I sniff and nod, then I feel him move away from me. When I hear a liquid being poured all over the floor from a distance, I lift my head, slowly removing my hands from my face. Hell has a gasoline can in his hand, dousing absolutely everything in fuel, and the toxic fumes assault my senses.
“What are you…” I trail off as he drops the can onto the hard floor with an echoing thud.
I observe his every move until he stops behind me again and he withdraws something from his pocket. He pulls out a box of matches and when he ignites one, the flame is bright in the dark room.
“Let it go, my Little Dolly. Light it the fuck up and let it all burn.”
With a shaky hand, I take the match from him, and he places his lips on the side of my head. Without hesitation, I toss the match onto the ground.
The flames climb into an inferno, a wave of fury, destroying all the horrific memories that happened here and I feel a sense of satisfaction. We wait for a few seconds longer before he guides me toward the door. I take one last look back at my childhood,my old life, burning away just as it should, then with a tense breath, I follow him, leaving it all behind me.
While standing by the fence at the back of the mansion, we watch as it disintegrates into nothing but ash and haunting goodbyes. The flames roar and the ember of the blaze fills the air. With my arms and legs wrapped around Hell, I lay my face on his shoulder, feeling the heat from the fire warming our skin.
“Thank you,” I whisper, my voice full of raw emotion.
He glances down at me, his eye easing. “You don't have to fucking thank me, Dolly. Just don't ever leave me like that again, or I'll be forced to chain you the fuck up myself,” he responds, his tone serious yet amused.
I gently smile and sigh, the weight of the past few weeks lifting slightly. “Don't worry, I won't,” I promise.
He gazes over at the burning mansion again, the flames consuming everything in their path. The adrenaline fades, replaced by a strange calmness, and the crackling of the fire drifts into the background. I look up at Hell, his painted face illuminated by the distant glow of the flames.
“Will he know that I am at Oddity? I don't want all of that to be for nothing,” I murmur.
He strokes my back soothingly with his gloved hand, then presses his lips against my head. “I'll sneak you in. It’ll be fucking fine.” he reassures me, “No one will know you’re there until I finally kill this motherfuck tomorrow night.”
I lift my head fully in shock, “Tomorrow night?” I gasp out.
“Yeah, tomorrow night. The Shadow’s have helped me set him up since he raided Oddity.”
A big smile spreads across my lips as he carries me away to his bike, I feel a small sense of closure.
“As I said, my pretty girl, this will all be over soon, and I fucking meant it,” he reassures as I lay my face on his shoulder.
Early in the morning, I make myself a glass of water in the dimly lit kitchen, adding a few ice cubes. The first light of dawn barely pierces through the windows as Soul strolls in, slumping into a chair behind me with a big yawn.
“Where the fuck were you last night?” he asks, his voice gruff with tiredness.
I side-eye him, taking a sip of my water before turning around to face him. “I was with Noir,” I finally answer.
His arms freeze midair, disbelief etched across his face. “What the fuck are you talking about, Hell?”
“She’s upstairs asleep.”
He shakes his head once, almost shocked. “No fucking way.”
I nod, my expression deadly serious. “I’m not lying.”
“How the fuck?”
I shrug, leaning back against the counter. “She thought it would be easier if Kyro believed she was dead.”
He raises an eyebrow, sitting back in his chair, trying to process the information. “And what do you believe?”
“I guess it has. He’s been acting more careless with his locations, thinking he’s gotten away with shit,” I reply, my words laced with agitation. He nods, and I continue, “The Shadows want him dead for raiding Oddity, and they are setting him up tonight.”
“How?” he asks, his tone now full of intrigue.
I lean forward, my eyes locking onto his. “He’s going to see them tonight to ask for mercy, but on the way there, we will fucking ambush him. Get the Dark Night crew together with all their ruthless weapons. We war at eight pm.”
