— present —

Darren leaned on his hand as he took a sip of his whiskey. The famous Nightlaza bar was completely empty. The holographic welcome message was still shimmering above the entrance, while the glossy tables had unfinished glasses and cups sprawled all over them.

He had sent out a warning notice for people to get out of Earth last night; he wasn't sure if everyone complied, but it seemed that at least his colleagues and the customers who frequented the bar listened to him.

But he wasn't leaving, though. Earth was his home, and his family's home. Nobody can make him leave. Not even Ryan.

He glanced at the message that was still hovering above his phone screen.

"hey dude, im finally paying you back for that beer six years ago

sorry for being so late lol

but if you can see my face right now, i assure u im paying back with interest lmao

anyway, shit is for real now, i suggest u leave earth asap

please, leave

please

anyway, wont see u for a while, so go find someone actually deserving of you to hook up with

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

dont miss me too much, fag"

The grip around the whiskey glass tightened, and then Darren chugged the rest of the liquid down.

Asshole. The stupid message was all that Ryan had left for him. Did the past six years mean nothing to him? Or had Darren been in a one-sided relationship this whole time?

Come to think of it, even after six years, he still didn't really know much about Ryan. That selfish guy had kept everything to himself, putting on a front at all times. Occasionally, he would reveal a tiny glimpse of his true self, but it would be immediately shut down again. Why was he like this? Why did he insist on being an obnoxious asshole, even to his death?

Darren poured himself another cup of whiskey as he scrolled through his phone. He scrolled through the images of his parents, back when he had just been a toddler; his sister, right before her brain surgery, looking so hopeful, so optimistic, so cheerful; and lastly, Ryan's sleeping face. The Operative had hated having his photo taken, and so Darren only had these poorly-taken sneak shots to look back on.

His eyes lingered on the photo. Ryan's small, upturned nose was pressing against the pillow, while the dim moonlight painted a few streaks of yellow across his high cheekbones. It was almost unfair just how gorgeous he looked. Darren took a few more swigs before looking out the window.

In the horizons, there was a windstorm. It swirled, shaking the ground, conjoining the gray sky with the earth. Darren watched it grow in size, first slowly, and then at a speed he could never imagine. A wave of ashen clouds flew towards the bar, swallowing everything it touched into itself.

His hands quivered. This was the most terrifying thing Darren had ever seen in his life. Whoever responsible for this must be one hell of a monster. He closed his eyes and, for the last time, drank his whiskey.

I'll see you in hell, asshole. And then I'll slap your face for this.