The base was quiet when Zane slipped in, his footsteps muffled by the thick carpet of the hallway. He shrugged off his soaked hoodie, shaking out his hair as he moved through the familiar corridors. The warm, artificial lighting felt almost too bright after the darkness outside.
It was late—well past midnight—but he knew Rhea would be waiting up. She always was, like a sentinel keeping watch over their makeshift family. And tonight, Zane had a feeling she wasn’t in the mood to be lenient.
He paused outside the door to the common room, his hand hovering over the handle. The faint murmur of voices drifted through the crack, and he swallowed hard, bracing himself.
Rhea never missed a thing.
With a resigned sigh, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Rhea was seated at the large table in the center of the room, her back to him. She didn’t turn as he entered, but Zane could see the way her shoulders tensed, the way her fingers drummed a quiet, impatient rhythm against the tabletop.
“You’re back late,” she said, her voice low and controlled.
Zane closed the door behind him, keeping his expression carefully neutral. “I was out. Needed some air.”
“Air,” Rhea repeated slowly, finally turning to face him. Her gaze locked onto his, sharp and unyielding. “Is that what we’re calling it now?”
He shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny, dropping his gaze to the floor. “I’m not in the mood for a lecture, Rhea.”
“Good thing I’m not planning on giving you one,” she replied curtly, standing up. “I’m more interested in figuring out why you’ve been disappearing so much lately. Why you’re constantly distracted. And—” she stepped closer, her eyes narrowing—“why your loyalty seems so… divided.”
Zane’s breath hitched. He forced himself to meet her gaze, his jaw tightening. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t you?” she asked, her tone deceptively light. “Because it seems to me like you’re spending more time tracking Ethan’s movements than you are focusing on our own work. Or have you forgotten what our goal is?”
The accusation hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Zane clenched his fists, fighting to keep his composure. “I haven’t forgotten. But Ethan—”
“Ethan’s not our responsibility!” Rhea snapped, her voice cutting through the room like a blade. She took a deep breath, visibly calming herself before continuing. “Look, I get it. I do. You care about him. But this—whatever you’re doing—it’s going to get you killed. Or worse, it’s going to make you hesitate when it matters most.”
Zane’s eyes flashed. “He’s not the enemy, Rhea. He never was.”
“No,” she agreed, her gaze softening slightly. “But he’s not our ally, either. And you’re letting yourself get too close. You’re losing your edge, Zane.”
Her words struck a nerve, and Zane flinched, his shoulders drawing up defensively. “I’m not weak,” he growled, the denial spilling out before he could stop it.
“I didn’t say you were,” Rhea replied quietly. “But you’re distracted. You’re torn. And that’s dangerous—for all of us.”
Silence fell between them, thick and tense. Zane looked away, his mind racing. He wanted to argue, to tell her she was wrong. But deep down, he knew there was truth in her words.
He was distracted. He’d been letting his concern for Ethan consume him, to the point where everything else seemed secondary. But could she really blame him?
Could she blame him for wanting to help? For wanting to be there when Ethan felt like the world had turned its back on him?
“Rhea, I—”
“You have to choose, Zane,” she interrupted softly, her eyes searching his. “You have to decide where your priorities lie. Because if you don’t, it’s going to end badly. For you, for him… for all of us.”
Zane swallowed, his throat tight. He knew she was right. He couldn’t keep walking this line, couldn’t keep pretending that he could juggle both worlds without consequence. But how could he choose between the people he’d sworn to protect and the one person who’d always mattered more to him than anyone else?
“Rhea,” he whispered, his voice trembling with uncertainty. “What if I can’t?”
She sighed, reaching out to rest a hand on his arm. “You have to, Zane. For your own sake. For his sake. Because right now, you’re a liability. And I can’t protect you if you keep letting yourself get pulled in two directions.”
Zane’s shoulders slumped, the weight of her words settling over him like a crushing burden. He nodded slowly, the fight draining out of him. “I… I understand.”
“Good.” She gave his arm a gentle squeeze, her expression softening. “I’m not saying you have to cut him off completely. But you need to set boundaries. For your own safety.”
Zane nodded again, his gaze distant. “I’ll… I’ll try.”
Rhea’s lips twitched into a faint, sad smile. “That’s all I’m asking, Zane.”
She turned away, heading for the door, but paused just before reaching it. “And Zane?”
He looked up, meeting her gaze.
“Be careful,” she murmured. “I know you think you can handle it, but… just be careful. For both your sakes.”
Zane nodded wordlessly, watching as she left the room, the door closing softly behind her. He stood there for a long time, his mind a tangled mess of emotions.
How was he supposed to choose? How could he walk away from Ethan when every fiber of his being screamed at him to stay? To help? To be there, even if it meant risking everything?
But Rhea was right. He couldn’t keep going like this. Couldn’t keep risking himself—and everyone else—because he couldn’t let go.
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, Zane turned and headed for his room. He needed time to think. Time to figure out what the hell he was going to do.
Because no matter what choice he made, someone was going to get hurt.
And he wasn’t sure he could live with that.
---
The base settled into an uneasy quiet as the hours stretched on. But even as the night deepened, Zane lay awake, staring up at the ceiling, his mind racing.
Rhea’s words echoed in his head, a relentless reminder of the reality he’d been trying to avoid.
He had to choose.
But as much as he tried, no matter how hard he thought it through, he kept coming back to the same answer.
He couldn’t.
Because leaving Ethan behind?
That wasn’t a choice at all.
YOU ARE READING
Chasing Shadows
Teen Fiction"Chasing Shadows" is a tale of darkness, obsession, and unexpected desire. Zane, a calculating villain with a vendetta against the city's beloved hero, Asher, finds his meticulously crafted world disrupted by an unexpected presence-Ethan, the hero's...
