Torn

《Torn》

CHAPTER ONE

Sometimes a single decision can result in a cascade of actions that you never intended. This was one of those times. I'd never once thought about ending my life, not even when I felt like there was no way to survive the pain of losing my sister. I was a robot back then, awaking every morning, reminding myself to breathe, and that tomorrow would come. Somehow I expected everything to resolve itself if I could just survive the motions of getting through the day. But, somehow my life had deteriorated into this one horrifying moment, where everything hinged on me and my love for this boy.

It wasn't only my fate that depended on this one decision - it was the fate of mankind. Until then, I didn't see how my affection for Collin could possibly condemn the world and unleash the apocalypse, but now I did. Collin's prone form breathed silently next to me after Kreturus took possession of his body. The ancient demon's dark shapeless form entered Collin's limp body through lesions that were inflicted by the lesser demons. In one horrifying moment, my world had changed. There was nothing that could have prepared me for this moment, because there was no preparation for a decision like this.

My life or his.

And whose life was it? Whose life was I taking? Was he Kreturus or Collin? Had the demon invaded his body and taken over his mind? Or was this Collin laying there helpless. There was no way for me to know. Not without waiting for Collin to wake up. And no matter what, that was a terrible idea. If Collin were awake, he could talk to me. His sweet voice would assure me that everything was all right and that we could be together now.

There is no way I'd ever forget what I'd seen, that Kreturus was actually inside of him. But, how could I kill the one I loved? He was part of me. I'd die if I plunged the fang into his chest. No, this was the only way. And I knew this was my one and only chance to end this horrifying confrontation between me and Kreturus, and that I needed to do it before Collin awoke.

An internal signal erupted in my mind telling me what to do - what I had to do. If I removed the pivotal player from the game, then the game would be over. There would be no one left to carry on my role as the Prophecy One and cause the end of the world. There would be no more anything. I'd be removed from scenario, crippling Kreturus' plans. This was like a game of chess - kill the queen and the king would be vulnerable.

Swallowing hard, I pushed back the fear that was choking me. The only object that could destroy me was gripped tightly in my fist. The sapphire serum within the silver fang could destroy both angels and demons. Its poison did not discriminate. It was lethal no matter who touched it.

The fang was poised over my heart, and ready to strike.

There was no hesitation in my swing. I would not be the girl in the prophecy, and this was the only way to ensure it would never come to pass. Without my tainted blood there would be no one to free Kreturus. Without me, the prophecy would dissolve and cease to exist. I glanced at Collin as my fingers curled tighter around the silver tooth. Every muscle in my body flexed in anticipation. The point of the fang needed to pierce my heart. It was the only way for the poison within it to kill me instantly. The moment it struck my heart, the venom would be pumped throughout my body. In one heart beat I would die. In one heart beat the prophecy would end. I breathed deeply, one last breath, as every ounce of rage, every broken hope and shattered dream came to the front of my mind.

And I swung.

It was an action that I would undo, if I could. It was this act of martyrdom that created a ripple effect in the pond of my eternally screwed-up life. This one selfless act is what ultimately led to the corruption and demise of mankind. You see, the fang didn't pierce my heart as I'd intended. Everything happened so quickly that it's difficult to say exactly what happened. But, as the fang swung toward me an ear piercing scream erupted and I was knocked