Ryan jumped back, revealing more of his reflection. His right eye was still an earthy brown, but his left eye was changed. It was the same toxic yellow as Patrick's had been in the mirror and after Ryan had ripped the key away.

A short cry escaped him. It has happened so fast... Or had it? How long had they been trapped here?

Spencer appeared behind him in the mirror. His pale figure found a way into every sliver of the broken glass before Ryan.

"It's going to consume you." His voice was soft. Ryan knew he was trying to be comforting, but it only added to the weight of the key around his neck. "And it's not the only thing that will."

Ryan turned to Spencer. "What do you mean?"

A sad concern covered Spencer's face. "It's not the only thing that's going to consume you..." He took a deep breath before releasing it slowly. "He is going to consume you too. If you don't let it go, you're going to let it eat you away."

Ryan's eyes widened before he shut them tightly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Ryan-"

"No!" Ryan opened his eyes and pushed past Spencer, who flickered in and out of sight again. "You don't understand!"

"Ryan, it hurt everyone." Spencer looked determined to continue push the topic. "Grief is a form of power these things feed on, and all three of you in that house had plenty of it to charge it up."

"Shut up, Spencer." Ryan crossed his arms over his chest. His nails dug into his arms as Spencer continued.

"You weren't alone."

"You don't understand." The words came through Ryan's teeth as tears wielded in his eyes. It's harder for me.

"A lot of people cared about him." A hand rested on Ryan's shoulder, but he jerked away from the touch.

"But not the way I did!" Ryan screamed as he whipped himself around to face Spencer. Spencer stared at Ryan, wide eyed, as tears spilled down his cheeks. "I loved him. I admired parts of him that no one else got to see... He loved me."

Spencer stepped forward, as if to wipe Ryan's tears, but Ryan stepped back again. "He isn't the only one that loves you, Ryan." His voice was still soft, only making Ryan feel worse.

"He was the only one that  loved me like that." He whispered. His legs felt shakey. His body felt shakey. He dropped to his knees, giving into the weight of the key. "I can't let that go."

"You don't have to let go of everything." Spencer knelt in front of him. "You can still hold onto the good."

"Hold on, let go. Hold on, let go!" Ryan snapped. The key grew heavier as Ryan dug his fingers into his mess of hair. "What do you want? Everything I do just hurts everyone!"

His last word echoed violently around the room. He could see Spencer get thrown back from where he had been crouched by the force of it. He laid flat against the floor before flickering out of sight.

"You'll keep hurting them."

Ryan felt his lips move, but the words weren't his. He lifted his head, covering his mouth with his hands. His eyes were wide as he whimpered behind his hands.

"Look what you did to the angel. Not even the dead are safe."

"Stop!" Ryan pulled his hands away from his mouth with the cry. The scraggly voice didn't need his mouth to speak. It bounced through his head like the laughter from before.

"The other human cared so much for you that he let me in."

Ryan forced himself to his feet. He swayed, feeling unsteady as the weight of the key grew and the voice continued to speak.

"He looked into my eyes and I grabbed hold of his soul."

"Shut up!" Ryan yelled. He grabbed hold of the key. He immediately let go, however because of the pain that shot up through his arm. Smoke rose from his skin that made contact with the metal.

"It's only fair that you feel this pain." The voice cackled, "You've delt so much yourself."

Ryan forced himself to move towards the doorway of the room. He had to get rid of the key. He had to find the heart of hell.

"Do you really think you can end me?"

The weight of the key pulled Ryan down, causing him to trip and fall against the dusty ground. He tried to push himself up, but he found himself restricted by the weight of the key. It rested flat on the soil, keeping Ryan from pushing himself up.

"You're amusing, but I need you to give me back to the other one."

A roar echoed down the hall that Ryan had made it into.

"Patrick." Ryan whispered. It had to be. "What happens if he gets the key back?"

"What does it matter?" The voice questioned, "He's already lost."

"No." Ryan shook his head. The yellow eyes from the mirror flashed across his mind. "No, you need him. Without the key, there's no control."

The road echoed louder. Patrick was getting closer.

Ryan pushed harder against the ground. He couldn't let the key consume Patrick. He couldn't let it hurt anyone else.

Ryan pressed a hand against the metal of the key. He cried out as the metal burned into his skin. He kept his hand pressed against it, however, and pulled himself against the cord. He could hear the tension on the cord. The voice screamed incoherent words around his head. The pain from the key was spreading up his arm and into his chest.

"I can't hurt anyone else!" Ryan yelled, giving one last yank with as much strength as he could muster.

Something snapped.

The roar shook the space around him.

The voice screamed.

Ryan blacked out from the pain.