Page 45 of Dance of Madness

No gunshot.

Just the sound of my own ragged exhale tearing its way out of my chest.

But just like that, the screaming’s gone. Immediate catharsis from my fucked-up self-therapy.

I hear Kir step forward, and I let him take the gun—still pressed to my temple—from me without a word. I blink out of my spell, turning to watch him open the gun, remove the single bullet, and then drop them both heavily on his desk.

We don’t speak for a long time.

“I know you hate this,” I say quietly.

“I do,” he grunts. “I also understand it.”

I nod, inhaling and exhaling slowly as I glance back at the lights of the city through the window and the trees.

“I found two more of them.”

My spine stiffens and my jaw tenses as I slowly twist my head, my eyes stabbing into his. “Where,” I growl.

“I’ll have them by tomorrow night. If you’d like to do the honors?—”

“I would.”

He nods. “Okay. I’ll bring them to the usual spot.”

“Before eleven would be best.”

“Sure. I’ll be there.”

“Thank you for tonight,” I say, glancing at him.

He can't meet my gaze. “Lifeispain, Nero,” Kir says quietly, running a hand over his jaw. “But it can more than that as well, if you allow it to be.”

I nod as I pick up and pocket the gun, then turn to go. “See you tomorrow night.”

“Until then.”

.

There’s a difference between justice and revenge. People say there isn’t, but they’re wrong. Justice is just revenge with rules. Revenge is simply justice without the arbitrary guardrails society seems to think it needs.

Personally, I think there are people who’ve 100% earned their endings, and then some. I don’t know if I believe in karma. But I believe in making sure people feel what they’ve made others feel.

That’s probably fucked up.

But then again, so am I.

Be heard,

-Me

10

MILENA

I’m early.

Which is…horrifying.

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