Hey everyone. Here's more lunacy. Thanks to Elenafromthewoods for your reviews, and to Dylan for the awesome music.

Don't worry, I swear I'm not Shan.

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Regret. Nobody knew the intensity of the pain I was feeling. They could not. None of them ever would, ever could. They hadn't known, not like I had...

I had known of Larten's death. I had seen it through my own eyes even before he'd existed, and yet I hadn't warned him. I was too afraid - afraid of laws, of Desmond, of some unknown wrath that could overtake us all. And I had let him, my closest friend, go to his own demise without a word of caution to him.

I remembered him as best I could over the screen that was my own sorrow. Every laugh we'd shared, every problem we'd overcame, every plan we'd made, all of these things were things of the past. They had been rendered meaningless by death, by desting. I flinched when the word passed through my mind. Destiny.

Of course Larten's death had been his fault. Every sorrow I'd ever had was because of him. I despised the man more than any thing I'd ever encountered. Desmond. My nemesis. My father.

"Hibernius, are you still moping while everyone does your work for you? I swear you'll be here for the next show..."

I looked into the man's eyes. So soulless they were, colder than the eyes of those madmen that had no mind to function with. I scowled. I wanted to make him fall the way Larten had fallen, fall on the same stakes and burn in the same flames. I wanted him to scream, to writhe, to suffer, to die. Better yet, I wanted to be the one who killed him.

"Not a wise choice, Hibernius. Vengeance always leads to suffering, you know. I am not someone you want as an enemy, my son."

How dare he call me his son? How dare he so much as speak to me?! "You are my enemy. And I am not your son... You shall control me no longer."

He nodded. "I thought as much. So you will take sides? You will choose to plot against me? Is that your intention?"

"I... do not know... my intentions."

A smile stretched across his face. He was satisfied. "I do. You wish to repay me for letting Larten die. You are as guilty as I, you know. But no matter. What's done, is done. Listen to me. You will not hurt me physically. That is not your plan. I will not harm you, but I will not stop harm from coming. You know how you will die if you stay and help the boy. You could escape this fate. You havve a choice..."

I considered his words. Darren was Larten's assistant. He was a good boy, not the kind that needed to die. I would help him. For Darren. For Vancha. For Larten. For me.

"There is no other option for me, Desmond. I'm afraid I'm staying. Friendship keeps me here. But you would not understand that..."

A frown. "I think you are a fool for choosing death over life. Very well. Have it your way. I'll let you choose because I love you."

"If you loved me, you would be a better man. You never have, and never will, know love. Do not lie to yourself. There is no life without my friends. I will willingly die. I accept it. I long for it. Until then, I suppose we have to pretend nothing is wrong?"

He nodded. "We have to."

"Then we'll meet again when Darren goes to the Lake of Souls. Goodbye."

He quickly disappeared. Death would be my escape. I would be with everyone again. And I would never see Desmond for the rest of eternity. For the first time, there was hope of an escape - even if the escape was death.