No.

No, I must have misheard.

I must have gone mad, crazed with fear at my approaching...my...

My what? My death? I was beyond such natural things now, by my own foolish choice.

I was clearly hallucinating, hearing things.

Though, for a hallucination, Andrei still looked annoyingly real.

'Tell you what, Andrei? Look, I understand if you know him and want to protect him or whatever-I'd want to be protected to, if I were in his place. But I don't want you to pass my words on to him. I said-'

'Stop playing the fool, boy,' Andrei said curtly. 'You heard what I said, and you understood. You know-'

'Yes, yes! I searched my heart and know it to be true!' I snickered at the absurdity. 'And, now that we're being honest, tati...'

My fist crushed his nose, faster than a tank shell, harder than a mountain. The werebear was sent flying, skin smoking and blood turned to steam from the sheer speed of my strike. He landed on the far edge of the battlefield, on the horizon, and I ran after him. I was there before him, and his body hit mine with a sonic boom. I headbutted him, the ground shattering around us, so that we were standing in a crater the size of a house, then grabbed him by the tongue with a clawed hand. Foul thing. He didn't need it anymore.

I noticed he wasn't fighting back. Good. Smart. Only smart thing he'd ever done in his life.

I grinned, and popped the twitching, bleeding tongue in my mouth. I chewed until it turned to pulp, then turned my head and spat.

'Filthy. Guess it's to be expected.' He was on the ground, but his tongue had already grown back. Damn were healing.

I stamped on his head, grinding one heel into his left eye. Squelch. My grin widened.

'It's alright, tati,' I told him in a cheerful voice. 'I'm only hurting you because I know you'll bounce back. Unlike you, I think before I act. You should try it.'

And the bastard sighed.

He fucking sighed, like I was boring him. Like I was wasting his time!

I hissed, and the sky churned at my rage. Huge, lead-grey clouds gathered in moments, and hailstones the size of fists began falling, until it sounded like we were in a gunfight. Lightning, white and blue and red, red as blood, red as rage, lashed through the ashen sky, and the thunder that followed almost drowned out the sound of the hail.

'First time.' I grabbed him by the throat, claws digging through flesh until my hands were cupping his spine. 'First time in your fucking life you're honest with me, first time you're here for me, and this is it?'

'Do not lie,' he gurgled, eyes still cool, voice still calm. How hare he look so fucking stolid!? 'I was there for you...so many times. Who carried your coffin? I was there when you-'

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I swiped at his face, cutting his eyes out. 'When I rose through the earth like a fucking maggot? Yes, I remember. A beautiful moment. And, somehow, still more dignified than my first birth. I've got to thank you for that.' I swiped at his face again, cutting his nose off. It grew back instantly. 'And don't you tell me not to fucking lie! You've been lying to me for decades-why the fuck did you even become my friend? Was it your fucking guilt again? Or were you just playing a prank on me? Laughing at your stupid son while he was none the wiser?' I laughed again. It sounded more hollow each time. 'Fucking hell, is that story you told us even real? Were you really born of rape? If it is, you're almost as bad as that sack of shit you called father. Oh, wait!' I widened my eyes, as if I'd just realized something. "At least he fucking died when you were still shitting your diapers, so you never had to deal with him! Why couldn't you do me the same favour!?'

'David, enough!' a voice cried from somewhere above me. I looked up, growling, and saw Alex looking down at me, scowling, arms crossed. Who the fuck did he think he was?

'Are you fucking serious? Defending him? Seriously!?'

'Is hurting him going to change your past?' the ghost asked patiently. I barked a harsh laugh at him.

'I though you were just asthmatic, not retarded. But it seems you're deaf as well. Did you hear any of what he said?'

'I did, yes-'

'I did, yes,' I parroted. 'Better stay up there, friend. The way you're defending him, I'd bet you knew about this, too. Did you?'

He didn't answer.

'Did you?' I repeated. 'Did you fucking know!?'

'I met your mother in the afterlife,' he said eventually. 'She-'

'So, you did,' I said with a deceptively calm smile. 'Good to know. Don't come close, Horia. As I am now, I'd eat you and shit the scraps into Hell.'

I turned away from the ghost and back to my father. 'Do the others know?' I asked dangerously. 'Does Constantin?'

Andrei barely managed to shake his head, so tightly I was holding him. 'I don't think so. Or, if they do, they never said.'

I scoffed, tossing him away from me. He landed on all fours, and sprang to his feet with ease, showing no sign he'd been mutilated several times.

'Luci is next,' Alex said from above me. 'He originally wanted to help Mihai, but changed his mind.

'I didn't ask,' I replied, then looked up at Alex. 'Better pray I die during this, or you do. Because, if not...'

He dissipated into ectoplasmic mist, and disappeared. Then, I looked at Andrei, who was studying me intently, carefully, as if expecting me to pounce on him again.

'The next time we meet,' I told him as I turned to leave. 'I'll bring silver.'

And I left the past behind.