The Life As The Devil's Son

Chapter Thirty-One: The Hunt

I hurried to catch up with Caroline as she burst through the swirling green portal. Finally, reaching her, I gripped her shoulder tightly.

"Caroline, wait!" I gasped, trying to catch my breath. "You can't tell Travis."

She turned on her heels to face me. "Why?" she questioned as she shook her head.

"It's complicated," I replied, struggling to find the right words.

As I hesitated, the familiar sensation of emotions began to stir within me. My hand trembled involuntarily, and I could feel sweat gathering on my brow. It felt like a dam had broken, and all my suppressed emotions were bursting to the surface.

But I couldn't let them. I clenched my hands, determined to shove my emotions back down. It was a constant battle, one that I fought every day, but in this moment, the struggle felt more intense than ever.

Caroline glanced at me as her eyes flickered with concern. "Are you okay?" she asked.

I forced a tight-lipped smile, trying to reassure her. "I'm fine," I replied, though the words felt hollow even to my own ears.

She studied me for a moment longer as her eyes narrowed in suspicion. She wasn't entirely convinced, and the guilt gnawed at me, knowing that I was keeping secrets from her. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to tell her the truth, not when the stakes were so high and the consequences so uncertain.

"Your emotions. They are tied to your loyalty to Travis; that is why you have been his puppet for all this time." Caroline realized.

"I am not his puppet!" I scoffed.

"Oh, please, you bend to his every will," Caroline said exaggeratedly, her voice rising to a mocking pitch as she emphasized each word with theatrical flair.

"I do not!" I protested, my voice cracking.

Caroline laughed. "Keep telling yourself that," she muttered under her breath.

I bristled at her words, a surge of defensiveness rising within me. But deep down, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that she might be right. Perhaps, despite my best efforts to resist, I was still bound by the ties of loyalty and obligation to Travis, trapped in a cycle I couldn't break free from.

Caroline rolled her eyes and turned away, her steps purposeful as she made her way towards Travis' throne room.

"Wait!" I called out after her, but the words caught in my throat, drowned out by the thunderous pounding of my heart. I staggered, feeling my legs give way beneath me, collapsing to the ground in a heap.

Gasping for air, I struggled to control my ragged breaths, the familiar weight of panic pressing down on me like a suffocating blanket. It had been so long since I last experienced an attack like this, and yet here I was, overwhelmed by the raw intensity of my emotions.

As Caroline disappeared from view, a sense of helplessness washed over me, mingling with a growing sense of desperation. Despite the angel's warning, I knew deep down that I couldn't stop Caroline. She was determined to confront Travis, and I had to let her, even if it meant risking everything I had worked so hard to bury.

With a heavy heart, I resigned myself to the inevitable, knowing that I was powerless to intervene. It was a selfish decision, born out of my own fear and desperation, but at that moment, it was all I could do to cling to the fragile semblance of control I had left.

Once I surrendered to the idea of letting Caroline go, I finally felt a bit of relief rush over me. It was like I'd been holding my breath for way too long and finally let it out. With each passing second, my racing heart started to slow down, going from overdrive to a steadier pace.