Fatigue weighed her limbs down like lead. Dead demons lay at her feet, smoke escaping through the tears in the human corpses. Tora panted, covered in sweat, blood, and various body bits. Her hair was plastered across her face. Most of her bleeding had stemmed.

Before her, more reanimated dead stumbled into the corridor.

"For god's sake," said Tora, exasperated. It seemed to be endless.

In the back of her head, a dull throbbing reminded her of the stragglers fighting to escape her forcefield. Time was running out and if she didn't step up her game, she was going to die there.

As the next wave came at her, it was all or nothing. The golden liquid poured. Electricity shot through her body, invigorating all her muscle fibres. One moment she was on the ground, the next she was in the air.

The demons reacted sluggishly. Tora's leg lashed out like lightning. Human heads caved in and demon brains coursed through the air. Landing on all fours like a cat, Tora rushed forward. She rammed her shoulder into the first demon. The impact snapped its spine, nearly tearing the creature into two. The shock jarred her shoulder, radiating down her arm. Ignoring the pain, she assaulted the next monster with a flurry of punches.

Dead bodies hitting the ground marked her progress through the crowd. She took no notice of the cracks of her own bones ringing through the air. Her eyes were spaced out and she moved as though in a trance, weaving between the staggering demons and dealing devastating damage to the study monsters. They fell like flies. Blood sprayed at regular intervals onto the windows and ceilings. One sweep of her hand created a forcefield harder than concrete, crushing the five demons into pulp. Minced meat splashed onto the smooth floor.

Tora watched all of these as though they were videos replaying on a television screen. Separate from the events, shadows flitted across her mind. Shapes expanded and shrunk in the peripherals of her sight. Flickering flames surrounded her, but there was no heat. Whispers echoed all around, nonsensical, but it was about her. She sensed it.

She tore through the remaining creatures in a blur. Her shoulders heaved. Standing amidst the sea of smoking corpses, she was oblivious to the organs splattering onto the floor from the walls. Voices continued to murmur, taunting her, goading her. The golden energy gave her this power, and the speakers wanted that. This was hers. It was right, and it felt so good.

An overwhelming sense of triumph and glee washed over her. She licked her lips. The metallic taste spread over her tongue, heightening her excitement. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. The nostalgia gave her a warmth in her heart.

Lilitha...

Her mouth opened in an 'o' shape. The voice was so sweet, so familiar. Years of happiness were all that came with the caller. She had never been so thrilled since that time she'd...

...What?

Her mind came to a blank. She knew the speaker but she couldn't recall the voice or the face. She couldn't even tell if it was a male or a female.

Lilitha...

Only that it was a voice she knew and loved.

Dazed, she took tentative steps up the stairs at the bac of the ward, passing by several 'staff only' signs. She trusted this person.

"Tora!"

All would be right once she was reunited.

"Where are you going, you impulsive wench? Answer me or there'll be hell to pay!"

Step by step, Tora continued to ascend until at the top, she faced a fire door. On instinct, she raised her hand and pushed. The door swung open.

Sunlight shone, blinding her. Blinking and disorientated, she attempted to shield her eyes. Cold air whipped her face. The city spread as far as the eye could see. Houses congregated like bricks around the outside of the hospital, evolving into the multi-storey flats in the distance.

She looked down at her hands. They were deformed, covered in cuts and blood with bones jutting out of place. Aches in various parts of her body and a burning fatigue reminded her of how battered she was.

In front of her was a wide concrete circle with a fluorescent 'H' painted in the middle.

The roof. What the hell was she doing there?

She groaned. What had she done? She swore not to use those powers again. The whispering intensified. She covered her ears, squeezing her eyes shut.

Something – someone? – was watching her. Their gaze burned onto her face.

She opened her eyes.

A strange man – no, he was just a boy – was staring at her with a fascinated expression. The wind was blowing, but his swept-back blonde hair appeared unaffected. It was like he was in a dimension all of his own.

"What the hell are you looking at?"

He burst into laughter at Tora's words, not moving from his perch atop the air vent. His laugh sounded like the ocean, washing over her in dark waves.

"Always so aggressive. I see time hasn't mellowed you out."

"Excuse me?" Tora narrowed her eyes. "Who the hell are you?"

"Someone who knows you well." He hopped off, landing on the floor without a sound. He was dressed casually in loose-fitting jeans and a dark blazer, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Oh, right, my fairy godmother."

"That's right. You always had a hit-first-ask-second attitude that would keep people away, so it wouldn't tarnish your tough image."

Tora stopped.

"If you sound confident enough, people won't notice. If you react aggressive enough, they won't bring it up. That way, you keep the illusion."

"Shut up." Her mouth was dry. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

The boy tilted his head in a questioning manner.

"You don't? Two years... there's a lot unaccounted for."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Shut the hell up," she snarled.

He laughed again.

"You've always had the instinct to build a barrier around yourself, haven't you? Never letting anyone near. But I knew you best. You can't keep me out, Lilitha."

"Lili-who?"

"You'll know soon. After those creatures downstairs are taken care of."

Her blood ran cold. She knew he wasn't talking about the demons.

"You're the one responsible for this? All those patients?" she said, horrified.

He said nothing, but a smug smile toyed at the corner of his mouth.

"You—!"

Putting aside her injuries, Tora jumped at the boy. Her fist flew towards him.

His hand closed around her knuckles as if they were made of cotton wool.

"So impulsive. Nothing had changed about you."

Tora tore her hand out of his grasp and swung her leg to kick him. He seemed to know what she was planning, side-stepping her with ease like he was dancing. He came up close again, laughing. His liquid golden eyes swirled, a merge of dark brown and yellow.

"No wonder father was so furious about your little tryst."

Desperation washed over her in waves. The darkness appeared to close in, blocking off her escape. Before her, the ominous dark presence loomed, gleaming eyes staring without mercy at her.

"Father, please! I beg you!"

"You have disappointed me for the last time, Lilitha."

"You don't understand! I had to!"

"Your sentence is thus..."

Her heart skipped a beat. Around her, the guards stood stock still, listening to everything but their glassy gaze didn't stray from the walls. Beside her knelt her brother, his shoulders heaving in silence, his golden hair plastered to his head.

"Eternal banishment to the human realm with no resources or protection."

"No, father, please!"

"Father..." said her brother in a tentative voice. The gleaming eyes turned into flames. The black oppressive presence exploded into three times its original size.

"Silence, Cimerus! Unless you also wish for banishment, you will remain silent!"

Her brother fell silent.

"You are the harbinger, Lilitha, and yet you betray your own kind. There is no forgiveness for your treachery." Her father's voice resonated with anger so powerful even the air particles around stilled. Electricity crackled. "You may be my daughter, but you will never step foot in this realm again."

The despair crushed her. Her brother's tear-filled golden eyes met her for one last time before the darkness consumed her.

Tora blinked. The desperation still clawed at her innards. Pain shot across her chest, bringing tears to her eyes.

What was that? A hallucination?

The boy was still looking at her, amused.

"What did you do to me?!"

"Me? Nothing," he said, all innocent. "What do you mean?"

"What's this... I don't..." Tora gripped her matted hair, tugging at the locks in frustration. The images and voices had gone with the same speed as they came, and all that remained was a deep heartache reminding her the magnitude of her loss. She had done something gravely wrong and was punished... but for what? And when?

All these confusing memories and sensations were making her brain hurt. Getting angrier by the second by the satisfaction she seemed to be giving the stranger, she yelled and shot at him. His golden eyes became brighter the closer she got, and when she struck, he slipped out of her reach.

He came at her. A flurry of hits sent Tora stumbling back, gasping from his speed. He retaliated with attacks that were like bullets from a machine gun, perfectly coordinated and rapidly firing. She couldn't even brace herself from the assault. Pain exploded all over her body and darkness surrounded her as blood and sweat dripped into her eyes, burning her cornea.

A hefty kick to the stomach knocked all the air from her lungs. She gasped, rolling backwards and slamming her back into one of the metal air vents. The impact knocked the wind out of her. The world spun for a few seconds. Her eyes focused on time to dive out of the way. The boy's kick hit where her neck would have been.

A hollow bang echoed when his foot sank into the metal. He withdrew slowly, leaving the indent of his shoe in the wall of the vent. His golden eyes were locked onto hers with a sort of inexplicable hunger and anticipation. He licked his lips. Tora felt like she was being surveyed by a hungry lion, about to become dinner.

"What do you want?" she said through gritted, teeth, straightening up. Her body ached all over.

"You," he said simply.

"That's not the way to get a girl."

He laughed; this time the sound was cold and unforgiving.

"Oh, there are much greater plans in store for you, Lilitha. Much more than this pathetic realm."

"If you're done with your stupid riddles, get the f—"

"Oh, I'm not done with you yet," he interrupted, a dangerous gleam appearing in his eyes, "not by a long way."

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