Will had seen vampires die before. He had watched, breathless, as his brothers and sisters burst into dust or melted to the ground. Even now out of the corner of his eye he saw his Maman tumble into that great chasm.

But none of that prepared him.

First, it was not quick or flashy. The woman with the curly ginger hair sloppily plunged the stake into him. She recoiled, a comical expression on her face, going so far as to haphazardly knock the wood with her hand, like maybe she could get it into his heart with those weak, uneven strokes.

Second, it burned. Every inch was another wave of searing pain. He couldn't even strike back, just clutch at his stomach and gasp, "You… you bitch…"

He fell to the splintered wooden floor,his eyes burning with unshed tears. The last thing he saw was his sister leap, clutching some huge, silver sword, into the pit. Her black hair billowed around her head like a halo.

Traitor, he thought, as his world blinked out.

He woke in the Lustig Building. He stumbled out, the sunlight burning his pale skin. It had always burned. He'd learned to stave it off with clothes, and SPF, and magic, to stay in the shadows during Zeta events and those rare times Maman let them wander alone through some unlucky town. His caution had brought nothing but teasing from Kirsch and Carmilla, but he didn't care. (Siblings never change, do they?)

He had no cover now. He distracted himself but picking splinters out of his chest. He ran his other hand through his tangled black hair, as he limped off campus. He paused briefly at the Silas gates and thought about swinging back to his dorm, seeing how long he had laid there, collecting his things, wishing goodbye to some of his frat brothers. He turned away and shook his head. Despite himself, he laughed lightly before a pain in his chest made him stop.

Around humans too long, he thought. There was no time anymore. Possessions, humans… they weren't important. His life had lasted centuries and would for centuries more. He was a creature of power. He had nothing to tie him down anymore, no family, friends, life.

For the second time in his life, he was dead.