The moment Day handed Skyler the phone, Skyler's breath hitched. The device was cracked, covered in a fine layer of dust from the alley it had been recovered in. Skyler stared at it for a long moment, his chest tightening with each passing second. When Day spoke again, his voice was firm but laced with urgency.
"We traced it back. The messages... they're threats, Skyler. Someone's been targeting him for a while now."
Skyler's fingers trembled as he took the phone, scrolling through the string of messages that had been unearthed. His heartbeat pounded in his ears, drowning out every other sound around him. Each text was worse than the last—cruel taunts, violent threats.
His blood ran cold as the final message flashed across the screen:
"Come to the exact alley or you'll regret it."
It was like a punch to his gut. Skyler's hand gripped the phone so tightly his knuckles turned white. Rage, the kind of rage he had only ever felt once before in his life, surged through him like a fire, consuming every rational thought.
"Who dared..." Skyler's voice was a low growl, his words trembling with fury. His body shook uncontrollably, his eyes darkened with pure, unfiltered rage.
Day placed a hand on his shoulder, but Skyler shook it off, pacing across the room. "They'll pay," he spat, his voice growing louder. "I swear they'll pay for this."
He moved with a determination that scared even his older brother. Skyler stormed to the corner of the room, opening a drawer where he kept a gun. His fingers wrapped around the cold metal, and for a moment, the world stopped. He wasn't thinking straight. All he could see, all he could hear was Ocean's voice—pleading, scared, alone.
Day stepped forward, his expression dark but controlled. "Skyler," he began, voice steady but firm, "don't lose yourself. I get it. We're all angry. But we do this smart."
Skyler's eyes were wild as he looked at Day. "They hurt him. They've tortured him. How can I stay calm?" His voice cracked, the anguish clear beneath the anger.
Day met his gaze, his own resolve hardening. "We'll get him back. We will. But not like this. You want to lose yourself before we've even found him?"
Skyler's chest rose and fell rapidly, his fists clenched as he tried to control the surge of emotions. But Day was right. As much as his blood boiled, as much as every fiber in his being wanted to tear through whoever had laid a finger on Ocean, he had to keep it together. For Ocean.
Taking a shaky breath, Skyler nodded. His voice was lower, but the venom still dripped from every word. "Let's go."
Together, the brothers—along with Day's team—moved out. The trail led them to the outskirts of the city, to a place that Skyler had never imagined Ocean would ever end up. It was an abandoned warehouse, long forgotten, tucked away from the eyes of the world. The closer they got, the more Skyler's heart hammered in his chest, the fury rising again like a tidal wave.
Ocean's World...
Ocean's consciousness drifted in and out like waves crashing against the shore. His body ached, every inch of him screaming in pain. His vision was blurred, and he couldn't feel his legs anymore. Blood soaked the ground beneath him, its sickening warmth contrasting with the icy fear that gripped his heart.
Fain—his bully—had not stopped. The blade, small but sharp, had carved into Ocean's skin, marking him with cruel precision. Ocean had fought, he had struggled, but Fain was stronger, and the pain had taken over his body until he could no longer resist.
His shirt was torn, and his chest stung from where the blade had kissed his skin. His hands trembled, stained with his own blood, and his breaths came out shallow and ragged. The tears had long since started to fall, silent but heavy, tracing paths down his cheeks as the realization set in.
He wasn't getting out of this.
The darkness was closing in. His body was too weak, too drained. But in the moments of clarity that broke through the pain, there was only one name on his lips.
"Skyler..." he whispered, voice faint and broken.
He prayed—prayed harder than he ever had before—that Skyler would find him. That somehow, the person who had saved him in the past would come to his rescue again. His heart ached, not just from the physical pain, but from the fear. He remembered now—why Fain had been expelled. It was because of Skyler. Skyler had intervened, standing up for Ocean all those years ago, but Ocean had never known the full story until now.
Fain had wanted revenge. And Ocean was paying the price for it.
Ocean's eyes fluttered shut as the darkness grew stronger. His chest tightened, and he could feel himself slipping away. The thought of Skyler—the memory of his warmth, his smile—was the only thing keeping him tethered to consciousness.
But it was getting harder. His body felt cold, and the pain was too much. His strength was fading, and he knew—if Skyler didn't find him soon, he wouldn't survive this.
Tears continued to fall, mixing with the blood on the ground beneath him. His breaths came slower now, his vision darkening, and all he could do was hope—hope that Skyler would come.
Skyler's Wrath...
Back at the warehouse, Skyler's entire body buzzed with a cold, deadly determination. His grip on the gun was tight, and every step he took felt like it was being guided by something far more primal than thought. The closer they got to the location, the more his chest tightened with rage, his heart aching with fear for Ocean.
"I'm coming, Ocean. Just hold on," Skyler whispered under his breath, his eyes burning with tears he refused to let fall.
Day and the team moved quickly, scanning the area, but Skyler could barely focus on anything other than the thought of finding Ocean. The air felt heavy, like the calm before a storm, and Skyler could feel the tension in his chest building. Every second that passed felt like a lifetime, and the silence around them was deafening.
"Over there," one of Day's men pointed towards the entrance to the warehouse.
Skyler's breath caught in his throat as they moved closer. His heart pounded in his chest, fear and anger warring for control. He had to stay strong. He had to be calm. But every step he took felt like fire burning through his veins.
TBC. 🩵
