Shattered Heart's Plea

Chapter 16: Deja Vu

Chapter 16: Deja Vu

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Zoe swiftly snatched the gun from Ethaniel's hand, releasing the magazine and removing the bullets in one fluid motion. She hurled the empty weapon onto the mat, her brows furrowed in anger. She couldn't bring herself to look back, even as the shaman's calls echoed around her.

Zoe walked towards the benches, her steps heavy with the weight of Ethaniel's accusatory questions that filled the room. She grabbed a bottle of water, her fingers trembling slightly as she unscrewed the cap. The voices seemed to echo around her, a chaotic blend of anger and confusion. She turned to look at the men still standing by the door, her gaze meeting Nicholas's. For a moment, the world seemed to stop; she almost choked on her water, the cold liquid a sharp contrast to the heat rising within her. Nicholas's eyes held a mix of emotions, unreadable yet piercing, and Zoe felt a shiver run down her spine.

"You have got to tell me what is happening because that is not normal in any human way possible," Ethaniel's voice grew sober.

Zoe capped the bottle and strode with decisive steps towards the men. Her eyes, like sharp golden daggers, pierced right through Nicholas. "You said you'd come back in three hours," she exclaimed, her chest heaving with pent-up tension from earlier events. "We haven't even hit the two-hour mark. You should've knocked! You could have been shot!"

"Woah,"

Ethaniel's side comment brought the air back to her. She took a step back from Nicholas and took a deep breath, regaining her calm. The accusatory questions still echoed in her ears, but she tried to push them aside.

"Do you realize that you could have been shot?! Why are you here, anyway?!" Zoe crossed her arms, her voice laced with frustration.

"I brought food," Nicholas gestured outside the training hall, where Zoe saw Nina waiting with a cart of food. "Besides, I wouldn't die even if the bullet hit me. I'm immortal, remember?" Zoe's brows furrowed even more at the glimpse of a teasing smirk on Nicholas' lips.

"I don't need food," she glared back at Nicholas. "I need to practice more."

"I think we could take a few minutes' break," Ethaniel said, halting Zoe's attempt to walk away. His brows knitted together in a mix of confusion and concern, the recent encounter with Nicholas still fresh in his mind. "You literally just evaporated a moving bullet. Although I did tamper with its speed to give you time to stop it, that's beside the point. What's really going on between you two?"

Zoe walked toward the benches, gesturing for Nina to follow her inside with the food cart. The sound of the men's footsteps trailing behind echoed softly in the space. Despite her desire to continue practicing, a gnawing curiosity about the true nature of her powers demanded attention. It was time to seek answers.

"Do you remember the visions I told you I was having about Zoelina?" Zoe began, her eyes fixed on the two men. "It's similar to that but blurrier, and the sound is muffled. Sometimes, though, it's more vivid." Her gaze faltered when it met Kinsley's, and she looked down.

"The visions happen—when exactly?" Ethaniel asked.

Zoe cursed under her breath, recalling the unsettling moments when the visions struck. A few beads of sweat gathered on her forehead, and her heartbeat quickened erratically. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and gathered her composure before speaking.

"Every time we touch," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Zoe stood up, her frustration mounting as Ethaniel nearly choked on his food. He glanced at her, then quickly shifted his gaze to Nicholas, his eyes widening further when he looked back at her.