Chapter 11: The Game

The institute was surprisingly quite bright on the inside, even if it seemed so dark on the outside. The windows were wide open shining with sunlight and the bulbs were lit brightly. A patterned carpet rubbed against Magnus' boots as he strolled towards the hallway.

It obviously wasn't the first time, Magnus was in the institute. He could recognise the familiar runes carved at every corner and the ceiling painted with angels soaring through the clouds. The warlock should've felt neutral but instead a new pulse of excitement and adrenaline coursing through him.

His fingers graced over the drawn rune on his upper arm. The way the ink was drawn by Alec's stele was still engraved on his skin. It was like a surge of empowerment flowing through his body. A connection forming between them. The deep blue sky watching over them as Alec was finally done with the rune and the shadowhunter's mouth met his. The armies of both Downworld and the Clave gaped at them-hell even Magnus's eyes were wide with shock but the love and warmth of the boy's kiss fuelled Magnus with happiness.

Magnus was finally Alec's official boyfriend. Not just a random fling. Not just some dirty little secret, but finally a serious lover who you introduce to your parents and who you want to spend the rest of your life with.

A sound of swords clashing drew Magnus to the wide opened door at his right. His eyes peaked into the room. Weapons hung around the metal walls as Isabelle and Jace sparred with their blades drawn. The two warriors were in a deadly and graceful dance, their cutlasses touching ever so slightly while their bodies moved so quick and natural.

Clary and Simon sat on a nearby bench with their eyes trailed on their respective partners. Clary's green eyes were bright and filled with wonder as her fingers swirled and glided, like she was conjuring up an image from the pads of her sliding fingers. Beside her was Simon who's eyes were too small to identify because of the large glasses sitting on the crook of his nose. Magnus had always wondered why the vampire needed those spectacles even if he had perfect vision.

Soft hums escaped from the warlock's lips trying to gain the shadowhunters' attention but the group remained unnoticed. Magic surged on the tips of the warlock's fingers. His eyes glowed in gold as small blue sparks flowed around his joints.

Simon fell on his front in a split second. Magnus had to hold off his laughter as the trio of shadowhunters paused on their tasks and stared at the vampire with confusion. Jace was the first to react by howling laughter while Isabelle only stare with disappointment and Clary bowed down to help him up.

"Mags, you're here!" Isabelle squealed when she finally saw the warlock leaning on the doorway.

Magnus casually entered the room with his hands tucked in his pockets. "Always a charmer, Isabelle."

"Yeah,Izzy. Go have nice talk with the guy who used magic to trip me." Simon mocked annoyed, as he stood up and brushed off dust from his clothes.

"But Stan, you look so nice kissing the ground." Magnus tease while he gave a small grin making Simon growl.

Jace howled in even more laughter as he coughed out. "Sparkles is so right, bloodsucker."

Clary sneered at all their hysterias. "Stop laughing at him. He just tripped because of Magnus' stupid spells."

"I assure my spells are not stupid, Clarissa." Magnus said offended,

"Awwww, come on Clary." Jace whined with his lips pursed trying to look cute and innocent. His eyes were intentionally widened as a frowning Clary looked away from him. "Don't you think it's just a little bit funny?"

"No, it's not." Clary scowled as she crossed her pale arms. Her green eyes gleaming so intense like she was a firework ready to burst at any moment. Isabelle patted the other girl's shoulder to calm her.

Magnus snickered at her frown. "Come on darling, you have to think it's a bit funny. After all, even if he's a vampire he can still fall on thin air."

Surprisingly, it wasn't the hot tempered redhead that cracked but the usually calm nerd who's fists tightened and mouth growled out showing off long needle like fangs. "WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP?!" Simon screamed.

Magnus remained unfazed and even yawned. "I guess that saying about how the quiet ones are always the loudest are true."

"You…" Simon started to growled.

"Guys, are you alright? I heard Simon screaming." A voice broke him off. Magnus turned and saw Alec entering the training room. A long dagger was in his pale hand as his hair was dripping drops of water from probably a shower. His blue eyes held a certain protective fire but it died down when he saw that his friends are fine. He slowly strapped his dagger in his belt and sighed.

"Please don't make me panic like that again." Alec rambled awkwardly as he scratched his hair attempting to brush off the water. Magnus smiled. He really did admire sometimes on how Alec had so much care and love for his siblings and friends. "Oh….. Magnus you're here."

Magnus gave a flirty wink making Alec go slightly red. "Of course, sweetie. I would never forget a date."

"Sweetie?" Jace scoffed.

As much as Magnus loved Alec's embarrassed face, tormenting him was Magnus' job no one else. The warlock quickly grabbed Alec's upper arm. He flashed a smirk at both his boyfriend and the others. "See you later, peasants." He waved off before dragging his boyfriend out off the training room. Alec was slightly struggling but he shrugged and decided to play along.

Once they reached the outside of the Institute, Magnus released his grip on his boyfriend. Alec staggered away while holding his now free arm while panting. "What's with the rush?"

"They'll tease you, darling, and that's my job." Magnus smirked and wrapped an arm around the shadowhunter. Magnus lowered his head and whispered hotly in Alec's ear. "We better go. We're being watched."

Magnus pointed somewhere at the top of the institute. Alec followed his finger, and found Jace and Isabelle watching from the balcony attached at the third floor. Jace and Isabelle immediately scrambled back in laughing when Alec glared at his siblings.

Magnus gave a soft chuckle and tightened his grip around Alec. He pulled his boyfriend away from institute and they both walked towards the sidewalk. Magnus smiled at the warm sunlight washing over them. He loved the spring. The trees were all freshly green, and flower of every kind bloom at every small patch of dirt.

They entered in Central Park. Magnus sat on a nearby bench enjoying the perfect scenery while Alec sat down on a field.

It was quite a quick blur on what happened next with Magnus. He remembered teasing Alec and laughing as they both played with the flower crown Alec made.

"Now all the flowers are dead."

Magnus paused his eyes wide as he stared down with a gaped mouth. Alec's eyebrow drew in closer in worry as the shadowhunter asked. "Magnus are you okay? Did I say anything wrong?"

Magnus pauses a little. "Yeah, I just never thought you could say that about….flowers out of all things."

Alec giggles. "I'm a shadowhunter. I kill demons for a living. Surely I can joke about flower being dead." He stood and walked back to the bench.

"You didn't sound so funny to me…." Magnus muttered when he left.

Magnus decided to let go of that weird incident and followed Alec. The couple strolled around the park feeding some pigeons and looking over at ponds. They stopped in front of a tall bronze fountain with a statue of a woman holding a jar that poured water into the base.

Alec's eyes wandered around as he spotted a couple of mundane throwing coins towards the pool. "Magnus, why are people throwing money in the fountain? Do mundanes really love to waste money?"

"Alexander. Alexander." Magnus laughs and pats him lovingly on the head. "They are not wasting money. You see, mundanes have this stupid belief that if you throw a coin into the fountain, your wish will come true."

"Mundane have the weirdest thoughts." Alec says.

As Alec continued to watch over the mundanes, Magnus spotted a small flower stand near a tree. The seller was drowsing off, probably from boringness. The vendor was so asleep that a little girl managed to grabbed a rose from his stand. A bouquet of blue lilies caught Magnus's eyes. They were blue like bottle glass. Almost like Alec's eyes. "Why don't you make a wish Alexander?" Magnus snapped a small coin in his hands and placed it on Alec's palms.

Alec looks at the coin strangely. "Did you steal this?"

"Now. Now. Let's not overthink." Magnus smiled. "First, you close your eyes…."

Alec complies with his orders.

"Next think of a wish…." Magnus slowly felt magic soared into his fingers as he felt the bouquet's wrapper on his fingers and the lilies's petals on his back. "Then throw the coin in the fountain…."

Alec throws it and opens his eyes. "Magnus, where are yo…"

"Behind you.."

Alec turned coming face filled with blue flowers. His eyes grew wide as he managed to mutter."…..Wow…."

Magnus looks offended. " 'Wow', really? I just stole this whole bouquet for you and all you say is 'wow'. I thought we had something special, biscuit."

Alec shook away his shock and accepted the bouquet. He held the flowers with joy as he kissed Magnus on the cheek. "Thank you, Magnus. You're the best."

"And the most fabulous?" There was pride laced in the warlock's voice.

"Don't push your luck." Alec laughed and punched his arm playfully.

"Anyway what did you wish for?"

"Secret."

Magnus stares at the heart horrified for so long.

"Magnus, don't you like it?" Alec pouted disappointedly but his eyes shined a certain glee. "It was so hard to crack my ribcage open and I might've slice a lung or two…..but you know it's all for you."

Magnus looks at the heart full of rage because he knew that Alec's crazy affections were all an act.

"Don't you dare mock me, Alexander." Magnus growled.

Alec grinned. "Oh well…..guess I'll have to put it back…"

He put the heart in his mouth. Magnus cringed as Alec's sharp teeth munched and blood started spewing out his mouth. An ugly metallic scent spread around the room when Alec bit into his own organ even more and the crimson liquid started to fall on the ground. Magnus's eyes were wide and paralysed as he watched his ex-boyfriend devour his own heart in amusement.

In a loud gulp, Alec swallowed the whole gut and he sighed with satisfaction.

"You know, if you did accept it. I would've made you eat it too. I would've pushed it down your throat as you choked and cried…." Alec wiped the remaining blood dripping from his mouth. "You would've looked so…..ravishing…"

Magnus stays silent for while and later says. "Your 'gifts' are horrible…"

"That's the point of the game, Mags." Alec laughs still leaning on the wall. In the moonlight, his skin looked even paler and his shark-like teeth seemed to look even more terrifying. "Those gifts could be downfalls to your life or clues to survival but it really depends on how you use them…"

"All of your gifts are so far both deadly and useless!" Magnus angered at Alec's amusement in this whole situation.

"Magnus, don't you trust me?' Alec whined with his eyes enlarging as he tried to look innocent.

"No." Magnus blurted out thinking about Catarina's story.

Disappointment flashed in Alec's eye, which is the only time Magnus could actually see actual emotion in the former shadowhunter but Alec smirk again and said. "Oh Magnus….you use to be so easy to manipulate. I could just simply give you a small kiss and you would do whatever I want, even if you don't know what you're actually doing. I thought you'd be so easy to control when I gave you my heart but no…..something's change and it's that grey bitch isn't it?"

"Catarina's not a bitch.." Magnus scowled.

"Oh please, she was one of those horrible doctors…" Alec growled but then he smiled again when his only eye gleamed. "She probably told you her side of the story how about I tell you mine…." He ended his statement with a seductive tone. He paced forward slowly as Magnus back away from him.

Soon Magnus found himself backed off on a chair sitting against the wall.

"What are you doing?" Magnus asked as Alec descended upon him.

"Telling a story of course." Alec whispered in his ear as he lowered himself and sat on his lap.

Magnus gulped, normally he would've been grinning and wrapping Alec's waist and hug him closer. He was reminded of New York when Alec and him would sit on the couch in his apartment and just watch movies together. It was quite a bittersweet feeling swelling in his heart.

"Why?" Magnus slightly yelped when Alec started caressing his cheek.

"You deserve a reward…"

"Yeah…" Magnus sucked in a heavy breath when Alec's face was so close.

"Is Magnus having dirty thoughts?" Alec cooed. "Cause sadly, sex is too boring. Honestly, I prefer the intercourse with more…'excitement'."

In that one moment, Magnus flash a grin while gaining back his confidence. "Sorry darling, I'm married. I don't cheat."

Alec laughed humourlessly. "Funny, Magnus. But I'm not here to feed you with sentiment, I'm here to tell you a story."

Magnus shifted slightly uncomfortable as Alec grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at the blue-eyed boy.

"It all started when my daddy dear was getting too annoying. I hated him so much. He secretly was always ashamed of me and I knew. Every time he would stare at me with disappointment in his eyes, I wanted to rip him apart. So I did." Alec's smile gone wider as he gripped Magnus's chin even harder.

"That first murder was so fun. For a proud man, my father was. He was a great pleader as he begged for mercy. He even begged for death!" Alec let out an amused howl. "Guess I might've made his torture too slow. But I couldn't help it, I was just so angry. He got what he deserved!"

"Alexander just because he didn't like you…"

"Hush." Alec blocked his mouth with a finger. "I'm telling the story. After I was done, he was still begging me to kill me as he bled slowly to his death. I just kept laughing and well….I got curious what was it really like to experience pain…not mental pain but physical pain. So I held a knife and stabbed my eye out!" He giggled happily.

Magnus's eyes widen.

"The pain felt so nice. Better than heartbreak…" Alec slightly squirmed in his lap. "I kept tasting the delicious salty blood falling from my socket. It was just so good. I just wanted more and more pain. It was such a beautiful feeling to be so distracted and in awe. So I…."

"Hanged myself?" Magnus finished.

"Yes, the feeling of the rope around neck as it tightened just felt so hilarious! I wanted it to constrict my breath even further as I would choke with saliva and cough out blood. What a satisfied feeling that would be?!" Alec smiled in glee. "But too bad, Isabelle came and found me. She freed me. So stupid."

"She saved your life." Magnus protested

"Well it would've been fun being dead." Alec giggled as his fingers stroked Magnus's chin. "Besides death would've been much better than what happened next. The Clave deemed I was too 'ill' so I was sent to a scary little asylum in Canada. Away from my loving family. In that hospital, I was beaten and experimented on. I hated how the doctors would treat me like a wild animal. But who knows maybe I am one? Don't you think so too, Magnus?"

Magnus looked down silent.

"That's what I thought." Alec continued. "Anyway, one night my master came in my dreams. He would grant my every wish. He would unlock my prison cell and lead me to those horrible doctors. I would murder so many people every night. Hear their pretty screams as I would rip out their eyes and smash their bones slowly and painfully. And it's all because of my master that I could bath in blood everyday.."

"And who is this master?" Magnus whispered hotly against Alec's cold lips.

A cold smile spread across the boy's lips showing off the row of sharp teeth making him look like a beast ready to pounce and devourer Magnus alive. Alec dug his free hand onto Magnus's shoulder and leaned into his ear. His breath cold and sharp as he whispered "Your father."

It was like thousands of knives hitting his chest. Rage fuelled in the warlock as he gripped the younger boy's shoulder and attempted to push him away but Alec had him still sat with no struggle.

"You! Get off me!" Magnus growled.

"Magnus. Magnus. Why so bad?" Alec sang. "Don't you know who I am?"

"Yeah, one of my father's stupid bitches." Magnus mocked. "I'm sure you'd rather go play this 'game' with your master!"

"I would but….he's not as pretty as you nor as fun or as charming…"

Magnus's eyes softened for a few seconds. For a minute there, he was actually touched by those fake compliments but then an ugly sneer formed on his mouth again. "Yeah right…" He chewed sarcastically.

"But Magnus I do really want those bright eyes of yours, after all that is my reward in the end." Alec whined bringing his face closer to Magnus.

"What do I get if I win then?" Magnus growled. "Not dying…"

"You should pretty grateful for that price.."

"Then what's the point, I've lived for more than 1000 years. I'm not afraid of death anymore, Alexander. Even the most painful and slowest ones."

No shock came on Alec, instead he gave an even wider smile that touched his eyes. "You think I wouldn't know that Magnus. I'm not as dumb as my old self." The warlock frowned at his insult. "Even if I offered you my dead body, you wouldn't want that like the others so I'll give you a better reward. A cure."

Magnus stayed silent but a small gasp escaped from his lips.

"You see, Magnus…" Alec moaned in his ear as fingers gently stroke his cheek."All you have to do is win the game and I'll be back to 'normal'. The rules are simple all you have to do is try to find a cure for me while I try my best to your life as miserable as possible."

"How do we win?"

"Easy. You win if you find a cure, and I win if you give up." Alec smirked. "Your reward is my old self and my reward is your pretty eyeballs. Deal?"

It was like Magnus was in a trance. His deep desire for wanting his Alec over took him and he said. "Deal."

Magnus expected a handshake or maybe just a simple kiss on the cheek, but what happened next was quite a big blur. Alec drew himself away from his ear and stared at him. His smile looking so predatory and scary. His only visible eye had an unsettling gleam. The former shadowhunter looked like a beast ready to devour him.

The killer lowered themselves and their lips met. Magnus should've felt happy and warm with Alec's kisses. He was should've been reminded of those loving kisses him and Alec would share, but this kiss was nothing like the old times.

It was sloppy and dirty. It didn't feel like a kiss at all. More like devouring someone's mouth. Magnus felt shocks of panic and fear as Alec's sharp teeth graced over his lip. Magnus held back his tongue as Alec's teeth explored. It was like Alec was trying to aggravate him, to make him as vicious and devouring towards the other boy, but the warlock didn't comply.

But Magnus did his best, he pressed against Alec's lips with warmth. The warlock wrapped his arms around the shadowhunter's waist and tied them together.

Once their lips were apart, string of saliva fell out their mouths. The warlock just felt filthy and violated. He couldn't believe Alec wanted to feel so devoured and horrified like him right now. Alec was insane. He was a sadistic masochistic psycho.

He stared into his blue eye wondering what has happened to him.

"That kiss was quite boring." Alec drawled. "But whatever the game is on."

Disclaimer: I don't own the Mortal Instruments Series

Author's Note: Hey guys, hopefully you like this chapter. I'm not sure if I can update next month because I might be participating in Nanowrimo. It's my first time. Anyway hopefully you like this chapter and I'm not if it's good enough cause this was only the first draft.