"Here again?"

The voice that greeted him sounded both tender and harsh. Like there were two different persons speaking with the same mouth. It was not a question that asked for an answer. It was simply a reminder of the blurred days in which only one thing was really clear.

That one spot of red that marked the end and the beginning, or something in between. It had been appearing more and more often lately, but it couldn't be helped. Like an addiction, the victim found himself craving for it. Craving for an escape.

There were no sounds, no surroundings. Just an endless white that faded the moment it was looked at. Chirping birds were just hollow imitations of a world that had slipped away a long time ago. Whether that world could be called reality, Psy was no longer sure.

"No confessions today?" the familiar figure croaked, somehow managing to give his hoarse words a melodious tinge. The anti-virus glanced aside for the first time since his arrival, already knowing what he was about to see, but that didn't make it any less gruesome.

One bright, crimson orb was staring back at him, the left eye socket only filled with darkness that couldn't be concealed by the nearly shut lids. Several cracks disgraced his right cheek, a hole in the artificial skin revealing some of the sharp teeth that should be hidden beneath. Red liquid trickled down from the corners of his mouth, that was pulled in the sickeningly compassionate smile that Psy knew so well. Wires spilled on the ground from a cut off arm, legs lying on the ground in unnatural angles. A large, harlequin snake had wrapped its body around the seemingly immobile one, his forked tong brushing the red headphones.

The mere sight was disgusting.

"But," the virus chimed, raising his white, brittle fingers to brush some blond hair out of the other's face. "It was never any different."

Green eyes narrowed before their gaze was averted. Still, the male didn't say a word. There was no point in talking if there was nothing to say. He had stopped remembering the names of those who died by his hand when noticing it was too painful. Yet, he kept returning to the one thing that confirmed his sanity. Or the opposite. Perhaps it was simply an attempt to prove to himself that he could still think for himself.

"Though that only makes it worse, doesn't it?" Vi's breath tickled in his neck, the parasite's undamaged arm hooked around it. "Knowing you can still think, yet following the orders you get like a blind… such a perfect killing machine."

A monster had no right to say such a thing. A monster had no right to live. A monster had no right to stick around. A monster should only be wiped away. A monster's words were nothing but lies. And yet, despite of all the careful programming, the humanoid found himself listening to those lies every time. Because in the end, his parting gift was always the same one.

"I loved you so much," the fragile lips mouthed, not restricted by the black strings that should have stitched them closed. The snake let out a soft, hissing noise, his scales uncomfortably close to the eyes that carried the same colour. "Not yet," Vi whispered, his red nails piercing in the other's shoulder. "Not. Just. Yet." A delicate drop of sweat slid down Psy's face. Something was different, this time.

It took him a moment to notice there was a light breeze. Barely noticeable, but nevertheless, a vibration in the air, stirring his blond hair. The grip on his shoulder became tighter, close to the point of painful. The reptile that had draped itself around Vi's body lifted his head one last time before starting to fall apart, small, green pieces of dust being all that was left of him.

It was a shame he didn't take the insect with him.

"Do you know what I've done for you?" Two crimson hues stared at him now, the empty hole suddenly replaced with another orb. There was no black, no white. Only red. He sounded like a poorly tuned radio, or like he was talking into a malfunctioning microphone."I lied, I cried, I screamed, I deceived, I fought, I loved." The blood that had been trickling down his face became thicker, darker, looking like oil. The disgusting face soon came closer to Psy's, and he could see the pointy teeth behind the stitched lips. "I lived." Their lips crushed together.

The anti-virus had given and received a lot of kisses in his life. This was not a kiss. He could feel the oil enter his mouth and nose, filling his lungs and taking his breath away. He could feel it crawl over his body like a living creature.

It wasn't oil, he realised. It were caterpillars. Millions of caterpillars swarmed over his body, overwhelmed him, crawled into his clothes and ears as he fought for air, his hands around the other's neck. But all he caught was dust and smoke as the black wave engulfed him whole.

What surprised him most, was that there were no words as he choked.

Suddenly, his lungs were empty. His body jerked upwards, searching for precious air. Everything was still dark, but the familiar scent of the apartment that had been assigned to him drifted around. His body was cold with sweat, the sheets of his bed clinging to his limbs and he considered calling Delic, not caring if he woke him up. His hand was already hovering above the phone when he remembered his friend was no more. He was alone.

I'm here.

You're not real.

That's not true.

Shut up.

Green eyes lit up, shining brilliantly in the darkness of the room. Psy found himself gazing at the two spots. They spoke of a monster without reason or emotion. Crumbling wings with dark circles appeared around the creature, vermillion butterflies settling themselves on the deformed figure without hesitation. The strange illusion was both repulsing and attracting. Slowly, like it was an incredibly heavy task, the thing turned his head away, in the direction of a soft chirping.

Seeing the temporary distraction as a chance, a bullet was shot, resulting in the sound of gunfire and shattering glass, the green eyes nowhere to be seen. Moths fluttered away from the broken mirror, leaving their dear monster behind to follow the blond male.

The chirping had stopped. The remaining silence was deafening.

"How long have I been here?" he wondered out loud as he turned the doorknob, only to find it locked. Even though he didn't expect a reply, he suddenly felt something around his waist.

No wires, no blood, no caterpillars. Just two arms.

"Too long," was the whispered reply. Hairs brushed past his shoulder when a head was pressed against it. "Too long. I miss you. I miss you so. Don't leave." The embrace disappeared as quick as it had come, making him wonder if it had been just another one of his dreams. The door opened before him. Despite the darkness, it was easy to make out Vi's huddled form, his back turned on the other. The head turned rapidly, and a malicious grin flickered over the face that no longer looked human-like.

"You are so dear to me," the virus said, his words slurring as he started to fall apart into a white vapour. Just before he faded, his expression changed again. Psy was almost too late to catch the tear that rolled down the other's cheek as his mouth opened in a soundless scream. The fume soon faded, leaving nothing behind but a grey bird. It was lying on the floor, its tiny eyes wide and scared. Small wings outstretched, reaching for the nothingness.

Red marks were left on his small chest, forming four letters:

H E L P