My hand shakes violently, and my breaths are uneven and rapid as I stare him in the eyes, trying my hardest not to wince.

“I should’ve told you about being a hero sooner, I know. I’m so sorry-“ I start to say, guilt creeping into my tone before he quickly cuts me off.

“Why didn’t you say something?” he asks quickly, with almost a hint of horror in his voice. “Why haven’t you said anything? I’ve been hurting you all this time, and I didn’t even know…”

He quickly spirals into a panic, but my mind zeros in on one thing… hurting me?

“Hurting me how?” I ask quietly, my eyes narrowing in suspicion. He tenses, and I see him suck in a breath.

“I… well…” after a moment he pulls up his sleeve… revealing a skull tattoo.

The same one the villain I’ve been fighting this whole time has.

The person who has spent the past year trying their hardest to kill me.

I stumble back, my limbs feeling numb. He rushes over and says something else, but it’s all drowned out in the ocean that now fills my ears. I can’t breathe, or hear, or even see.

I shake my head and shift over to the window, knowing nothing except that I need to leave, right now. Without another word I lean backwards, falling down until I let my flight powers activate.