The day we fell.

chapter 21: actions have consequences

Tom's POV:

As I trudged through the desolate streets, my mind swirled with a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Skyla's words echoed in my ears, reminding me of the dangerous path I had embarked on. The rage serum she had injected into me had promised power, but it came at a steep cost. The side effects were tearing at the seams of my sanity, threatening to consume me entirely. I hear her voice echoing through me, the flashes of all the lives I took stream past in seconds. The fear in their eyes, the screams, but worse: her. Lucy's reaction. My heart breaks as my mind flashes back to it. I could recall how the tension built as Skyla's mocking laughter reverberated through the room. The sound of Lucy's shaky breaths, fumbling for words.

 The effects of the rage serum pulsated within me, blurring the lines between reality, loyalty, love, and fury. I watched, torn and conflicted, as Skyla tormented Lucy, her cruel words cutting deep. The woman who has been by my side since the day I meet her stood there, her eyes filled with pain and confusion, trying to comprehend the betrayal unfolding before her, her eyes scanning the room like a deer in headlights. Jace stood beside her, glaring at me.  "Luce, just listen to Skyla," I found myself saying, my voice tinged with an edge I didn't recognize. "She's right. The serum... it's changing me, making me stronger. We could have power beyond anything we've ever imagined." Jace, the person Lucy trusted most, her pride and joy, spat at me. "Bullshit! You're going to believe some red-headed little cunt you JUST fucking met over your girlfriend?! Let alone that, your childhood best friend?!" The room falls quiet until Lucy's gaze is locked with mine, her expression a mix of hurt and disbelief. "Tom, this isn't you," she pleaded, her voice quivering. "The serum is twisting your thoughts, clouding your judgment. Don't let it control you."

Skyla interjected with a sneer, her words dripping with venom. "Oh, how sweet. The fragile little girlfriend thinks she knows what's best for Tom. But he belongs with me, where he can unleash his true potential." Jace shoots back, his eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and protectiveness as Skyla's cruel words echoed in the room. He stepped forward, his voice dripping with a rage I never even knew resided within him. "Listen up, Skyla," he growled, his tone laced with a lethal edge. "You may think you're all powerful with your twisted serum and empty promises, but let me make one thing clear. If you dare to lay a finger on my mom or try to come between our family, I will make sure that the fury unleashed upon you will be nothing compared to the rage serum you're so obsessed with. Consider yourself warned." Silence fills the room as Jace's words echo around. I see a small smile on Lucy's face before it fades as she looks back at me. A part of me breaks. 

Anger flared within me, the serum amplifying my emotions to dangerous levels. I turned to Lucy, my voice laced with an unexpected edge of hostility. "Skyla is right, Lucy. You just don't understand. This power... it's intoxicating. I can't go back to being weak." Lucy's eyes filled with tears, a mixture of heartbreak and determination shining through. "If you choose this path, Tom, then I can't follow. I won't let the serum consume us. We deserve better." Jace nods in agreement. I just stare, then turn to Skyla.

As Lucy walked away, her footsteps echoing in the hollow room, I felt a pang of regret. The rage serum had clouded my judgment, blinding me to the love and loyalty that Lucy had shown me. But as Skyla's triumphant grin spread across her face, I couldn't help but feel a sickening thrill, a dark satisfaction in the power that coursed through my veins. The fight within me raged on, torn between the love I had for Lucy and the allure of the untamed strength promised by the serum.

I snap back to reality, tears falling down my face. I almost lost her. No. I did lose her. She found me. I now knew I had to confront the darkness within, the relentless anger that surged through my veins. It was a battle I couldn't afford to lose, not just for my own sake but for Lucy and Jace as well. They deserved better than a man tormented by his demons. I managed to find my way back to my senses and got a grip on myself. I found myself, what I want with myself. Now, I need to make myself feel complete once more.