AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fuck.
But as the blood began to flow, something miraculous happened. The ink began to glow and shimmered like a mirage until it detached itself from my skin. My hand closed around the handle of a very real, very solid weapon.
The beast's final lunge was pure desperation, a last-ditch effort to snuff out the spark that I'd fanned into an inferno inside myself. I sidestepped and watched as it stumbled past me, its momentum too great to stop.
I saw the opening – a chink in the monster's seemingly impenetrable armor. I launched the bullet forward, my effort empowered by every scar, visible and invisible, that marked my skin and soul. The bullet plunged deep into its chest.The creature reared back, eyes wide in fear or confusion; I didn't care.
"Take a good look.This is the last face you're ever going to see." I snarled angrily.
Inky clouds wrapped around me as the monster howled its fury before it dissolved into nothingness. Silence descended, so thick you could choke on it.
The rush was exhilarating, intoxicating. This was more than a fight; it was catharsis, it was redemption—it was damn near spiritual.
I stood there, panting, and watched as the remains of my pain and fear disappeared into nothing.
"Is it really gone?" I half-expected the nightmare to rebuild itself from the ruins.
But as the storm around us quieted, and the dark clouds parted to reveal a less oppressive sky I knew it was over. The victory wasn't just about surviving; it was about conquering.
"Let's get out of this head trip," I offered Ansel a shaky smile. "I've got real-life asses to kick."
He reached out to take my hand, and together we focused on the world beyond the confines of my mind.
The transition back was disorienting. Reality warped and bent until, with a gasp, I found myself back in Ansel's mansion. I blinked rapidly, the afterimage of that desolate landscape still etched onto my retinas.
"Welcome back," Kylo stood beside me with a concerned frown.
"Miss me?" My voice was rough around the edges but laced with newfound power.
"Always," he replied and his gaze searched mine for signs of the ordeal I had endured. "Did you..."
"Kick its ass? Yeah," I cut in and exhaustion seeped into my bones now that the adrenaline waned away. "I did. Someone get me a drink," I suddenly craved the burn of whiskey. "And maybe a new set of knuckles."
"Coming right up," Kylo already moved toward the bar.
I slumped into a chair. The physical exhaustion was just a shadow of the emotional relief that washed over me. I'd faced down the monster inside, the echoes of my past, and emerged not just intact but reinforced.
"Looks like therapy's overrated after all," I huffed.
"Or perhaps you've just redefined the term," A hint of admiration colored Ansel's tone.
The whiskey burned a trail down my throat, but it was nothing compared to the searing fire of rebirth I'd just walked through. Legs draped over the arm of the chair, I swirled the amber liquid in my glass and watched the light play tricks with its depths—just like my mind had been doing for years.
"Quite the show you put on," Ansel’s voice was low and he took a seat across from me.
"Thanks, I'll be signing autographs later," My tone was laced with the kind of sarcasm that could cut steel. But beneath the barb, there was an undercurrent of gratitude. He'd stood by me in the eye of the storm, even when I'd been ready to bolt.
"Your power," he leaned forward, elbows on knees, "it's not just about jumping through time. It's about confronting what most people spend their lives running away from."
I tossed back the rest of my drink in one gulp. The thought should've terrified me—and a part of me was still shaking—but I couldn't deny the rush, the sense of control that came with staring down my nightmares and making them blink first.
"Most people don't get the chance to face their demons so literally," Kylo handed me another glass. His eyes held that familiar spark of pride that always managed to thaw my icy exterior just a bit. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for."
"Or more masochistic," I countered, but the smile that threatened the corners of my mouth felt strangely genuine. I extended my tattooed arms and examined the intricate ink that traced my history in permanent lines. Each one a story, a death, a life lesson etched into my skin.
"Maybe now you can start collecting tattoos for the demons you've defeated instead of the ones that've defeated you."
I stood up and felt the weight of their gazes on me—not heavy like judgment, but anchoring, like I wasn't facing the darkness alone anymore.
