A.N Sorry for the delay in this. There is supposed to be a part 2 and I’m gonna be trying my best to post that ASAP, hopefully before my hiatus before pre-boards. This again turned out rushed but then y’all know my current state so excuse me.
Idea credit (and a few dialogues): This post by @emmaannaelisabeth (Massive Thank you:))
Dividers by: @firefly-graphics
Kaz Brekker was tired. And injured. He was bone-weary, to say the least, after his unexpected encounter with a gang of Dime Lions. Having been caught off guard, he had taken a few seconds to prepare for the fight, which had cost him several bruises. Fighting against 5 of them was even more difficult when his leg refused to cooperate against the biting cold of December.
In the middle of his tussle, Kaz had felt weird for a second or two, brief flashes of excruciating pain, after which he felt light and weightless. Something in his expression had probably scared off the pack because they had run away immediately after.
Kaz limped his way home, stopping only once as he sat down and rested on the footpath. Years being surrounded by Ketterdam’s gory atmosphere had made him nearly immune to it, and he was no stranger to blood but he still wrinkled his nose from the sheer amount of it that he was covered in.
Eventually, he reached the Slat, and for once he was glad to have gone unnoticed as everyone turned a blind eye to his wretched appearance. Perhaps, they too were just as uncaring and used to it. Kaz shrugged and clattered up the staircase hurriedly.
Soon he was in the confines of his bedroom and capable of washing himself up. Feeling his muscles burn with exertion, Kaz’s eyes snapped shut as soon as his head hit the pillow, which was rare. Distantly, just before his brain shut down completely, he was aware of Inej at the door, but too worn out to explain he went into a fitful slumber.
What felt like days, but were only hours later he woke up, feeling restless and uneasy. His ears perked up when he heard a commotion downstairs. Wondering what was going on, he put on his clothes and proceeded downwards, making a mental note to grab a glass of water to soothe his parched throat.
The lower floor was silent, with no one except the Crows in his room. His eyes scanned on the room, landing first on Inej and he was shocked to see a worried frown resting on her unusually pale face. Come to think of it she looked extremely disturbed, and Kaz’s first instinct was to go and comfort her.
However, he turned to Jesper, who was pacing from here to there, an equally anxious expression on his face too. Nina was sitting on a barstool, and she too mirrored their apprehensive body language.
“I don’t know where he is. When did you last see him?” Jesper inquired, not stopping his walk. Kaz had rarely seen his brother-in-arms so frightened and asked, “Who is gone?”
It was as if Jesper ignored him, choosing to turn to Nina and continue talking. “He said he was supposed to be here hours ago”,
Kaz’s heart grows cold. No. something happened to Wylan.
“Jesper”, he says. “Jesper look at me.”
Jesper again chose to continue ignoring him and sat down, running his hands through his hair. “What the fuck?” he slammed his palm onto the table in frustration and Kaz felt like doing the same. Why weren’t they answering him? Where were Wylan and Matthias?
“I’m sure he will turn up soon. You know how he is, besides Matthias has gone to look for him.” Nina tried to comfort him, rubbing his shoulder before going to Inej. Kaz felt his heart break as he noticed the tears in Inej’s eyes. What was going on?
Nina put her arms around Inej’s shoulders and hugged her. “Nina, please tell me what happened? Is Wylan all right?” Kaz Brekker rarely begged but he wasn’t sure what else to do, now that his questions were remaining unanswered.
The knot in his stomach tightened as he watched the trio grieve silently. But for what?
A minute later, when he was unable to control himself and was planning to jump and dance in front of them for answers, the door flung open and Wylan stood on the threshold. Kaz let out a relieved sigh. Wylan was fine.
But he frowned again as he realized that Wylan too was crying. Tears streamed down his cheeks and his blue eyes held a sea of pain in them. Jesper jumped up from his seat and ran up to him. Nina and Inej too stood up and looked at him expectantly.
Wylan acknowledged Inej directly and spoke, though his voice broke in between. “I—I found him.”
Inej shot back, “Is he…?”
Wylan bowed his head, shivering, and shook his head.
Inej stumbled back, lifting her hand to her mouth and letting out a pained sob. Nina caught her just before she fell onto the floor, her legs giving up. Kaz took a step towards her, just as Wylan buried his face into Jesper’s chest, agonizing cries wracking through his body.
Jesper too clutched him tightly as the waterworks flowed through his eyes even more swiftly.
“Wylan? Jesper? What happened?” his voice wavered a little, terror gripping him. The situation was becoming more confusing and serious with the minute.
A tall shadow appeared at the door, and in entered a Fjerdan blonde. Matthias. Nina looked up at him hopefully, but he too bowed his head and cried silently. Nina’s face crumbled into a mask of despair.
Perhaps it was that, or the way Inej screamed a shrill no!
and lurched towards Matthias, that Kaz’s eyes lowered to the body draped in Matthias’ arms.
His cane dropped from his hand and he swore his body froze, as he watched with horrified, terrorized eyes, at the beaten, bloodied, and bruised body in Matthias’ arms.
Matthias’ eyes were stuck to the spot where Kaz’s cane had landed with a loud thud. His frown widened, though his eyes were sorrowful. He looked into the mirror and Kaz too turned to face his own body. His corpse.
For a while, no one spoke, everyone sobbing and mourning. Inej’s face was blank, tears continuously streaming down her face to which she paid no heed. His head—the head of his corpse was in her lap, as she stroked his hair softly. Matthias held Nina in his arms, who’s resolved of not crying for Inej’s sake had broken. Jesper and Wylan continued clinging to one another, though now it was him who was comforting Jesper instead.
Kaz for his sake remained silent, and stunned, leaning against the railing. How was this possible? He was dead? Just like that? Did that mean he was a ghost now?
Thousands of questions whirled around in his head, making him dizzy. He felt fatigued and cold and nauseous. In the span of 12 hours, his entire world had taken a complete 180° turn.
A cold wind blew into the room through the window upstairs.
He had locked the window shut last night, before going out on the streets. And he had certainly not opened it after that.
Dread filled him and he rushed upstairs, to find that the window was indeed open. Additionally, someone stood there, back facing him.
He turned and Kaz’s heart—or whatever the hell it was in ghosts—stopped beating. “Jordie?”
A sinister smile adorned the elder Rietveld’s face as he smirked at his younger brother. “Hello, Kaz.”
“So you mean to say, I’m not completely dead?”
“And to rest in peace, I would first have to finish all my unfinished jobs here.”
He knew, however, as he fingered the diamond ring in his pants, what he was supposed to do. He had completed everything he had ever wanted except his love story.
Inej. He needed Inej and he needed to tell her those three words. At long last.