Michael's POV

What was I supposed to do? I couldn't just leave her there suffering like that. It's all I knew that would work...

But the thing is...I couldn't help but get lost in our embrace. Big mistake...

Flashback-7 years ago

Scarlet was sitting on Michael's bed opposite him. The black curtains were open and showing the beautiful setting sun in the horizon.

The two were playing their fourth game of blackjack and Scarlet just so happened to be winning her fourth game in a row. She put down the rest of her cards in a perfect run then squealed her victory.

"I win!" She cheered dancing in her seat.

"Seriously? Again?" Michael whined groaning in faux frustration.

"Aww don't be a sore loser." Scarlet cooed whilst pinching Michael's cheek.

Michael swatted her hand away as he chuckled shaking his head full of curls.

"Whatever Sca-- ah!."

Michael winced, his face clearly displaying his sudden discomfort.

"Hey Michael, are you ok?" Scarlet asked concerned.

She rubbed her hand on his shoulder attempting to comfort her friend. He had been having these peculiar pains for a few days now and Scarlet was beginning to worry.

"Y-yeah, yeah. I'm fine." He assured but Scarlet didn't believe him considering his current state.

One hand gripping at his knee whilst the other rested on his chest.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded only to fall on his side howling in clear agony whilst tightly clutching his chest, his eyes tightly closed.

Scarlet screamed as she watched her beloved best friend writhe in pain, twisting and turning, growling and gripping at the bed sheets to tearing like some kind of animal.

Alas, she could do nothing. Even if she wanted to. This was fate...

"AHH! AGH!"

The sight was a mixture of heart-breaking and terrifying. His back arched so high, one might think his spine might have snapped in two. The boy looked something close to demonic with his constant bodily distortion and his eyes rolled right back into his skull. He whimpered. Here comes fear, tap tapping at the door...perhaps his eyes had rolled back far enough to get a glimpse of the epitome of hell brewing deep inside of his body. It seemed just as his father had told him but he had underestimated the agony, mistaking it for mere ache. Oh dear boy, how you had been wrong...

You will perish on the inside, boy. The raging inferno will sear through your entire being, ripping you limb from limb. Tossing you from the blissful earth you call home into the endless, fiery, abyss of hell! Trauma is not the word to describe the everlasting mental scarring you are destined to wear proud for this family once you look into the eyes of the devil and claim your birth right that you cannot renounce. I assure you, son...there will be blood...but it will not be yours...

It seemed as though that blood his father had spoken of had reached his eyes as they flooded with the crimson colour.

Michael was surely gone by now...

"It" pinned Scarlet to the bed holding her hands above her head with one of his larger ones. Flat on her back, she stared with widened eyes up at the handsome face with nothing but fear. The body, she knew. This thing, she did not.

"Mi-Michael...what are you d-doing?" The girl stuttered growing more terrified by every increasing pound of her heart.

Scarlet's heartrate and breathing increased that much more. The strange creature had begun to elongate his fangs slowly.

"Stop it! Stop it!! GET OFF ME!" She screamed, trying her hardest to fight against the larger body above her but to no avail.

She shook her head from left to right fast as she screamed out for help!

"Somebody! Please! Michael! Get off me!!"

Then suddenly, the bedroom door was taken off its hinges.

"MICHAEL! NO!"

...

End of flashback

I pulled away from her faster than I could count as my chest heaved. We stared at each other with wide eyes and panting for breath.

"C-could you get me some water please?" Scar asked in a whisper.

Surely, she had seen the horrors that I had from the past. I went to get her water quickly and quietly, feeling ashamed of myself.

I'm a monster...

When I returned with the bottle of water in my hand, I kept my distance and my head hung low, I'm sure she was terrified of me...

I'm so, so sorry, Scarlet!

"Michael...."

I lifted my head slowly and looked into her gentle eyes. Those sweet, soft, eyes of the girl I once knew with the heart of gold. So, understanding. So loving. So...

"Michael, it's alright. I forgive you..." She smiled sweetly.

And that's when I broke...

"Oh god! Scar, I-I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" I sobbed, dropping to my knees.

Scar quickly stood from the bed and rushed to my side, dropping beside me and wrapping her arms around me tightly.

"Oh, Michael! It's alright! There was nothing you could do to stop it. It was inevitable!" She consoled, tipping my chin to look at her as she wiped away my tears.

"But I've done nothing but distress you since we've seen each other face to face in seven years--"

"And I wouldn't change it for the world..."

She pressed her forehead to mine, taking one of my hands in both of hers.

"You—you wouldn't?" I whispered, trying my hardest to keep more tears at bay.

"Of course I wouldn't...I knew something was missing from my life all those years. I was missing you, Applehead." She giggled.

Oh sweet, tender heart. Oh sweet, sweet soul.

I cupped her cheek with my free hand as I began to smile through yet another wave of tears. Tears of joy...

"I missed you too, Scar..."

We wrapped our arms around one another and just basked in each other's presence. It didn't make up for seven years but I would make every day count with my new assistant to the CEO of Red & Black Hotels...