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ARCHER

Dynasty by Miia

Screams.

A lot of screams.

My head feels weightless as if I am floating in the air, while a constant buzzing sound fills my ears.

I attempt to open my eyes, but a sharp, agonising pain grips me.

Fuck.

The air is thick with smoke, causing my throat to itch with each breath I take.

Every fibre of my being feels like it’s on fire, making it impossible for me to break free from something holding me back.

No.

Not something… someone.

What the fuck happened?

We finished Vixen’s cosy spot, then went to drop the bodies and… Oh my god.

Jolie’s.

I was just behind Theo and Kai when I felt a strong force pulling me backwards, causing my head to collide with something hard before a sharp pain seared through my abdomen.

Iris and Elijah went out, but…

“Kai?” I cough, my words stifled by the smoke that invades my mouth as I try to speak. “Theo?”

No, no, no, no, no.

I grit my teeth and suppress the pain, forcing my eyes closed as I struggle to move the lifeless body from me.

Please. I’m begging you.

If it’s one of them…

Through thick and thin, we’ve always been together.

It has always been the four of us against the world.

They’ve been my support system, standing by me when I had nobody but my brothers to rely on.

My family.

Until Iris came into the equation.

She crashed into me with the force of a train, knocking the wind out of my lungs.

If I have to die today, my only relief will be to know that she’s safe with Eli somewhere, surrounded by love and the promise of a happy ending.

God, I never told her I loved her.

I never told her she brought me the missing piece—the one I’ve been searching for my entire life.

My light into this darkness.

The sparkle that made me forget the sting of abandonment from those who were supposed to love me the most.

Despite never revealing my shattered fragments to her, she embraced every part of me.

All of us.

I can’t lose any of them.

Summoning all my strength, I push the body off, trying not to inhale any smoke while my muscles ache and protest with every agonising stretch.

There is nothing but pitch-blackness all around, except for the blazing orange fire that surrounds me, causing my eyes to burn as I strain to see.

As I reach out to see the face, my hands instinctively brush against the body’s face, feeling the texture and contours before I can actually partially see it.

I barely have the time to sigh in relief when I see it’s not one of them. A loud bang echoes through the room as chunks of the ceiling start to crumble, and the fire spreads rapidly.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

I need to get out of here.

“Kai,” I cough again.

C’mon, baby. Where are you?

My body screams in protest as I start to crawl flat on the ground, feeling the sharp pain of the wound shooting through my abdomen.

I don’t know how deep it is, but it hurts like a bitch.

People are running desperately, their panicked screams reverberating through the air like a haunting nightmare. I have to shield my head as people trample over me in a frantic attempt to escape.

“Theo!” I struggle to speak as dizziness makes my head swim and blurs my sight.

Fuck.

No!

C’mon, Arch! This is not the time.

If you lose consciousness now, all they’ll find is a completely burned body, making it impossible for them to recognise you.

I need to get out of here.

But pain consumes my body as I desperately crawl, doing my best to evade the constant stream of people stepping on me.

I never imagined that my life would end like this.

The heat. The sweat. The smoke.

Everything becomes too much.

Awake. Stay fucking awake!

Amidst the chaos, a voice emerged, its tone filled with a raw, haunting cry that called out my name, carrying an undeniable sense of sorrow.

Vixen.

Is that her voice I hear, or is it just my mind playing tricks on me?

Because she shouldn’t be here.

She should be where it’s safe.

She should be with Elijah.

There’s no way out for me.

“ANGEL!”

Helpless and in agony, my body lay splayed on the ground, frozen by excruciating pain, while I witness her petite figure darting through the frenzied crowd. The flames dance upon her, casting an ethereal glow as she appears like a vengeful divinity, poised to obliterate everything in her path to reach me. Her hand quivers as it clings to her face, her eyes frantically scanning the surroundings, consumed by fear.

“ANGEL!”

“Vixen.” My voice escapes my lips as a rough whisper, and a persistent cough overwhelms me.

Her head suddenly snaps in my direction, and she locks eyes with me. She starts pushing past people, determined to reach me. But just as she nears, a deafening crash echoes through the room, and a portion of the ceiling collapses right in front of me. Simultaneously, a heavy beam comes crashing down, pinning my legs beneath its weight.

Our screams merge into a cacophony, hers filled with terror while mine escape in an inhuman wail as the beam relentlessly pierces my legs, rendering me completely motionless.

“Oh my god, oh my god,” she cries.

“Get. Out!” I desperately gasp, my voice strained, as I struggle against the nauseating sensation and the overwhelming exhaustion that threatens to overpower me.

I strain my eyes to make out her form, a shadowy figure on the other side.

My heart pounds with a sense of dread as I realise there is no way for people to reach me, separated by an impassable ceiling.

It’s the end.

“Get out of here, Vixen,” I cough.

“No, no, no, no. I’m going to get you out of here. I’m…”

“Vixen. It’s okay,” I reassure her.

Tears stream down her face in a torrent, leaving streaks on her cheeks that mingled with the ashy residue of smoke as she desperately looks around in search of a way to get me out of here.

“Fuck off if you think I’m going to leave you here!” she shouts and coughs at the same time.

“Baby,” I croak. “You need to leave before it’s too late. There’s nothing you can do for me.” Every word I try to form carries the weight of my heavy heart, my body wilting as if drained of life itself.

“ARCHER! IRIS!”

“ELIJAH, HERE! HE’S STUCK!”

“I love you,” I whisper, my voice desperate and pleading, as I cling to consciousness, desperately hoping that my words will be heard and understood before it’s too late.

“Don’t you fucking dare!” she cries. “Don’t you fucking dare say that as if you’re going to die!”

“T-take c-care of them.”

“You’ll do it yourself because you won’t die, do you hear me? If you have to go,” she chokes, tears streaming down her face, “then we’ll face the end together.”

Elijah’s voice reverberates through the chaos as he arrives behind her, his angry curses echoing in the air as he surveys the situation.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

The thunderous crash of the establishment breaking apart resonates with fury, a vengeful storm of noise and destruction.

They need to get out of here before it’s too late.

With my last strength, I manage to whisper, my voice barely audible over the commotion around us. “Get. Her. Fucking. Out. Of. Here.”

His tear-filled eyes locked with mine for a moment, reflecting a profound sadness as the fire rages on, consuming everything in its path.

He knows I’m right.

He gives me a nod before whispering, “I’m coming back for you.” His tears now flow down his cheeks. “I love you.”

“What? No, Eli?—”

Before she can even process what is happening, he scoops her up onto his shoulder and sprints towards the exit.

The cacophony of her enraged screams, mixed with her furious cries, resonates like a thunderous storm, breaking my heart.

A bittersweet smile tugs at the corners of my mouth, my eyes welling up with tears as I remember Theo’s gentle smile and the warmth in his eyes that brought me comfort. Elijah’s unwavering dedication to protecting me, which was a constant source of reassurance. Iris’s wild and eccentric personality that captivated me, causing me to fall deeply in love with her. And Kai... my Kai, the person who completes me, my soulmate—my ride or die.

As my eyes close, the world around me falls into a peaceful silence, transporting me into a state of pure bliss.

No pain.

No heat.

No screams.