The Black Order was silent. Stone was strewn across hallways, fires lit the dark corridors, rubble covered everything. But not only was the tower itself in ruins, though still standing, but the order itself was in disrepair. It was a horrific sight of bodies and blood layering the floors, death creeping around every corner. But no screams wracked the hallways, nor dying breaths or fear. The deed was done. No one remained alive, but one exorcist and the Noah.

Tyki held Allen pinned to the wall as an evil grin stretched across his grey face as Allen glared at him. Allen's grey eyes pierced him with rage and Tyki knew Allen would kill him without a second's hesitation. Yet as Tyki stood there, holding Allen's fate in his hands, he wasn't sure if he could do it. The exorcists were the enemy of the Noah, but there was something about Allen that made him like him; he almost respected him. He didn't know what it was, but it seemed like he was wrapping everyone around his finger. Road had an undying obsession for him and now Tyki was starting to like him, on a much smaller scale, of course. Maybe it was Allen's intense loyalty to his companions, how he'd sacrifice everything he had for them. Or the innocent personality he had when he was with his friends; he was always optimistic and never looked down on anyone. He was the spitting image of perfection; he was the person everyone tried to be. But, naturally, Tyki didn't.

Despite the perfect image Allen portrayed of himself, Tyki knew the horrific things he'd been through. Back when he'd received that card with Allen's name on it and he'd been ordered to kill him, he discovered everything he could about Allen. It was a tedious task, gathering information on Marian Cross's apprentice, but he'd found what he was looking for, nonetheless. He'd been cursed when he was nothing more than a child and was forced to suffer things most people couldn't even imagine. He was tormented by the death of his father, worked unceasingly for a selfish master for years. And besides all those things, Tyki had put him on the brink of death. And to add to the list, he was about to do it again.

But this time, Allen wouldn't walk away, innocence or no innocence.

Allen's chest heaved beneath Tyki's firm grip and his heart beat wildly. He remembered the last time Tyki had cornered him. Allen must've been anticipating Tyki's hand to slide through his chest like that one night. And Tyki wanted to do it, but something nagged at him. What was wrong with him?

Allen clenched his teeth together in anger before he spoke. "Why don't you just do it already?! Why don't you just kill me!" Tears started to well up in his eyes and one slid down his cheek.

Tyki was taken aback, not sure what he should do. He thought about it for only a moment before he made up his mind. Whatever game Allen was playing on Tyki's mind wouldn't work. No matter how much fun he'd had with Allen, he couldn't forget what Allen had done to him, the pain he'd put him through. He couldn't betray those memories.

Shrugging off his unusual hesitation, Tyki returned to his charming, merciless self. Eager to surface Allen's memories from that terrible night, he made his hand dissolve through Allen's chest.

Allen's eye went wide when he saw Tyki's wrist sticking out of his chest. Having completely forgotten his previous thoughts, Tyki enjoyed the horrified expression written across his face. "Because I'm going to have a little fun first," Letting his fingers turn back into a solid, Tyki wrapped them around his heart, "Allen."

His eyes bulged at the sick feeling inside his chest as he kept them glued on the arm that was protruding from him. Tyki let the fear sink in and let the idea that Tyki was literally holding his life in his hands bury itself deep inside his mind. He wanted Allen to remember the fear and pain Tyki had brought him those many nights ago. He wanted Allen to know that Allen hadn't won that night.

"You look scared, Allen Walker. Why is that?" he mocked. "I thought you humans gave everything you had to get someone to hold your heart. It's something called love, right?" He laughed as he leaned closer until Allen could feel Tyki's cold breath on his face. "So, I'm not the only one holding your heart right now, am I correct? Yes, her name is Lenalee, isn't it? Lenalee Lee…," he said slowly, continuing to smile. "And you hold her heart, too. See? We're not all that different, Allen. In fact…" He paused for effect, "we're quite the same."

That's when Allen snapped. "We're nothing alike!

"Oh, really? Is that what you really think?" He rose his free hand up to Allen's face and traced the mark under his eye with a cold finger, sending chills down Allen's spine. "You're cursed, just like me. Can you deny that?"

Allen stayed silent.

"Of course you can't. Though we both have our differences, we are the same."

It seemed as though flames were erupting in his eyes. Forgetting about Tyki's grip on his heart, he exploded. "How d-" He paused and caught his breath as pain coursed through his chest.

Tyki caressed Allen's face as he chuckled quietly. "You just don't know when to give up, do you?"

Small footsteps echoed through the dark hall as the form of a girl came into view. She swung an umbrella in one hand, walking gleefully with a smile on her face. "Tyki, what are you do-" Road stopped speaking when she saw the person in his grasp. "ALLEN!" Her small footsteps clicked against stone as she skipped over bodies of Allen's friends, his family. She halted to a stop at Tyki's side with a huge grin on her face as she gawked at Allen happily. "I thought you would be with your friends on a mission or something, so I wasn't expecting to see you here! This is such a pleasant surprise!"

Tyki turned to her with his eyebrows furrowed. "What did you say?"

Her smile faded as she looked back at Tyki. "Oh yeah, I came her to tell you that none of the exorcists from the Arc are here. And if they are, they're really good at hide-and-seek."

He narrowed his eyes towards the ground. "Tch!"

"Ah, come on now, Tyki! Allen's here, so-" Tyki's hand stuck in Allen's chest caught her eye. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Yes, actually, you are, Road," he said coolly.

"Fine, fine, I guess I'll go then." She looked sadly at Allen. "I'll miss playing with you, Allen." She kissed him on the cheek. "It's a shame you're with the exorcists. We could have so much fun together!" After giving him a hug, she skipped off, humming something to herself, swinging Lero around in her hand.

When the sound of her footsteps disappeared, Tyki turned back to Allen, returning a smile to his face. "I've had a lot of fun, too, Allen, but it's time to say goodbye. And don't worry, I'll make sure to tell Lenalee how you felt about her when I kill her." Before Allen could respond, Tyki closed his hand in a fist around Allen's heart as blood drenched his hand. "Goodbye, Allen Walker."

Allen stared up at him with horrified eyes as Tyki let him fall to the ground. His eyes went blank and Tyki knew he was finally dead. After all this time, he'd finally done it. His eyes wandered towards his glove doused in Allen's blood. "That's a shame. I'll have to get a new pair."

He pivoted around and began to walk away from the awful scene, smiling at his accomplishment. Though he felt a slight twinge of regret, he knew he'd done the right thing. Allen had been fun to play with and he was the only one who'd actually been a challenge for him, but he knew he had to let it go. He was a Noah, after all.

As Tyki Mikk's footsteps clicked down the hallway with arrogance and charm, something happened behind him, something he couldn't imagine in his wildest dreams.

Allen breathed.