Something In The Way-SYLUS X MC X ZAYNE

Chapter 3 "Come Back To Me"

I slipped into the lobby of Akso Hospital just as dawn broke over the city, the sunlight casting a pale glow through the glass doors. The Cardiac Surgery Division was on the fifth floor, so I made my way to the elevator, feeling the familiar tension knotting in my stomach. I knew Zayne would probably have a sharp word or two about my current lack of sleep, but I couldn't stay away. After last night's patrol and the encounter with the Wanderer, I needed his insight—especially about the Aether Core.

The fifth-floor corridor was quiet at this early hour, and I found Zayne at the nurse's station, hunched over a tablet with his usual stoic concentration. His dark hair fell over his forehead, and he wore his white coat like a barrier between him and the world, a silent reminder that he kept his professional distance for a reason. I hovered at the doorway for a moment, wondering if he'd even noticed me.

Finally, without looking up, he spoke. "You're here earlier than usual. What happened?"

I stepped closer, ignoring the quickening of my pulse. "Had another run-in with a Wanderer. I needed to talk to you about something."

He put down the tablet and met my gaze, his eyes as cold as ever. "From the looks of it, you haven't slept in days. You're pushing yourself too hard. You know what I've told you about that."

He folded his arms, clearly unimpressed, and I bit back a sigh. Zayne was always like this—direct and unwavering. It was one of the things I'd grown to depend on, even when it made me feel like a wayward child in front of him.

"I'm handling it," I replied, my tone a little sharper than I'd intended. "There's something more urgent I need to discuss, Zayne. Something about the Aether Core... and the Wanderers."

His expression shifted, just slightly, but enough for me to catch the flicker of concern. He motioned to a nearby office, a small but tidy room filled with medical journals and case files. Once inside, he shut the door and gestured for me to sit.

"I'm listening," he said, leaning against the desk, arms crossed. "What have you found?"

"There's something happening in the N109 Zone, Zayne. Someone is modifying the Wanderers—making them stronger, smarter. I think it's connected to the Aether Core somehow. Last night, I encountered one that seemed... different. Almost like it knew me, like it was driven by something beyond instinct." I paused, meeting his intense gaze. "I need to go back. I need to find out what's going on."

He remained silent, the only sound in the room his steady breathing. After a moment, he let out a low sigh, his expression hardening. "So that's it. You're planning to head straight back into the N109 Zone. Back to Sylus."

The way he said Sylus's name was sharp, edged with something I rarely heard from him. His jaw clenched, and I could feel the air between us grow thick, charged with an unspoken tension that seemed to deepen with every passing second. I could sense it then, the thing he was holding back, the feelings he hid behind his clinical distance.

"It's not about him," I replied, feeling defensive but not quite sure why. "This is bigger than that. You know that."

"And yet," he said, his voice low, "you seem awfully eager to confront him yourself. Or is it that you're drawn to him, to the danger he represents?"

The insinuation in his tone caught me off guard, and I felt a flash of irritation. "Don't twist this, Zayne. I'm trying to uncover the truth. This has nothing to do with whatever you think is happening between me and Sylus."

He looked away, a slight frown tugging at his mouth, but I could see the hurt behind his cold expression. For all his stoicism, Zayne's emotions ran deep, and in moments like this, I caught glimpses of the man behind the mask—the man who'd been by my side since childhood, the one who knew my strengths and my flaws, the one who'd saved my life more times than I could count.