Raven collapsed onto the ground, knocking the breath out of herself.
After a moment, she opened her eyes to see a pale, white ceiling above her.
What the...?
"Is he out again?" a male voice echoed, tumbling her thoughts.
She sat up, finding herself sitting on floor.
"Yeah," a woman's voice answered. "Goddamn moron. Never learns his lessons."
"Go find him," the man instructed. "Now."
Footsteps scurried away.
Raven looked around the room frantically, trying to comprehend what was going on.
The walls were bare, the bed made with white sheets.
It showed no signs of this being a boy's or a girl's room. It looked more like an emotional prison.
The bedroom door opened quietly, and a small girl wandered in, looking a little famished.
She had long, black locks that fell to her waist, and she wore one of those schoolgirl dresses from those fancy private schools.
She closed the door behind her quietly, padding over to the other side of the room, and Raven couldn't help but follow.
The little girl kneeled down beside the bed, peering under it.
What was she doing?
"There you are," she said then.
Did she find a cat or something?
"Mom and dad are looking for you. If you don't come out soon, you know the punishment will only get worse."
Who was she talking to?
Raven stared, wondering what was under the bed.
Was this what Malachi wanted to show her? Why?
"Come on, now," the little girl said, holding out her hands. "I'll take the punishment with you."
A sudden pair of pale, bruised palms came out from under the bed, and Raven walked over to the mattress, staring down at the little girl's smile.
"Come on," she said softly. "It's okay. They can hurt you, but they'd never be able to take your soul away."
Wow... this girl was wise... and she looked six.
A young boy crawled out from under the twin bed, golden hair stained with black, arms and legs covered in bruises.
Raven knew who it was just by the color of his hair.
Malachi.
He wore no shirt... and the scars on his back he showed her earlier now looked fresh, burned into his skin like lava.
Oh, God... He looked so strong yet boney... if that was somehow possible, his features seeming more childish and youthful.
Then... this must've been a memory.
Raven looked down to the little girl.
And that must've been his little sister.
"It's alright," the girl said. "One day, we'll escape. And we can go wherever we want. Won't that be beautiful?"
Malachi's face cracked a smile, though a painful one.
He looked so... vulnerable.
Maybe that's why he acted so cold all the time... Because it saved himself from hurting... remembering this moment.
Malachi told her before that he acted as if his sister's death was nothing, but that it actually hurt tremendously.
His sister was what kept him going... and that's why when she died, he snapped.
He found no use in the world other than being a cold-blooded killer. He thought he couldn't love again. He tried becoming his parents to save himself from any more pain...
But it never worked in the end... did it?
Oh, wow... it all made sense now.
"Yeah...." His voice broke through her thoughts, and Raven looked around to see she was back in his townhome. "I thought being a cold-blooded killer would satisfy my anger, but it never did. But I did it anyway... and that's when I met you."
She hugged him then, making his breath catch.
But he finally held her back.
"I thought becoming corrupted ruined your brain..." she whispered, "made you go insane."
"It does change your brain," he responded. "But with me it only made me intelligent. I'm not used to emotions, though. They're still quite confusing to me."
Raven pressed her lips to his neck then, giving him a gentle kiss.
"Thanks," he said, a smile in his tone.
She drew the blanket over both of them then, snuggling up with him as he gave her a curious look.
"I know I was unsure before..." she whispered. "But now... I think I'm starting to understand you."
He smiled, brushing his fingers through her hair to soothe her despite her already being calm.
"I'm sorry your parents were so cruel..." she whispered then, tone calming at his gentle strokes. "No one should go through that."
"If I didn't..." he murmured, "then I wouldn't have met you."
She smiled but didn't try to hide it, closing her eyes and letting herself ease in his grip, allowing him the satisfaction.
"After all this arguing and fear and terror toward me..." he said, watching the smile stay on her face while she rested in his arms, "you let yourself fall asleep with me."
Her response was soft breaths.
So, he picked her up and carried her to the master bedroom, lying her down on the sheets and drawing the covers over her.
He went back to the windowsill and hopped up on it, staring off into the moonlight casting above while Raven lay asleep on his bed.
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