Spoilers up to chapter 65. I'm on chapter 94 now, and it's all been so sad and amazing, but I'm still hung up on Elliot and Leo. I hope you enjoy this fic!
Leo watched Elliot Nightray die twice.
The first time, he'd been filled with so much shock that his entire body had felt like it was frozen. There had been no Sablier, no crying orphans, no Chains hovering over them like storm clouds; there had just been Elliot, soaked in scarlet, his once-lively blue eyes hollow. The dancing golden light all around the Nightray boy's motionless body had done nothing to take away from the grotesque scene in front of Leo.
Ever since he was a little boy, he'd been told that what he could see was wrong. And ever since he was a little boy, all he'd wanted to do was claw out his own eyes so he could be normal.
What he'd seen that day was no exception.
In the moment, there had been no hesitation. He had tipped Humpty Dumpty's blood into Elliot's mouth with shaking hands. Elliot Nightray had become an illegal contractor. But at least he'd be alive.
The second time, there was no shock, just horror. Leo had seen it all before. It almost could have been just a flashback, but this time, there was no Sablier, there were no crying orphans.
And this time, there was no bringing Elliot back.
Leo let out painful, ugly sobs; sobs that wrenched themselves from his body as if they were alive and needed to get out, like the atrocity inside of him that was trying to escape through his tears. It was his fault that Elliot was dead. If he had never forced Humpty Dumpty onto the other boy, Elliot would never have become the Head Hunter, and never have been forced to reject the Chain at the cost of his own life. He would still be alive.
It was his fault.
It was his fault.
IT WAS HIS FAULT THAT ELLIOT NIGHTRAY WAS DEAD AND HE WAS NEVER COMING BACK.
The only person who had never called Leo a freak, who had always made him feel wanted, was dead, and it was all his fault.
Leo wanted to die too.
He didn't just want to kill himself, though. He wanted to uproot the world all around him, and let it crumble to his feet. He wanted to destroy everything, everything, and once the world was just as fucked up as the pandemonium inside his own head, he would lay himself down to rest one final time.
Nothing had any meaning without Elliot.