The Serpent Inside (A Karmagisa Fanfiction)

16: Finality

(A/N) Sorry that we haven't published the 300K reader special, it's not quite finished yet! I (Starling) just had my final exams for my classes and Owl has been on a vacation and busy during the day, so neither of us have had much time to finish it up. Don't worry though, we're working as fast as we can while still keeping it good quality for you all. Please be patient. It's going to be very action-packed and long as heck, so we hope that will make up for it.

Once again, we're very sorry for being late.

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It was chilling.

Even though he knew it was coming, he couldn't help but to begin screaming when he saw Nagisa begin to cough and clutch at his throat.

The first effect Karma saw was the paling of Nagisa's skin. Nagisa was by no means tan, but he at least saw the sun every now and then. However, his skin lightened past normal to the point he looked white as a sheet and dead as a corpse. Next was the blood.

It didn't take 20/20 vision to see the specks of blood dotting the hand Nagisa coughed into.

The coughs kept flowing from Nagisa's mouth, and the screams kept coming from Karma's.

"What's happening to Papa!?" Iyuka shouted, pulling on her handcuffs as she tried to get to her Daddy.

"Iyuka..." Karma muttered, in shock before he turned his tear-stained face towards his daughter. "Iyuka, close your eyes, you shouldn't see this, you can't see this," he rambled.

"But-" Iyuka started.

"Iyuka, please, don't watch!" he said desperately.

Iyuka's wide eyes looked into those of her father's.

The girl knew people's eyes. That was all she remembered of her birth parents- cold, unwanting eyes. She remembered the eyes of the people at the orphanage. Pity-filled and hesitant. She knew their intentions were to get her off to some family, but that was only out of necessity. They didn't want her either.

Karma and Nagisa, though? The very first thing she noted about them was the one thing everyone else lacked in their eyes.

Warmth. Love. They wanted her for her, and they loved her so very much.

Nagisa's eyes were deep, swirling about like the tides and they held the deep mystery and bone-chilling fear the depths of the ocean provided. But they made Iyuka feel as if she was all wrapped up and warm, save within their depths and that whatever it was that brought fear to others would be there to keep her safe. The slitted pupils reminded her of her father's strength, that he was different, dangerous, but it would all be in the name of keeping her safe.

Karma's eyes were warm, cracking like fire and showing an eagerness that his lazy expression usually hid. But looking into his eyes showed how much he truly cared, how hard he worked, how deeply he felt. He acted above it all, even as an adult, but he found himself twice as immersed in the simple things than others, he found himself hanging onto those little moments, like when he got to hold Nagisa in his arms, bringing him safely into the protection Karma's fire provided. Fire was two things, and Karma was both of them. Karma was strong, destructive, but he was protective, and brought life to the room he was in.

Karma eyes showed none of that right now.

His eyes were dead, dull, broken beyond repair because the love that kept the life part of his flame around was being broken and Karma was stuck in chains, being forced to pitifully watch. He knew that even he would be shaken and traumatized from this event, and he had seen many things.

Iyuka was a child. A fucking child and she had to go through all of this just because Takaoka was a fucking asshole who couldn't understand when he had lost and when he give up.

Iyuka curled into herself and shut her eyes tight.

Karma let out a small sigh of relief before his own eyes tracked outside the box he was kept in, only for his heart to fall.

Nagisa could barely stand straight as he brought a shaking hand to the side of his neck. He hissed in pain and pulled his hand back when he touched his throat. Dark liquid started to pour through his scales, soaking his skin. Nagisa blinked in surprise, a lone, silent tear running down the side of his face. Breath hitching, he glanced to Karma with wide eyes. Without a word, he looked down to Iyuka's small form.

His lips parted, as if he wanted to say something.

And then-

"No," Karma whispered. "No, no, nononono-"

Nagisa fell to his knees.

A gas, deep navy in color, had started coming from Nagisa's scales.