Void (The Youngest, Book 3.B.)

Chapter 二十一 (B)

By the way, before you start, if you weren't aware and haven't read this in a while... as of the 21st of november 2024, i have rewritten all of my books. Check it out if you're interested. Good to see you all again!

Lydia took a deep breath and looked up to see that she was in some kind of tunnel. She tried to remember what had happened, but it was all a blur. The last clear thing she could remember was being in Scott's house, watching Stiles hack out a mountain of gauze bandages onto the floor, and watching something crawl out from them. She had been watching it intensely before she remembered feeling a tug on her shoulder, and looking over to see Stiles pulling her away with Kylie following in tow. They left the house, and after that... nothing. Now, she was sitting here in this dark and dank tunnel, with countless voices yelling and screaming around in her head. Lydia got to her feet and tried to find some way to drown them all out. But it seemed like their shouting only got louder.

A giggle sounded in the distance, and Lydia turned around with a gasp, looking to see if she could spot the child whose giggle she definitely recognized.

"Kylie?" she whispered, her eyes searching the darkness.

"Can you hear them?" Lydia gasped and looked off to her left to see a shadowy figure slowly approaching her. A figure with a disturbingly familiar voice. "It's louder than usual, isn't it? That's because a lot of bad things happened here." As he stepped closer, Lydia's eyes widened when she saw that it was Stiles, except... it wasn't really him. Lydia then started to try and get away.

"Can you hear them, Kylie?" Void called out, a sly grin playing on his lips.

Lydia's heart skipped a beat as she heard small footsteps echo behind the Nogitsune. Kylie stepped out from the shadows, her eyes wide and vacant, as though entranced. She clutched her teddy bear tightly, her gaze flickering between Void and Lydia. The Nogitsune kept his calm pace toward Lydia. "What are the voices telling you, Lydia? Are they saying that Stiles is dying? He is, you know," he teased joyfully. "He's dying."

Lydia quickened her pace, trying harder to get away. "Then what do you need me for?!" she shouted as she kept moving. "You think I can tell you something?!" But she stopped when she reached a sealed gate that she couldn't open.

The sounds of her trying to get it open echoed through the tunnels and were soon followed by the Nogitsune's amused, dark chuckle. "Oh, I know you can."

Lydia tried harder to push the gate open. "I'm not telling you anything!"

"You won't have to." Lydia gasped as the sound was practically in her ear. She turned to stare right at the Nogitsune wearing Stiles' face. He leaned in closer, his voice low and menacing. "You'll be screaming."

Lydia's scream echoed through the tunnel.

Kylie's giggle rang out once again, and Lydia's eyes snapped toward the child. Kylie's expression was distant, but there was a strange satisfaction in her eyes as she watched Lydia's fear.

Void was enjoying leading Lydia around in the tunnels. Her fear and apprehension were a good precursor to what he would unleash in the future.

"There's nowhere to hide, Lydia," he said, his voice calm as he pursued her through the darkness.

Lydia kept her face stern, trying hard not to succumb to her fear. "They'll find me," she said as she spotted some light ahead and headed for it. "They're going to find me." She reached another gate that wouldn't budge. She tried to push and pull, desperately trying to free herself, but it stayed firm.

Kylie approached from the shadows, her small form eerie in the dim light. She hugged her teddy bear close, her eyes fixed on Lydia with an unsettling intensity.

Void watched Lydia struggle for a moment before he sat down on the steps above her. "You think so?" he muttered down to her. "I myself was kind of wondering what they're doing right now. What useless lead they're chasing? I wonder if some of them have bigger problems to deal with right now." He let a smirk crawl onto his lips.

Kylie giggled again, and Void's eyes flicked to her, his grin widening. He motioned for her to come closer, and the little girl obeyed, stepping up beside him. Lydia watched, her heart sinking, as Kylie looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and something almost sinister.

Lydia let herself calm down a bit before she slowly turned to face the Nogitsune. "What do you want?"

Void's eyes dropped to meet hers. "More," he answered firmly. He then stood up, Kylie mimicking his movements as she stared at Lydia.

"More what?" Lydia asked, narrowing her eyes, trying to look braver than she felt.

"Oh Lydia, you're the genius, so I'm sure you've read them. The trickster stories. They're all about food, Lydia." He started stepping closer, Kylie following in his shadow, her teddy bear dragging along the floor. "The coyote, raven, fox... they're all hungry. I just crave something a little different."

"What?" Lydia almost cried out.

"I eat what you feel," Void said, his grin stretching wider as he stared into Lydia's eyes. "And I'm insatiable."

Kylie tilted her head, her eyes fixated on Lydia as if sensing the fear radiating from her. She let out a giggle, the sound echoing unnervingly in the confined space.