Chapter 5: Blue Blood

"Mark, listen to me!" Kevin's voice wavered as he kept his hands up, trying to reason with the crackling figure in front of him. "This isn't you, man! I—well, I never really got to know you that well, but this? This isn't who you are!"

Mark twitched violently, his hands clawing at his head, sending off erratic sparks of purple lightning. His breathing was ragged, his pupils barely visible under the violet glow consuming his irises.

Sarah clutched Kevin's arm, whispering in desperation. "He's not listening."

Kevin's mind raced. He wasn't a fighter, wasn't some quick-thinking genius in life-or-death situations. What would a hero do?

A hero would know what to say. A hero would have the words to bring Mark back.

But Kevin wasn't a hero.

So he turned to Sarah. "You dated him, right? Sweet talk him or something! Maybe it'll snap him out of it."

Sarah hesitated, but what other choice did she have? She stepped forward slowly, hands raised in surrender. "Mark, baby, it's me. You don't have to do this, okay?"

Mark's head twitched. His body spasmed, the static around his hands growing louder. He hovered a little closer.

Encouraged, Sarah took another step. "It's okay. Just breathe. I'm here, alright? It's just me. Just Sarah."

For a second—just a second—Kevin saw it.

A flicker of recognition. A brief moment where the Mark they knew was still in there, clawing to get out.

But then—his fingers twitched.

A sharp pulse of energy surged through his body. The glow in his eyes intensified.

And the recognition was gone.

"SARAH."

A violent shockwave erupted from his hands, pushing Kevin and Sarah back.

Their feet slid against the rough rooftop gravel. Kevin could hear Sarah's panicked breaths, feel her fingers tightening around his arm.

They were running out of space.

The edge of the rooftop loomed behind them, a four-story drop waiting to swallow them whole.

Kevin's mind was racing. Think. Think!

They couldn't fight him. They couldn't escape.

But they could stall.

Kevin turned to Sarah, his voice low. "Go to him."

Her eyes snapped to his, wide with fear. "What? Are you crazy?"

"Just for a second!" Kevin urged. "He clearly wants you near. Maybe if you play along, it'll calm him down just long enough for someone to show up. The Vanguards have to be on their way by now, right?"

Sarah hesitated.

Then, reluctantly, she nodded.

She turned back to Mark, forcing a small smile. "Okay, baby. I'm coming to you."

Mark's crackling form stilled.

Kevin let out a quiet breath. Maybe—just maybe—this would work.

Sarah took a step forward.

Then another.

Mark let her approach.

For the first time since this nightmare started, Kevin felt hope.

Then—CRACK.

A sudden jolt of lightning snapped from Mark's hands.

Straight at Kevin.

His body barely registered the hit before his feet left solid ground.

He felt weightless.

His stomach lurched as the world tipped upside down.

Then he saw it—the night sky. The wind howled past his ears as he plummeted.

The stars above remained indifferent to the boy who had just been thrown from a rooftop.

The city lights below blurred into streaks of yellow and white.

Kevin twisted midair, arms flailing, reaching—desperate—for anything to stop his descent.

There was nothing.

Only gravity's cruel embrace, pulling him down. Faster. Faster.

Then—

Impact.

Pain exploded through his body.

His vision flashed white.

Then—darkness.

Silence.

The world felt distant.

Like a bad dream he couldn't wake from.

Then—the taste of metal filled his mouth.

A weak cough escaped his lips, splattering liquid onto the cold pavement beneath him.

He forced his eyes open.

A dim streetlight flickered above, casting a faint glow over the puddle pooling beneath his face.

Kevin's breath hitched. His trembling fingers reached out, touching the substance oozing from his lips.

It wasn't red.

Blue.

A deep, rich blue, glistening under the light like liquid sapphire.

Kevin's heartbeat pounded in his ears.

His lungs burned.

His body ached.

Yet, somewhere, deep inside—something stirred.

Kevin's body screamed in protest as he pushed himself up, his breath ragged, his limbs heavy. His legs trembled as he staggered, but—he was alive.

Pain pulsed through every inch of him, yet there was no broken bones, no fatal wounds. Just aching bruises, a few gashes, and—blue blood.

He ran his hands over his body, pressing against his ribs, his stomach, his arms. Hurt, but not dead.

How?

He exhaled, watching the faint mist of his breath dissipate into the night air. His mind spun with questions, but there was no time to dwell.

He looked up.

The rooftop loomed above—dark, distant, and still occupied.

Mark was still up there.

And so was Sarah.

Kevin's stomach dropped. He had to get back up. Had to—

A light erupted beside him.

Kevin whipped around.

A swirling portal had opened just a foot away. Deep purples and whites spun together, warping and rippling like water disturbed by a pebble.

Then—Sarah stumbled out.

Her legs barely caught her, her breath came in sharp, shaking gasps. Her eyes were red, tears streaking her face. She looked lost. Panicked.

Then she saw him.

"Kevin?"

Her voice cracked on his name.

She launched forward.

Kevin barely had time to react before she threw herself into him, arms wrapping around his torso in a desperate, trembling grip.

He winced. His body was still raw, the impact sending a fresh jolt of pain through him.

But he didn't push her away.

Sarah clung to him like a lifeline, burying her face into his chest. "I thought—" Her voice broke, a sob shaking through her. "I thought you were dead."

Kevin swallowed, still catching his breath. He wasn't. He should've been, but he wasn't.

His hands hovered for a second before resting gently on her back.

"I'm here," he muttered, voice low. "I'm alright."

That was a lie.

Nothing was alright.

His mind was still reeling, his heart racing, but he forced himself to focus.

Sarah was here. But Mark—

Kevin looked up again.

The rooftop was now a silhouette against the dark sky, but movement caught his eye.

Someone else was up there.

A figure—not Mark.

They hovered just above the rooftop, the dim light of the city reflecting off their form. A person. No—someone flying.

Kevin barely had time to process it before the figure swooped down.

A flash of motion.

Mark was yanked off the rooftop.

Kevin's breath caught.

From below, it was chaotic.

Mark lashed out violently, purple lightning cracking through the night. But the flying figure moved with unnatural precision, dodging effortlessly.

Then—another portal opened above them.

And without hesitation—

The figure pushed Mark through it.

Mark vanished.

The portal snapped shut.

Silence.

Kevin stood frozen, his chest rising and falling, his mind trying to piece together what he just saw.

The figure hovered for a second longer, looking down. Kevin couldn't make out their face, just the faint outline of a cape or coat fluttering in the wind.

Then—they turned.

And in a blur of motion, they were gone.

Vanished into the night sky.

The rooftop was now empty.

Kevin's hands clenched into fists.

What the hell was going on?