Something In The Way-SYLUS X MC X ZAYNE

Chapter 4 "Echos of The Past"

"Devour him," the voice whispered, a dark, ghostly echo that reverberated through my mind.
I looked down at my hands, slick with dark, crimson blood that dripped onto the ground in thick drops, pooling around me. I was on my knees, a monster lying lifeless before me. Its body was twisted, mangled, with vacant eyes staring back at me. I was horrified, breath catching in my throat as I choked back a sob.

"Where... where am I?" I whispered, panic clawing at my insides. "There's so much blood."

The tears came unbidden, rolling down my cheeks as I stared at the creature, guilt and sorrow ripping through me. The voice returned, firmer this time, as if the owner of it was standing right behind me.

"You must press on," it urged, a strange mix of compassion and demand in the tone. "Because if you don't... there's no going back."

The darkness around me began to swirl, the world spinning as I felt myself falling, slipping away from the scene. I gasped, eyes snapping open as I jolted upright in bed, drenched in sweat, my heart pounding erratically in my chest. I was back in the dim room Sylus had put me in, but the memory—no, the dream—still clung to me, lingering like a shadow that wouldn't let go.

I pressed a hand to my forehead, trying to calm my breathing. But as I sat there, a deep sense of familiarity gnawed at me. Those images, the blood, the creature—they felt like pieces of a puzzle I should have known, yet they slipped away, as if they weren't mine to understand.

A knock sounded at the door, snapping me back to reality. I looked up, and the door creaked open. Two familiar figures slipped inside, each one masked, faces obscured by leather crow masks and devil horned-hoods.

"Luke, Kieran," I muttered, recognizing the twins immediately. Their eccentric nature and constant presence in this place had become oddly comforting, even if they could be a handful.

"Quite the restless sleeper, are we?" Luke teased, his voice light but tinged with concern. He tilted his head, the glint of his eyes barely visible beneath his mask.

Kieran crossed his arms, his posture more reserved. "You shouldn't be up, hunter. You're still recovering."

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, testing my weight as I rose. I felt a dull ache throb through my body, but I pushed past it. "I'm fine," I insisted, staggering as I stood. "I need to talk to Sylus."

Luke stepped forward, a hand raised as if to stop me. "Sylus has given orders for you to rest. Whatever you're thinking, it can wait."

"No," I said, brushing his hand aside. My voice held an edge I hadn't intended, but I was too frustrated to care. "I can't wait. I need answers."

Kieran sighed, sharing a glance with his brother. "At least let us help you, then. You're barely standing."

Ignoring the pain, I headed for the door, the twins reluctantly following. I moved through the winding halls of Sylus's mansion, driven by the anger and confusion that had been building inside me. The dream, the visions... it was all becoming too much, and Sylus was the only one who could shed light on it.

At last, I found him in one of his private chambers, sitting by a window that overlooked the dark expanse of N109. His back was to me, the dim light casting his silhouette in an almost ethereal glow. I stormed in, my resolve hardening as I stopped a few paces behind him.

"Sylus," I called, my voice sharper than I intended. He turned, a calm expression on his face as he regarded me with those piercing red eyes.

"My love," he said, his tone as smooth and collected as ever. "You should be resting, would you prefer I lay with you?"