No Escape

Fractured Reality

In the dead of night, my sleep is shattered by a jarring vision. I find myself in a shadowy corridor, watching Jake and Silent face off in a brutal confrontation.

"I can't believe you! You hurt her! You hurt Alice!" Jake's voice reverberates through the air, raw with anger. How did he know? Luke wouldn't have told him anything. We'd spent the whole night together after I confided in him.

"Look, man, I feel bad about it. Trust me," Silent replies, but his tone is defensive, almost dismissive.

"I don't care that you feel bad. I care that you hurt her!" Jake's muscles tense as he rolls up the sleeves of his button-up shirt, revealing his ripped arms. He lunges forward, fury driving him. "You're going to pay, bitch."

Silent stands his ground, a steely glare locked onto Jake. "You don't know who you're dealing with."

Time seems to freeze as Jake charges at Silent, and I feel a strange sensation—an intense pain ripples through my leg, a blood-curdling agony that paralyzes me. Silent can't be that dangerous. My heart races as I realize: he's using his mental powers against Jake. The pain flows through me, hot and sticky like glue.

Silent begins to retreat, but I can't just stand by. I muster every ounce of strength within me, willing Jake to rise. He grips the floor, pushing himself up. I see him smirk, his eyes glinting with a predatory delight. Before I can blink, he dashes toward Silent, knife gleaming in the dim light.

"Big mistake!" Silent's voice is a low growl, filled with menace. Jake's blade grazes Silent's cheek, leaving a jagged line of crimson. The blood stains his face, but it vanishes almost as quickly as it appears, leaving a haunting scar from his forehead to his chin.

Silent reacts instinctively, grabbing Jake by the collar and hurling him across the room. The sound of Jake hitting the wall sends a shockwave through me. I stagger backward, feeling the reverberation against my own back as if I'd been struck too. Jake's face is a mask of pain, and my stomach twists in sympathy as Silent rains down brutal kicks on him.

"No! Stop!" I scream, the sound tearing from my throat, sharp and desperate.

I jolt awake, gasping for breath. "Luke!" I cry, the panic still lacing my voice.

"What?" Luke's voice is thick with sleep, his gray eyes struggling to focus on me.

"Jake and... there was a fight... blood... kicking!" My words tumble out in a rush, breathless and frantic.

"Slow down, Alice!" He scrubs a hand across his face, waking up. "Breathe."

I take a deep breath, grounding myself. "I had a vision. Not a future vision—a present one. Jake found out about Edwin hurting me."

"Edwin?" Luke furrows his brow, processing the name. "He went to fight Silent, didn't he?"

I nod, remembering the glass opening I saw in my vision. "In front of the lab," I say, my voice steadying.

Luke's grip tightens around my wrist, and I realize the bruise from earlier is gone. Healing. I can heal myself.

We rush to the lab, finding Jake sprawled on the floor, battered and bruised. Blood trickles from his face, and my heart sinks. "Jake!" I scream, collapsing beside him.

As I touch him, a wave of warmth washes over me, and I absorb his pain. The throbbing in my sides disappears, but a dizzying light-headedness replaces it. I stagger back, overwhelmed.

When I come to, I'm back in the lab, Luke's gaze fixated on me with concern. Jake sits nearby, casually sipping whiskey, seemingly unfazed. But I can't help but notice the massive bruise on Luke's leg, the remnants of our earlier chaos.

"Your leg!" I gasp.

"Yeah?" he replies, nonchalantly.

"It's... fixed. Jake, your leg too!" I blurt out, astonished.

"Yup," Jake says, a casual smile spreading across his face. "All thanks to you." He bends down, scribbling notes while glancing at a large screen displaying my belly.

"What?" Luke asks, leaning closer, curiosity piqued.

"Well, you know how babies take nine months to fully develop?" Jake begins, the mood shifting.

"Yeah..." Luke exchanges a glance with me, confusion etched on his face.

Jake steps closer, his expression serious. "Alice, your baby is going to grow very quickly."

"What?" Luke and I echo, disbelief flooding our voices. "Do you mean like pre-mature?"

"No, the baby will mature quickly. It could be born in three to four months."

"Whoa, that's... a lot to process," I say, feeling my heart race.

"I know. I'm only nineteen," Jake adds with a hint of sarcasm.

"And I'm seventeen, Jake. Do you have any idea what it's like to push this thing out?" I gesture to my belly, anxiety creeping in.

"Sorry, forgot about that part," he mutters, guilt washing over his face.

A new fear bubbles to the surface. "What happens if Edwin comes back and I'm... this big?" I hold my hands out, indicating a roundness that feels impossible.

Jake exchanges a glance with Luke. "One," he says, voice steady, "I don't think you'll get that big. Two, if he comes, he must not know. We'll have to hide you."

"But what if he figures it out?" Luke's tone is serious, the weight of the situation pressing down on us.

"Who knows?" Jake shrugs, but his eyes darken. "All I know is that we both need to keep Alice safe. Right, Luke?"

"Right," Luke agrees, his determination clear.

I take a deep breath, a sense of dread settling in my stomach. This was all spiraling out of control. I shouldn't have ever been nice to Edwin. If I hadn't, maybe I wouldn't be in this mess. I was the missing link, the target of his obsession, but I wouldn't let him take me down without a fight.

As I glance between Jake and Luke, I realize the storm is just beginning. I'm not ready, but I'm no longer the missing piece. I'm here, and I'll fight to stay safe—no matter the cost.

The room buzzed with unspoken tension as we faced an uncertain future. I might not have the answers, but one thing was clear: I wouldn't let fear define me. I'd protect what mattered most, even if it meant facing the darkness that lurked just beyond our door.