The tension thickened as Joel stepped out of the shadows.

Alianna wanted nothing more than to cut the smug smirk off his face as Joel looked at the men he betrayed. The Keepers had their guns trained on him in an instant. Joel uncharacteristically smiled, it sent chills down Alianna's spine.

"Very good Alianna," Joel clapped slowly, "I was wondering when you would've figured it out."

"I hated you from the moment we met," Alianna crossed her arms, "accessing your bank records and family history only cemented it." She looked at him without emotion, "I am impressed to be honest, you have the blood of your brothers, men you worked with, men who respected you; who feared you on your hands. I'm surprised you sleep at night."

"With the help of a bottle of whiskey honey." Alianna scoffed in disgust at Joel's cockiness.

She stepped closer to him with less than foot sparing his life. The Keepers loaded their guns, waiting to kill the traitor. "Take me to him," Alianna looked Joel straight in the eye, her gaze stubborn and unmoving.

"How bold of you to assume that I won't kill you; right here, right now."

Alianna smirked and stepped closer, grinning as Joel took one step back, "You won't. As much as you would love my blood dripping from your fingertips; you can't." She leaned in to whisper in his ear, "I was once his pawn, just like you."

Joel growled and wordlessly turned, walking towards the staircase. Alianna raised her fingers up, gesturing to the Keepers to follow despite their uneasy looks. Her heart pounded as she beheld the sight before her as they entered the top floor.

Jax was bound and tied to a chair near the window, the neon lighting from the nearby high rises hid the extent of his injuries but from his bare chest she could see bruises forming from punches and blood dripping from his shoulder.

"You didn't need to hurt him," the gentleness in Alianna's voice stunned everyone as she looked towards the man who was staring out of the window.

"I had no intention of hurting him," L'iiblis admitted quietly, "but he threw the first punch." His face was filled of sadness as he looked at Alianna, not unlike a innocent child looking at his mother.

Alianna spared Jax a glance, "I believe you." Their conversation stunned the Keepers and despaired Jax. He knew the psychological hold L'iiblis had on Alianna, she was putty under the caress of his words.

"I was surprised to see him alone this morning," L'iiblis continued, circling Alianna slowly. "I'm guessing my Alianna was still tucked up in bed."

"This is between you and me," Alianna held her chin up high, pointedly ignoring Jax. "Call off your guard."

"Only when you do," L'iiblis turned around.

Alianna looked at the Keepers and nodded; the men obediently migrated to the wall but the barrels of their guns never left the centre of L'iiblis' head. L'iiblis clicked his tongue, regaling Joel to the corner of the room. She sighed and joined him at the window. The neighbourhood was quiet as they looked out at the abandoned buildings. They were silent, almost enjoying each other's company as the rain poured outside.

"I had a dream," the man beside her started, she heard a blade being drawn and looked down as it slipped over the smooth concrete, "and empire," L'iiblis gestured to the buildings in front of the pair, "imagine these giants, teeming with people working about ground and below; all for a greater cause."

"Then you should have overthrown Marino when you had a chance," Alianna ground out, "when I told you to now here you are; a grown man regretting not listening to a little girl."

The knife sharpening paused for a deadly second, causing Jax to yank forward in case L'iiblis stabbed her. "You were right," he moaned woefully, "you were always right." He heaved a sigh, "It's times like this I wished I had just kept you to myself, tucked away at that school and raised you like the daughter I was never allowed to have."

Alianna looked at him tearfully like a child looking on at their parent's pain. "Is that what you thought of me? A daughter?" The pain in her voice was tangible, "Did you love me as your own when you tortured me? All those times you hurt me, all those time you spilt my blood? Those time you would beat me within an inch of my life? That was love?"

"If it wasn't me," L'iiblis' voice was colder, making Jax fight more against his restraints, "it was going to be Marino. I rather cut off my own hand than for you to feel pain by his."

Alianna audibly swallowed her incredulity at the spew of confessions, "You failed at that, he turned me into a monster."

"I know!" L'iiblis roared painfully. 

"I never meant to give you this life. When I rescued you from your parents, your mother so malnourished, she couldn't even hold you to her breast. Your father was struggling to put food on the table and keep a roof over your head. I tried so hard Alianna." A tremble ran down her spine at the sound of her name, "I tried so hard to protect you from this life, I should have left Marino when I took you but in the end, you became the reason for our success."

L'iiblis circled her slowly, "This is your last chance my Alianna, come back to us or die here."

Alianna smiled as she looked at him, "Did you know at one time, I loved you like a father?"

"You were my hero, my saviour despite all the pain and trauma I suffered and haunts me. But all that was shattered from the moment I split blood on my own. It was only then I realised how naïve I was, how foolish my definition of love was and it wasn't not my fault; because our life was the only life I knew. Then I met someone," her eyes flickered to a frozen Jax briefly, "someone who showed me that there was more to the world than a countless corpses and a sea of red. Someone who broke me out of the mold you put me in. Someone who showed me how to love; how to truly love."

The knife halted as L'iiblis gave her his full attention, "Then you've made your choice then?" Alianna did not answer and her gaze remained fixed on the man who towered over her, her decision rang loud and clear.

"Then prepare to die."

Alianna smiled calmly, "I will die; just not today". A mechanical buzz echoed through the building as a drone swooped through the window, making L'iiblis duck. "The man you gave us wasn't much. I was surprised you didn't kill him but I'm thankful you didn't; because he's one hell of a drone pilot."

Evan's congratulatory comment to Patrick filled her in-ear piece as the drone cut through Jax's restraints and with one easy flex of his body; the ropes fell to the floor. L'iiblis stood momentarily dumb as Joel pulled out his gun and instantly, nine guns were trained onto him; red dots all aimed at his heart.

"Stand down you buffoon. God, you never had a sense of honour."

The condescending order made the corners of Joel's mouth twitch. Jax stood rubbing his wrists, Alianna quickly assessed him as he rolled his neck, whatever wound that was on his shoulder would not hinder him in the inevitable fight. Jax spared risky glance at her, just to ease his nerves that she was okay.

L'iiblis broke the stolen moment between the couple as he lunged for Alianna but Jax was quick to intercept as he tackled L'iiblis to the ground. Alianna's breath caught in her chest as L'iiblis escaped Jax's hold, baring his teeth in a feral display of anger she had been witness to countless times. Jax took a few steps back creating some distance between him and L'iiblis. His blood ran cold as the sound of metal against concrete rang off the walls but a thump at his boot, made him look down. Alianna had slid a knife over to him and even in this moment, much to her frustration, he smiled in thanks.

"Let's get one thing straight L'iiblis," Jax smirked and pointed the knife at the caged animal before him, "you were her past, I," the blade was cold against his bare chest, "I am her future."

A primal growl emanated from Jax as he lunged at L'iiblis with top speed. The older man weaved and dodged every knife slash with a practised air. L'iiblis smirked as he swung his leg, deftly bringing Jax down with a low kick and slashing his arm in the process. Jax grinned and returned the favour, bringing L'iiblis to his knees with a swift kick, plunging his knife into his leg.

"Ah, I see my child has taught you some tricks." Jax's chest was heaved as he panted through the pain as he watch L'iiblis wobble to his feet. L'iiblis groaned as he pulled the knife out of his leg. "Come now, let's not play with toys," L'iiblis tossed the knife along with every gun and blade he had on his person. "Let's settle this; man-to-man."

Jax side stepped L'iiblis' tackle easily and got the first punch in to his face. Flesh met flesh as the men were equally matched, evading attacks and targeting the other's wounds. Alianna looked on, frozen to her place as paralysing fear and anxiety clouded her judgement. Her fingers gently brushed the hand of her knife; her forever friend.

Jax roared as L'iiblis managed to catch his arm and wasted no time in stabbing him again. Jax groaned as L'iiblis put him into a chokehold, making him drop his blade. L'iiblis increased the pressure on Jax's neck as he turned him around to face Alianna. "You are her future huh?" L'iiblis growled as Jax sputtered and gasped, he could feel Jax's muscles relaxing from the lack of oxygen. "You let your heart cloud your mind. This is the present and this is how your story ends."

Jax fought against L'iiblis but he could feel the life leaving his limbs. As much as his mind was fighting, his body did not have the will to do so. His vision blurred as the last thing he saw was Alianna, innocent as a doe before his eyelids closed.

A gush of hot liquid against the back of his neck awoke Jax's senses as gurgling noises reached his ears. The death grip against body loosed and he was able break free and turn to face his opponent.

Nimble fingers slid away from L'iiblis' neck as the shock of the pain opened the beast's eyes. As L'iiblis' body fell sideways, it revealed Alianna, cradling his ginormous form, her face aghast at she had done, gently lead him to the floor. Her knife, one that he had gifted to her lay on the side, coated with the blood of its creator.

Blood streamed out of the silt around L'iiblis' neck as Alianna tried her hardest to stop the bleeding as old instincts overcame her. L'iiblis' hand drifted to the wound as his eyes turned up to meet hers. Alianna sobbed loudly as his hand drifted to her cheek, hot with his own blood.

"Alianna," he murmured with his dying breath as his hand fell limp.

The world became quiet as Alianna looked up. She did not hear the gunshot heading her way nor the subsequent one that brought Joel to his knees. Her body turned numb, barely registering the graze of the bullet on her arm. She looked down at the corpse in her lap only to find L'iiblis' lifeless eyes looking back at her.

Everyone in the room froze as an inhumane scream of grief echoed throughout the buildings. Her body trembled as her heartbeat became too loud as she rocked back and forth as if her actions would bring him back.

Her stomach churned and her head spun. She could hear all the Keepers in the room. She could hear Evan and Rex. She could hear her name being called by the voice she knew anywhere.

And then there was quiet.

And the world went black.