Malakhim

he isn't grinning anymore. where there was a cocky grin before, the adrenaline of winning yet another cage fight coursing through his veins, now it has dropped.

he looks confused. hurt. his eyes are slightly wide and his brows are drawn.

"crater," he asks. "what are you talking about?"

"you'll thank me for this. well. you won't remember, but, if you did, you probably would."

something akin to fear creeps into malakhims face as realization dawns on him.

"no."

"yes, malla."

"no, please-- i want to remember."

"you know you can't do that."

"please, crater, i dont want to forget this."

i dont want to forget you.

"i know you'll miss this place. well, you know, subconciously or whatever the fvck. but it's for the better. you know i've got nothing outside the ring, nothing for me back at the surface. but you-- you could be something."

please no.

"i can be something with you, jesus, crater, snap out of it--"

"don't be naïve, malla!" crater snaps, cutting through malakhims desperate pleading, and it's so uncharacteristic that malakhim freezes. craters eyes are suspiciously shiny for a brief moment before they clear.

"malla, you know how this works. the same thing that happened to leechmaw will happen to you. that's a good thing, you idiot, you're getting out of this place. out of the web. this is the opportunity that bucket and sawdust and all of them died to get a chance at receiving."

crater looks away for a brief moment.

"you won't even remember me anyways. once it's all done. there's no point in getting weepy over it."

something cold grips at malakhims heart, and his lungs feel too small.

please, lord, give me one more chance.