(I Don't Want It, & I Don't Want It To Hurt You)

Ares POV

I just break.

"You should never say that." I whisper.

We walk back home, Korri limping behind me.

I can't handle her seeing me shatter like this.

"I say it, because it's true." Korri breathes, biting her lip. "It was kind to me. It just is."

"She was, and is never, kind." I snap. "She took my sister. The only, the only people who I ever cared about she took. She took until I had nothing." And it almost happened again. I whisper, blood dripping down my chin.

I wipe it off with my shirt sleeve.

"You okay?" Korri asks.

"Fine." I mumble.

We walk up the porch steps, and open the front door to see a frantic Lola with bloodshot purple eyes.

"Where were you?" Lola hisses hoarsely.

"I was just out-"

"Don't you dare lie to me, Wonder Boy."

"Wait," I pause. "Did you just call me, Wonder Boy?"

Lola glowers at me, but says nothing.

"I saw Ares out, and followed him." Korri says, lying.

I think this is the first time I've ever heard blatantly lie to anyone's face. Much less Lola's.

"So, I thought I may as well explore with him." Korri adds.

Lola looks at her, then shrugs the argument off and walks away.

"Well, that was short." I say. "But did you hear her call me Wonder Boy or is it just me?"

"Yeah," Korri sighs. "It's a new habit of hers."

"Okay, that's, um, slightly, erm, trippy."

She glares at me. "Yeah, it is. Anyway, I'm gonna hang out with Lola as much as I can before she leaves. I'd tell you to do the same, but she kinda..."

"Despises me." I finish for her.

"Yeah. Well, I'll see you later."

And she leaves me alone in the echoing silence.

When she comes back a few minutes later, I think that Lola had booted her.

But Korri had actually somehow convinced her sister to stay one more day to "think things over".

☪

I lie in bed.

I'm crying.

I'm crying because Korri's going to die.

And I feel like it's my fault.

☪

I wake up early, and knock on Korri's bedroom door.

It is the same as the last time I saw it.

The same pale curtains, the same bed, the same desk.

It feels good to see it again.

I remember the first time I actually had a conversation with her.

In a graveyard. Where she actually listened to me, even if she wanted to kill me originally.

She'd also given me affection. Something I haven't had in years...

"Hey," Korri smiles, but the sadness is still evident in her voice.

She's leaning out of a window.

The window facing the woods.

I can see the veins of purple up to her wrists.

"Hey." I breathe. Did you notice it yet?

She turns to face me. Yeah. I did. She sighs. When do you think I'll die?

I blink. "What?"

"When do you think I'll die?" she repeats.

"I- I don't wanna think about it."

She bites her lip. "Why? It's inevitable."

"Because I would face Hades not to deal with that."

"Why?"

"Because," I freeze. Because I don't want a world without you in it.

Blood starts to pool in my palms and trickle down my ear.

She wraps her arms around me and cries.

She's quiet.

I wouldn't want a world without my best friend in it either. She whispers.