned it toward Miles, his lips curling into a sinister grin. "I told you I'd have his head," he said, his tone cold and triumphant.Tears blurred Miles's vision as he sank to his knees, nausea overtaking him. He doubled over, retching into the wooden ground of the tree as rain plastered his hair to his face. The scene before him burned into his memory—Idris, the boy who had just become his friend, dead. And worse, dead with the face of the girl he loved.Thunder cracked overhead as Grey stepped back into the shadows, his form illuminated briefly by a jagged bolt of lightning. Crimson's fists pounded against the barrier one last time before he turned to Miles, who was shakily rising to his feet, sword gripped tightly in his trembling hands."No," Crimson whispered to himself. "You're not doing this, Miles." He lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Miles's waist and leaping from the tree truck they stood in."Let me go!" Miles shouted, struggling against Crimson's grip. But Crimson held him tight, ignoring his protests. They hit the muddy ground with a squelch, rainwater splashing around them.Crimson didn't stop. He threw Miles over his shoulder and sprinted through the forest, his boots sinking into the wet earth.As Miles looked back over Crimson's shoulder, he caught one last glimpse of Grey. He stood in the tree they had leapt from, holding Idris's severed head high like a trophy. His grin widened as lightning forked across the sky behind him, the flash painting him in stark, terrifying relief.Tears mixed with rain on Miles's face as he whispered, "I'll kill you, Grey. I swear I'll kill you."