Screams and moans of pain and suffering drenched Caelum’s senses; the smell of fear and the tense atmosphere suddenly gained an inability to be blocked out. Caelum’s heart was racing, fighting against his ribcage for freedom. He twisted through turn after turn, corner after corner, down and around many alleyways in Hogsmead. He was in the empty backstreets, but he knew the Dark Ones had flooded the main street.

He was close now, to the main street, only a corner away. Caelum stepped out into the destroyed street and immediately stopped dead. There was a crowd of distressed people in the middle of the cobblestone road, all of who’s faces he recognised. They all seemed to be flocking around something. Damien was holding a silently sobbing Anne, Donnie, Chris and Val were frozen and staring at the item on the ground, shock plainly written in their wide eyes. Nora and Haley were crouched down, doubled over as if they were in pain.

Caelum warily stepped closer to the group, and as he did so, the slight figure of his older sister broke free from the embrace of her husband and whipped around to face him. Alcyone stared at him, a step away from the crying mob, her face so scarily pale and white that it sent shivers down his spine. Tears had dribbled snail trails down her cheeks, and her bloodshot eyes suddenly flashed with a fear Caelum had never seen before.

“Alcy?” he croaked, jerkily taking another step. Alcyone bit her blubbering lip and shook her head, fresh, salty tears spilling down her face. Something about her told Caelum that his sister was willing him not to come closer. He searched her pained expression and dread filled him. He glanced back over the assembled party and it hit him like a tonne of bricks. Someone was missing.

Someone special.

By now, everyone had noticed his presence, and the group slowly started to disperse. Caelum daren’t let his eyes wander to the place they had all just deserted, freezing, raw terror ripping and mauling his insides. Slowly, very slowly, he forced his eyes down to look at whatever it was they’d been crying over.

At first he thought it was a trick of the light. That couldn’t be her. No. Never. She was too beautiful, too beautiful, too- too scared. Her beautiful brown eyes lay open, bright with fear and surprise. Her soft, blonde hair caressed her fine head like a pillow. Caelum felt tears prick his eyes – not just of loss, but of rage, too. How could someone do this? Why would someone be so cruel as to take the one who lived for others? The ground gave a loud thud as he fell to his knees, but the only thing Caelum’s mind seemed to want to focus on was the body before him. The once living, breathing, loving Jaycie was now … he didn’t want to think of it.

“Jaycie?” a hoarse voice whispered, and Caelum barely registered it as his own. Everything seemed to slow down. The sounds surrounding him were surreal, as if under water. Nothing was making sense. She couldn’t be dead. Not her. Not yet. They were supposed to die together.

Fury suddenly burst through its cage and Caelum sprang to his feet, fists curling into balls. “I DIDN’T EVEN GET TO SAY GOODBYE!” He bellowed to the sky, cursing the evil fiends up there and their twisted games. His breath was short, ragged, angry. The entirety of the world came crashing down on him and everything was suddenly crystal clear.

Silence fell on the main street as the bystanders watched him cautiously, knowing that this would be the biggest blow to Caelum’s delicate temper. The fuel was on the fire and he would not stop until he got revenge.

Caelum whipped around to face the onlookers, wand in his hand, face contorted with anger. “Who was it?” he growled. Alcy stepped forwards, worry and concern plastered on her face.

“Cae-” She started, but was immediately silenced by a deathly glare from her younger brother. Alcyone stepped back and swallowed. “It was Dusk,” she whispered, her hand flying to her mouth as her voice broke.

That was all Caelum needed. The spark of flame had licked up the side of the tree and was now spreading to other ones; the bushfire was lit. Not even water could douse it now. Caelum spun on his heel and stormed down the road. His wand flicked everywhere, exploding shop windows and setting things a light.

“COME OUT, DUSK. COME OUT AND PLAY,” Caelum shouted into the night air, through the billowing smoke and the heat of the flames. He would not stop until she was worse than dead.

Caelum wiped his hands on his shirt as he stared down at the body by his feet. He was a good person, how could he have killed her? But he knew this, this pathetic excuse for a human had killed many and she deserved her fate. He'd tortured her for hours, until she'd begged for him to kill her and then he'd finally killed her. Jaycie wouldn't've wanted that, he could hear her voice in his head now.

He could hear it the whole time, as Dusk screamed and writhed on the ground with tears streaming down her cheeks and her lip curled in disgust that was plainly directed at him. He had seen her at one point, transparent like as she reached out for him with sad eyes. "Stop, Caelum. Please." His will had crumpled, and for a moment Dusk had been allowed the chance to catch her breath but he kept picturing his beautiful Jaycie, cold and dead on the floor with her terror clear on her face and he felt en-raged once more.

Her cries echoed through the night, and as he whispered the words he saw Dusk's face in a mask of shock and surprise - so much like Jaycie's. And he felt horrible now, as he pictured her as Jaycie and him murdering her. He clutched Dusk's lifeless body, seeing Jaycie before him. "No, no, no! Come back, come back." He wailed, before Jaycie's features faded and she became Dusk once more. He loosened his hold and let her fall.

He then ran back out into the main street, where the fighting still was all around them. Jaycie wasn't there anymore, and it wasn't until he saw the familiar hospital beds in one of the stores that he realised she'd been moved. He walked through the barrier and looked around, seeing once more the group. Damien and Anne had gone, but Donnie, Chris, Tilly, Alcy, Haley and now Clara had stayed. He knew that Clara had befriended Alcy, so he saw why she would come.

He searched for Jasper, and realised that he must've gone out to fight or returned to check on Capella. The group all looked up as he entered, his eyes hollow and his features already looking as if he hadn't slept in years. Alcy shook her head once more, willing him to go away again. When the group parted reluctantly for him to pass, he felt the pain ripple through him just as harmful as before. Time couldn't heal all wounds, this one would never heal.

He walked to her bedside and ignored Alcy's hand on his arm as he yanked it free and cupped Jaycie's face. His eyes flashed with dangerous rage, but his revenge had been fulfilled and he had nothing to take his rage out on. He morphed his rage into sorrow and he collected Jaycie in his arms, holding her cold and lifeless body close. "I love you, I wish i'd had the courage to say that before. I love you so much." He gasped to her as tears slid down his cheeks. He heard Alcy's sobs behind him and looked back to see his sister clutching Haley, Clara's arm around her waist. Adonis' wrapped an arm around the sobbing Chris, but Tilly was the only one who moved towards him. She stepped around the bed and pried Jaycie out of his arms.

He let out an angered growl, but as he watched Tilly drew the blankets up and tucked them in around Jaycie. She slid her eyes shut and then kissed the girls cheek in a tender gesture. "She's just sleeping, Cae." Tilly whispered to him, and he fell into her open arms. He sobbed heart-brokenly and felt himself shake violently. He felt Alcyone, Haley and Clara all join in the hug, and once they'd broken apart Caelum knew what he had to do. He pat Adonis on the shoulder, hugged everyone else goodbye and smiled waterily at Tilly. By the look in her eye, she knew too. As he hugged her, she whispered in his ear, "Please." The simple word made his heart ache painfully, but he shook his head. She sighed as if in submission and whispered that she'd miss him. "I'll miss you too." That was the last time they all saw Caelum.