((Getting some backstory here :D If it doesn't make sense now I swear it will later ;) ))

Anti's warnings echo through my head once I see him. Of course he hasn't done anything to hurt me, hell he's helped me a couple times. But... Something about the way my own demon spoke about him, it terrified me.

He must notice my hesitance as his smile falters. Anti stays silent within my head, yet I still feel his presence, lurking, watching almost curious it seemed. I force a small smile, trying my best to keep a calm stature.

"H-Hey..."

I manage the word, though it shook I almost sound normal, like everything is fine. He either doesn't pick up on it, or doesn't care stepping forward. I feel my feet instinctually take me back, though I'm already pressed up against the counter, the edge digging into my lower back.

"How are you feeling?"

He keeps a caring tone. It's almost believable... I almost want to believe it. But a simple push against my skull brings me back to reality, brings me to remember he's still a demon. That I shouldn't trust him.

"I'm fine..."

My voice thankfully doesn't shake this time.

"Are you sure? You look pale..."

That much is obvious, my face whitened like a sheet as soon as I met those crimson eyes. I force a small nod keeping a small façade of a smile up. He clearly isn't buying my act, but seems to ignore it for the most part. A slight annoyance slithering under his caring eyes.

I feel my breath hitch as his hand moves to my face, it brushes a strand of brown from my face. I hadn't noticed it fell across my forehead. He gives another gentle smile, a slight tension hiding at its corners.

"You changed it... I like the brown better..."

Why the hell is he acting like we're friends? He realizes how uncomfortable I am, that much is obvious, so why is he acting so friendly, and why isn't Mark in control?

As the questions race my mind my eyes wander downward, away from the splashes of crimson. In his eyes.

His hand moves to my shoulder, causing my attention to jump back to him almost fearfully. The pressure he put on my arm caused my heartrate to increase even more if possible.

"You're afraid of me?"

The words leave as more of a statement rather than a question. I quickly shake my head, though that motion in itself gave a clear answer. His eyes drop, the caring moving to almost an anger. I feel the familiar pressure against my skull, silently urging me to let go. I do...

~~~~~~Anti's POV~~~~~~~

As that anger floods his eyes, that's when I step in. Sean backs away immediately, letting me take over with no trouble. As I feel the green flood his otherwise baby blue eyes that's when the anger peaks in his crimson eyes.

I return the glare easily, shrugging his hand from my... Sean's... shoulder. Pushing past him I curl my fingers, letting feeling return to them, it's been a while since I've taken control so easily, it's almost strange. Under different circumstances I'd be elated.

"Septiceye..."

I force a grin onto my face, despite the anger rising, and turn to face him again, giving an almost innocent tilt of the head.

"Darky... Long time no see."

The words come out smoothly, same over-confident tone I always have. The annoyance grows across his face.

"Let Sean out again, I need to speak with him..."

A deep chuckle escapes me before I can think to stop it, not that I would have. My eyes surely glint with a delightful madness as I step forward, never once leaving the gaze of my... old friend...

"Oh please... He won't come out even if I wanted him to... You scared the poor thing half to death."

Another chuckle escapes me low and eloquent. Dark's lip curls back and for a minute I hope he'll snap. Instead a smile curls onto his face, the gesture faltering my own ever so slightly, he hardly ever smiled...

"Maybe because somebody... Has been feeding him lies about me?"

I feel my smile falter a bit more, eyes hardening into a glare instead.

"They aren't lies... I've simply been letting him know about you... How destructive you can get..."

The words leave my mouth venomously, I can almost see Dark hesitate at the threatening tone. His smile however doesn't wane, the same sharp grin I've seen from him on more than a few occasions.

"Fine fine... But does he know about you? All that you've done...? Does he know about your screw up, Septiceye?"

I feel myself hesitate, only making that blood-thirsty smile grow wider. He paces forward on steady legs, each step precise as he eyes me, as though watching for a reaction.

"He doesn't... Does he... You remember don't you Anti? The way you pleaded for my help while you were-"

"Shut up!"

His eyes widen in delight at my reaction. I feel my eyes glow a neon green as he continues pacing around me, my teeth grind together, daring to crack at the slightest increase in pressure.

"Hit a nerve did I? I bet you still have some of the scars... I bet inside you're still that pathetic little bitch ... Why don't you tell Sean about that if you're so keen on stories?"

"Shut up! Shut up!"

He continues speaking, I feel an ache settle over my body, an ever familiar stinging pain. Hands go to my ears, covering each tightly, Dark had stopped speaking but all the voices assault me.

And suddenly I'm back...

~The grimy walls are all so familiar to me, the feeling of claustrophobia clawing at the edge of my mind taunting me with the promise of insanity.

I feel the tears running endlessly down my face, all the bruises all the cuts stinging at the liquids slight brush, I hardly feel that pain anymore, merely an ache to accompany the feeling of isolation.

My eye burns, unbearably so, a sickening green creasing my vision. The blood seeps from it, mixing with the tears that roll down my cheeks. The infection from inflicted wounds burned, each blink sent pain shooting through the eye. I don't dare look at my reflection, in fact it terrified me.

The way my skin clung to bone, beaten and battered, pallor of an old corpse. The tears rolling down my reflections face only reminded me how weak I truly am, how weak they make me feel. And the throbbing of my one infected eye was sickening, the way green mixed with the white, the blue iris still very evident against it, it's repulsive.

"Get up septiceye..."

The voice of some nameless higher rank catches my attention, a guard of sorts, not that it's possible to escape anyhow. The nickname I had gained simply fed the flames of my hatred. I hesitate, slowly sitting up from the hard ground, a small anger erupts below the surface of my skin as I turn, tears ceasing as though they were never there in the first place.

My eyes meet a pair of violet ones, a sharp toothed smile to go along with it. I feel my own lip curl back into a snarl, though bite my tongue as to not speak.

"Something to say, freak?"

Even the mere taunts get to me, dares me to go ballistic. I bite my tongue harder, tasting the ever so familiar coppery blood and simply shake my head. That last bit of defiance is all I have, and yet they dare try to take that away from me, but if I stay quiet, make them think I've broken... Maybe I can keep the shred of sanity I have left.

Seemingly pleased with the minor answer he gives a scoff, that small smile residing just at the edge of his lips... A part of me wants to claw it off, make him feel all the pain him and others have inflicted on not only me, but others who have, in their opinion, failed...

"You have a visitor... I'll give you five minutes..."

With that he walks out of view. I force myself to push off of the floor, legs shake beneath me and I feel my bones ache. Ignoring the slight soreness of my muscles I let my eyes wander to the new figure who walks in front of the doorway.

I feel my anger dissipate, callous façade crumbles to dust, and I feel every bit of pain intensify just a bit more.

"Dark..."

The name leaves me breathlessly, relief flooding my senses as I tried to meet his beautiful crimson eyes. He avoids my gaze, making my stomach knot.

I step forward, watching him almost wince backwards as I do. The air around me thickens. Why is he acting like this, he's here to help me right?

"Dark, I've missed you so much..."

He takes a moment, I feel my heart break just a bit more, the little bit of sanity beginning to fleet as his eyes finally meet mine. The emotions that flood his eyes are not what I expect, disgust, regret, pity. Not the loving I'd once seen in those irises, not the care he'd always shown me. I feel myself taken aback.

"Anti..."

He speaks my name in a cold tone, as though I'm nothing more than the dirt he trampled on.

"You're going to get me out of here... Right? Talk to the council... Something?"

I feel my voice begin to tremble, new tears blur my vision as he gives a gentle shake of the head.

"No... I've just come to tell you..."

He hesitates, eyes lowering from my surely condemning gaze once more. I resist the urge to move forward again, to smack some sense into him, to scream, to cry, to do something other than stand here like a fool.

"You'll be reassigned in another year or so... Until then you are to stay here..."

His voice comes out business-like, like he was just another obedient, mindless drone. I feel my heart crack, threatening to break in two. I feel a new anger erupt beneath my skin, towards Dark, towards myself, towards all of Hell... My eyes narrow, the same green floods the vision of my one eye, but I almost don't care.

"Don't walk away from me Dark... Don't leave me here..."

My voice still comes out heartbroken, despite the pure rage I felt bubbling just below the surface. He looks up, meeting my eyes once more, almost gently at first before it hardens to the uncaring shell I found myself now hating.

"Goodbye, Septiceye..."

With that one word he walks away, with that one nickname my heart splits in two, the anger overflows. I feel it build up, until I was screaming his name, screaming curses, threats I knew I could never carry out... That's when the last bit of sanity escaped me. ~

"-ti... ... ... Anti?"

My senses come back slowly, to someone calling my name, a hand shaking my shoulder gently yet with urgency. I blink a few times, letting the last bits of the memory dissipate. My eyes move upward, first landing on the raven colored hair I've grown a hatred towards. I feel my eyes clench shut, my hand lifts from the floor, nearly making me face plant, and moves to whack the man away from me. The hand moves from my shoulder grabbing onto my wrist to stop the rather pathetic attempt.

My eyes open again, adjusting through the fogginess.

"Hey, you alright?"

The voice assaults my pounding head despite its quiet tone. I give a mere groan in response

Pulling my hand away I let the rest of my vision focus. As it focuses I no longer see Dark, but Mark kneeling in front of me, concern etched onto his face. For Sean no doubt... As my posture straightens, back cracking a few times, I feel something roll down my cheek, too thick to be a tear, yet familiar as always.

My hand moves up to my cheek, brushing the fluid with my thumb, bringing it in front of my face I feel my breath hitch. The red that stained the pale skin of my thumb brought me back to that horrible memory.

"What happened...?"

I force the newfound fear away, wiping the droplet of blood on my jeans below, keeping my voice cool. A part of me was still aware that Dark watched from Mark's head, it's bad enough he got to see the breakdown... It's enough he saw me so weak again...

"I was hoping you'd tell me... You were rambling about something... I got my body back... I've been trying to stop you for five minutes now..."

Five minutes... Felt like an eternity... I give a simple nod, purposefully ignoring the almost question at the beginning of his explanation. He stands up holding a hand out as to help me up. I ignore it pushing myself off the ground only to have a nausea pass over my body.

Damn human body... I let it pass before releasing a breath that had been held in my lungs for who knows how long.

"Are you sure you're alright...?"

I let my eyes meet his again, finally noticing an ever-so-familiar green fleeting at the corners of my vision. His eyes show apprehension, worry, but I don't bother acknowledging it. Lord knows it's all for Sean, he couldn't give a damn about me... No one does... That's why I have myself... The only one I can trust....

"I'm fine..."