Chaos Rising

10

Stiles

Void has gone silent.

I feel terrible lying to my friends. Scott is watching my every move, like he doesn't quite believe. I can't blame him, I don't really believe myself. I'm working with the enemy; but only to keep them alive. Right? If I hadn't, Void would kill them all. He's killed too many already.

My choice is in Beacon Hills best interests.

Hopefully they will see that when the sun comes out.

But, I can't lie, part of me also liked the fact that I no longer need to depend on a baseball bat as my only source of defense.

Deaton said there would be one of three outcomes after injecting me with the wolf lichen: I would pass out like before, telling the pack that both Void and I were still in there; or nothing would happen, letting them know that I truly did kill the nogitsune. And the third option: if Void had managed to kill me instead, he would have started seizing.

But, unlike the last time they used Wolf Lichen on me, this time I was in control, not Void. With the fox spirit submerged in my mind, all the wolf lichen managed to do was put him to sleep. Instead of passing out physically, he just went quiet in my head.

Scott is staring at me, I meet his gaze, my eyes glassy with tears. He doesn't look away, narrowing his eyes as if he can sense my lies. In a way he can. I would hope he trusts me enough not to do so, and since I proved I'm me like three seconds ago, he has no reason to.

Yes, he does.

But none that he knows of.

"He's dead." I repeat myself, my own heartbeat steady, not a lie detected. Before, when Void and I were battling for control, I never got to feel his power. Now that we're not fighting, I can hear everything. The humming of mosquitos around the streetlight across the road, the clock ticking in the McCall's dinning room. I zero in on Scott, tuning my ears to the fast, scared pounding in his chest. No, not scared. Terrified. He's terrified.

Of me?

I cock my head, blinking as I try to figure out what it is that he's afraid of. Then, I realize that is isn't just Scott who's afraid. I can smell it. I can smell their fear. My gaze travels around the room, catching the confused, wide eyes of every member of Scotts pack.

They're all looking at me.

My mouth suddenly tastes like blood, I lift my hand up to my lips, bringing it back down to find red smeared on the back of my palm. It comes in and out of focus, blurring along with the floor beneath me as I begin to sway on my feet.

"Stiles?"

"I'm okay, I just- just-"

"Stiles?"

I'm on the floor before I realize I even fell, my own name echoing in my ears.

"Stiles?"

"Stiles? Can you hear me?"

"Stiles?"

"Open your eyes."

Scott

"Stiles?"

I find myself unable to move as I watch Stiles fall, he hits the ground, finally lying motionless on the floor of my living room. His eyes stay open, glassed over as if he were... no. No. He can't be. I listen for his heartbeat, but I hear nothing in his chest.

"Stiles? Can you hear me?" My Mom is at his side, two fingers placed gently over his throat. "Stiles?" Her voice grows frantic as she pushes his dark hair from his face. "Open your eyes sweetheart."