Run With The Devil

A New World

Lyras pov

After the tour, I found myself wandering through the halls of Deon's mansion. It was massive-easily the biggest place I'd ever seen. Every room I entered seemed grander than the last, filled with expensive furniture, intricate decorations, and paintings of places I'd never heard of. It felt like a world apart from the sterile lab I had spent my whole life in.

The silence in the mansion was heavy, but not the suffocating kind I had known before. This place was different. It didn't hum with machines or echo with the cold voices of scientists. It was warm, almost alive, with the sounds of life stirring just beyond the walls. I could hear the distant murmur of Deon's men, their voices low and steady, like a constant presence in the background.

As I made my way through the long corridors, I started noticing some of them lingering in the shadows, watching me. At first, I ignored it, thinking maybe they were just curious. But the more I walked, the more I realized their eyes were following me. I could feel their gazes on my back, awkward and uncomfortable, like I was some kind of strange creature they didn't know how to approach.

I tried to push the feeling away, focusing instead on the rooms around me. I hadn't seen luxury like this before. The soft rugs beneath my feet, the tall windows that let in golden sunlight, the endless hallways that seemed to stretch forever-it was overwhelming.

But the more I walked, the more I felt like I didn't belong here. It was too much. Too perfect. Too... free.

As I turned the corner into another wide hallway, I caught sight of a group of men standing near the end. They were talking in low voices, but the moment they saw me, their conversation stopped. All of them turned to look at me, sizing me up like I was some kind of rare exhibit. Their eyes traveled from my face to my feet, then back up again, making me feel small under their scrutiny. I hated it.

I was about to turn back and head for my room when one of them stepped forward, separating himself from the group. He was tall-really tall-towering over me with golden-blonde hair that caught the light, and sharp green eyes that were locked directly on me. His face was calm, unreadable, but there was a hint of something in his eyes, maybe curiosity, or something else I couldn't place.

"Hey," he said, his voice steady and casual as if we'd met before. "I'm Angelo. You must've seen me around Deon already."

I didn't respond right away. Instead, I just stood there, staring at him, my body tense. My eyes flickered over him, taking in his appearance. His clothes were neat but casual, and his posture was relaxed, like he was used to being in control of whatever situation he walked into.

Angelo extended a hand, his expression softening a bit as if trying to make me feel more comfortable. "It's nice to finally meet you."

I didn't move. I just stared at his hand, my thoughts racing. He was being polite, but I couldn't help the wave of anxiety that hit me, crashing over the moment like cold water. Too much. This was too much. I didn't know these people, didn't understand this world. Everything about it was unfamiliar. And I didn't trust anyone yet-not even him.

Without saying a word, I turned on my heel and sped off down the hallway, my legs moving faster than anyone else could follow. I didn't care if it looked rude or awkward. I just needed to get away, to feel safe again. I couldn't deal with this-meeting strangers, feeling their eyes on me, the questions burning in my head about where I fit into all of this.

In a matter of seconds, I reached my room, slamming the door behind me. My heart pounded in my chest as I locked it, leaning my back against the wood, my breath coming out in sharp gasps.

I didn't belong here.

I slid down the door until I was sitting on the floor, my knees pulled to my chest. My hands trembled slightly as I rested my forehead on my knees, trying to calm myself down. This place was supposed to be better than the lab. It was supposed to be freedom. But instead, I just felt more out of place than ever.

Deon said I could rely on him, but that didn't change the fact that I had no idea who these people were or what they wanted. I didn't know how to be in this world-how to talk to people or trust them. I wasn't like them.

I was 019. Just another experiment. A freak.

For years, I'd only been seen as a tool, a subject for testing, not as a person. Now, I wasn't sure how to be anything else. The only thing I knew was how to run. So I kept running-from Angelo, from the mansion, from this new life that felt like a cage of its own.

As I sat there, the room around me seemed too quiet, too big. I hugged my knees tighter, wishing I could disappear into the walls, or run until the world blurred around me. But I couldn't run forever. Not this time.

Eventually, I'd have to face them.

But for now, I just needed to breathe.