I was standing in my bedroom.
My old bedroom.
Before the crash.
Before Axel disappeared.
Before I knew vampires existed.
Before the Hollow.
Everything was exactly the way I remembered it.
My posters.
My desk.
The pile of clothes I'd refused to put away.
Rain tapping against the window.
I stared at my hands.
No scars.
No bruises.
No blood.
A knock sounded at the door.
I knew who it was.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Axel walked inside.
They smiled.
Normal.
Human.
No secrets.
No Hollow.
No fear.
They sat beside me on the bed.
"Hey."
I smiled.
"Hey."
They leaned against my shoulder.
"This is nice."
"Yeah."
"Nothing weird."
"Nothing terrifying."
"No vampires."
"No vampires."
"No ancient supernatural entities."
"Definitely no ancient supernatural entities."
I laughed.
It felt real.
Too real.
Axel looked at me.
"We could stay here."
I frowned.
"What?"
"We don't have to go back."
I stared at them.
"What do you mean?"
"No Hollow."
They smiled.
"No running."
"No secrets."
"No fear."
I felt something inside me twist.
"Where's the catch?"
"There isn't one."
They took my hand.
"We can have this."
I looked around the room.
It was everything I'd ever wanted.
A normal life.
Axel beside me.
No blood.
No monsters.
No fear of losing them.
It was perfect.
And that was exactly why I knew it wasn't real.
I pulled my hand away.
Axel's smile disappeared.
"You don't want this?"
I stood.
"You're not Axel."
Their expression changed.
"Of course I am."
"No."
I stepped backward.
"You don't know me."
The fake Axel's face became blank.
"You don't know them either."
"Yes, I do."
"You think you do."
The room darkened.
"You don't know what they are."
I swallowed.
"They're Axel."
"They're a vampire."
"I know."
"They lied to you."
"I know."
"They'll hurt you."
"Maybe."
The thing wearing their face stared at me.
"You'll lose them."
My chest tightened.
"Maybe."
"You'll watch them die."
Tears filled my eyes.
"Maybe."
"They'll leave you."
"Maybe."
The room shook.
The walls began to crack.
The Hollow screamed through Axel's face.
"THEN WHY DO YOU CHOOSE THEM?"
I looked at it.
Because suddenly I understood.
It wanted certainty.
It wanted me to promise Axel could never hurt me.
That they would never leave.
That nothing bad would ever happen.
But love didn't work like that.
I couldn't promise forever.
I couldn't promise safety.
I couldn't promise that choosing Axel wouldn't destroy something inside me.
I could only choose them anyway.
"Because I love them."
The room went silent.
The fake Axel stared at me.
Then smiled.
Not like Axel.
Like something ancient.
"Finally."
The bedroom disappeared.
And somewhere in the darkness, I heard a familiar voice.
Not the Hollow.
The real one.
"You're not alone."
Axel.
I turned toward the sound.
And ran.