The gun felt heavier than before, pressing deeply into his palm as his fingers clenched onto the handle tightly. His breathing was shallow, escaping in small gasps. The thick cabin air suffocated him, the pressure of his task now becoming too much. He jolted at a tap on his shoulder as he turned to the lady in the seat next to him.

“Is everything alright?” she asked kindly.

“Uh… Uh—yeah. Yeah, sorry.” he managed to splutter out.

He shot up, his breathing now becoming a struggle. He stuffed the gun back into his jacket pocket, gripping the head cushion of the seat in front of him—accidentally nudging an older man awake.

The man snorted the air before squinting at Leonardo. “What the hell is your problem?”

“S-Sorry…sorry.” Leonardo said weakly.

They know. They have to.

Lilith listened to his thoughts, her own stunned with the situation at hand. The baby wailed from the front of the cabin, piercing deeply into his train of thought. He clutched the front of his head; the sweat leeching onto his fingers. He could feel the plain hum beneath his feet. His eyes darted down the aisle, his heart hammering in his chest. This was it.

Do it. Do it now.

His mind spun concurrently with his body as he threw himself towards the bathroom door. He rattled the handle, swinging the door open in a panic, locking it quickly behind him. The room shook slightly as he caught a glimpse of himself in the small mirror resting on the wall. His lip quivered as he saw an unrecognisable reflection. This wasn’t him or what he was meant to be. He slammed his hand down on the edge of the sink, sobbing into his other hand.

“God damn you Leo.” He cried out harshly to himself.

Threats and whispers echoed in his mind. A phone call that made him weak at the thought of. That gun was the answer to all his problems.

And then something snapped. His expression and demeanour shifted. He pulled the gun from his jacket, aiming it directly at the mirror. Then he slowly turned it onto his own head, his hand shaking violently as a single tear dropped from his eyes. A sudden turbulence tormented the plane, shaking Leo back to reality. He opened up a small pocket watch. Both he and Lilith looked deeply into a small picture of a woman and child. He clutched the pocket watch against his chest before bringing it to his lips. He pushed it into his trouser pocket before opening the bathroom door.

His centre of his being was slowly breaking. Who he was no longer existed. There was no escape, not anymore. He had brought this upon himself, a desperate man in need. Down the aisle he stormed, his footsteps heavy with purpose. His teeth grinded against one another, his jaw tightening with every step. His hearing was sensitive, every sound felt like a bullet to his skull.

Don’t you stop. Keep moving.

A flight attendant, helping an elderly lady with her coffee, obstructed his path. The thud of his footsteps caught her attention. “Sir, is everythi—”

He kept his pace, barging straight past her. She stumbled, her usual polite smile faded. People rippled into confusion as they watched Leo barrel down the aisle.

“Sir!” the flight attendant exclaimed.

He didn’t look back. His eyes locked onto the cockpit door looming ahead. His head pounded as his mind raced. Another flight attendant stationed by the door shot up in alarm at the sight of Leo.

“Sir, please wait—”

He grabbed a hold of her before she could react, his arm locking around her throat. She let out a strangled breath, her nails digging into his arm. But he felt nothing. His body was numb, but his mind was alive and fierce.

“Open the door!” He shouted out.

The flight attendant sobbed, kicking her feet out in a desperate attempt to free herself. “Please! Stop this!”

“Open it now!” he roared, tightening his grip around her neck.

Leo reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out the gun, pushing the nozzle firmly to the side of her head. The entire cabin fell silent at the sight of the weapon. A man with broad shoulders and a stern gaze approached Leo with a weapon of his own.

“Put the weapon down,” the air marshal ordered.

Leo’s grip remained tight as his eyes darted between the marshal’s eyes and the pistol in his hands. The flight attendant's legs quivered in fear, her breaths coming out in quick gasps.

“Sir, put the gun down,” the marshal repeated. “Nobody needs to get hurt. We can talk about this.”

“I don’t want to talk,” Leo snapped back. “Get me into that damn cockpit!”

He pushed the gun forcefully into the flight attendants' temple. She cried out, her tears slowly soaking his arm sleeve. The marshal remained locked on Leo, his weapon steady, marking its spot.

“That door won’t open. You know that. Let her go and we can figure this out,” he said calmly.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Leo’s heart raced. “Just…Just open that door, or i’ll”

“You’ll kill her? Are you really that type of man?” The marshal’s tone was harsh, almost judgemental. “What happens after? Do you really think this ends well for you?”

“Shut up! I don’t give a shit about what you have to say!”

The flight attendant squeezed her eyes shut as Leo pushed harder.

“Put it down. You still have a choice in all of this,” he said delicately.

“Shut up! I mean it!”

“So do I. Put it—”

His ears were ringing as the gun roared. A single shot. The marshal staggered as blood spluttered from his chest. He collapsed, his gun clattering on the ground beside him. Screams filled the air as the sound reverberated. His eyes were wide in shock as the flight attendant sobbed.

“Jesus…” he whispered.

A soft thud behind him caught his attention, his senses on high alert. Adrenaline pumped through his whole body as the cockpit door cracked open. Without a second thought, he shoved the flight attendant to the side. She collapsed to the floor, gasping in between sobs.

Leo lunged, his arm shooting into the gap just before the door closed. The edge bit into his flesh as he gritted his teeth, prying it open bit by bit. His shoulder screamed in protest as he fought the force on the other end of the door.

A man shouted on the other side–the co-pilot. He tried to slam the door shut. A guttural scream escaped Leo’s throat as he shoved harder, his fingers clawing and slipping from the sweat. The door groaned, opening far enough for Leo to burst through.

The co-pilot wrestled for control of the gun. “Get out!” he screamed.

They twisted and turned, grappling for control. The co-pilot landed a blow to Leo’s abdomen, winding him slightly. His vision blurred with desperation, he fought back with primal strength. Every attack was relentless. The co-pilot’s hand clapped over his wrist, pushing it downward. Leo growled, ripping his arm free and firing. The co-pilot’s head snapped back against the wall, his body dropping to the floor in an instant. A crimson cloud painted the window and wall, a few droplets mixing with the sweat on his face.

Leo locked the cockpit door, turning to see the other pilot. His eyes were wide with terror. He scrambled out of his chair to his feet. He held up his hands, palms open. His whole body shook, his legs nearly giving out from under him. “Please,” he begged. “Y-You don’t have to do this.”

Leo raised the gun slowly. His eyes were slightly ajar as he stared lifelessly back at the pilot. “I’m sorry.”

A sob broke from the pilot, his breathing ragged. “Think about this, please. I’m begging you. It’s not too late—”

The second shot shattered the pleas from the pilot. The pilot’s body stood momentarily, his soulless eyes breaking contact with Leo’s as he slumped forward. Blood spilled out onto the dark blue carpet, spreading slowly to the base of Leo’s boot. Leo took a step back, his knee buckling under the weight of his guilt.

The gun slipped from his fingers, smashing onto the ground. Lilith’s heart raced as she watched through Leonardo’s eyes. This was it. The exact same moment she had witnessed before. The metallic taste of blood made the knot in her stomach tighten.

Leo dragged himself into the pilot’s chair, his hands gripping onto the plane’s control panel.

“Please, Lord,” his voice cracked. “Don’t make me do this.”

His trembling hands inched the wheel forward. The soft glow of the horizon disappeared as the plane descended into the clouds. The golden reflection in his eyes faded, becoming deathly black. Lilith’s stomach lurched as she felt the descent of the plane. They were plummeting hundreds of feet per rapidly.

“No, no, NO! GOD DAMNIT! Leo sobbed, his nails dug deeply into his face as he screamed out.

Leo reopened his stopwatch, gazing at women with gentle, blue eyes and a little girl with dark pigtails, her smile wide and joyful. He closed it, bringing the watch to his lips one last time.

“Lo siento, por favor, perdóname mi amor.” he whispered gently.

Lilith flinched at the muffled screams behind the cockpit door. The sounds of their nails clawing at the metal screeched into her ears. Their pleas for mercy. The echo of some making last attempt calls to their loved ones before their impending death.

The chaos was unstoppable. Leo’s sobs deepened as he slammed his hands against the control panel. He could hear the terror in their voices but there was nothing to be done about it as the impact was imminent.

To escape, Lilith squeezed her eyes shut, thinking back to Dr. Ravenwood’s words.

“When you want to leave, just imagine walking away, or standing up, or just… leaving.”

She clenched her fists, her mind racing with the sound of screaming passengers and the roaring engines. The plane plummeted towards the ground, but then there was complete silence. Her eyes opened to two warm desk lamps illuminating that of Dr. Ravenwood’s office.

She shot up, her hand clutching at her chest as her senses returned to reality. The room came into focus, her eyes setting on Dr. Ravenwood, who watched her, his gaze steady. He sat quietly with his fingers interlocked, resting on his desk. Her breathing steadied, but her body trembled at the echoes of the screams.

“Welcome back,” Ravenwood said smoothly.

Lilith stared back at him, her eyes wide in terror. Her hand traced the armrest as she slumped back down into the leather chair.

“I felt everything.” She mumbled.

“Tell me.”

Her fingers picked at a loose piece of skin poking out by another nail. She itched to feel something real, like she was really back in her world.

“It all felt… so real,” she whispered. “It wasn’t just a memory. I was him. I was me but still him. I crashed that plane. I killed those men.”

Ravenwood tilted his head, his gaze lingering. “And how do you feel right now?”

Lilith’s gaze dropped slowly, her hair hanging partially over her face. “Like… I died too.”

“Truth comes with a cost, Miss Hayles,” he said quietly. “Some memories will have a crushing weight. You have to be careful.”

“How can I keep going after something like that?” her body twitched.

“You’ll learn. This is only the beginning.” He said, a thin smile flickering across his face.

Lilith took a deep breath, pushing her hair aside. She opened her mouth to speak, but she didn’t trust her words. She nodded, her hands seeping into the soft cushion, keeping her steady.

“Very good,” Ravenwood said whilst pushing himself to his feet. He turned his back to her, observing the aquarium. His fingers twisted at an onyx ring resting on his pinky finger before he turned back to her. “You survived the first memory. The truth is within your grasp. Let’s see what else you can bear.”