Riley Hayes | A Vampire Novel | Book 2

Chapter 15

The pain is relentless, a constant, searing agony that seems to seep into every cell of my body. It's as if my veins are filled with molten iron, burning me from the inside out. My skin feels like it's being torn apart, layer by layer, flayed by invisible hands. My bones ache with a deep, gnawing pain, like they're splintering into shards with every breath I take.

Each breath is a battle. The air feels too thick, too heavy, like I'm trying to breathe through water. My lungs are on fire, every inhale sends a fresh wave of agony crashing through me, as if my ribcage is being crushed by an unseen force. My throat is raw from screaming, but I can't help it. I can't stop. The pain demands a voice. It demands to be heard.

I can't focus on anything but the pain. It's everywhere, consuming every thought, every sensation, until I can't tell where it ends, and I begin. My skin crawls with a thousand needles, stabbing, pricking, digging deeper and deeper. My muscles spasm, twisting and contorting against my will, as if they're trying to escape the torture, but there's no escape. No relief.

I feel like I'm being ripped apart from the inside, every nerve ending alight with excruciating fire. My heart pounds in my chest, a frantic, uneven rhythm that sends sharp, stabbing jolts through my body with each beat. My head feels like it's going to explode, a dull, throbbing ache that grows sharper with every passing second, building and building until I can barely see, barely think, barely breathe.

I want to die. I want it to stop. I want to claw at my own skin, to rip it apart just to make it end. I want to scream until my throat is shredded, to cry out until my lungs collapse. But even that seems impossible. The pain is too much, too overwhelming. It swallows me whole, and I feel myself slipping, drifting into the darkness, just to escape it.

How long has it been now? Sixteen hours? I force my eyes open, trying to focus through the haze of agony. I glance to the side, hoping for some small mercy, some sign that this is almost over. The clock's numbers blur, but I manage to make them out—only fourteen. Fourteen hours... It gets much worse than this? Impossible, right?

The thought twists in my mind, a small, desperate hope that this is the peak, that the pain can't go any higher, can't stretch any further. But deep down, I know better. I know what May said about this elixir... that it only grows, only digs deeper into the bones.

I drift in and out, caught between waves of pain and the brief relief of unconsciousness. But even sleep is no true refuge—it's just another kind of torment, a dark place filled with shadows and fear. Then, after what feels like only minutes but could be hours, I feel myself surface again, waking slowly to the dim light of the room.

Leuca is by my side, his face drawn tight with worry, his eyes never leaving me. I feel the gentle press of his lips on my forehead, a tender kiss that brings a brief, flickering warmth against the constant cold that's settled deep in my bones. He's holding a cup to my lips, his other hand cradling my head, and I manage to take a few sips of water. The cool liquid is a small relief, a fleeting moment where the burning in my throat lessens, if only slightly.

"Here," he murmurs softly, coaxing me to drink more. "Another potion. It might help with the pain, even if it's just a little, Rayna's trying everything she can."

I swallow the bitter liquid, wincing as it slides down my raw throat, and I can't help the small laugh that escapes me. It's weak, more a croak than anything, but it's there. "Trying everything, huh?" I whisper. "Rayna... Rayna is trying everything."

"She is," he says, brushing a strand of hair from my face, his thumb lingering on my cheek. "She's tearing through every grimoire, every old text. She's going to find something, Riley."

I feel the ache in my chest tighten, a different kind of pain now. "Don't push her so hard," I manage, my voice barely a whisper. "There... there is no cure for this, Leuca. You know that. I know that."