Something In The Way-SYLUS X MC X ZAYNE

Chapter 14 "Whispers of Travelers"

As Zayne held my hand, the warmth of his touch couldn't fully dissolve the chill creeping up my spine. I nodded again, trying to reassure him and myself, but the weight of everything—the man's prophecy, the secrets Zayne was hiding, and the strange pull I felt toward Silas—made it difficult to feel grounded.

"I need to trust him," I told myself, but there was a lingering doubt, like a splinter under the surface. Zayne had always been my anchor, my constant, but now... I wasn't so sure.

He leaned down, his lips grazing my forehead in a gesture that felt almost too careful, too controlled. "Get some rest," he said, his voice soft but distant, like he was speaking from behind his own walls. "We'll talk more once I have everything figured out."

I gave him a weak smile, but inside, frustration gnawed at me. What does he need to figure out? Why can't he just tell me?

After Zayne left, the silence felt suffocating. I sat there, alone with my thoughts, the hospital room too sterile, too quiet, amplifying the chaos in my mind. I thought back to the man's eerie words, "Blood and evil will reign over you... you're cursed." His wild eyes haunted me, his voice an echo I couldn't shake.

And Zayne hadn't believed me. Not really.

I had tried to explain, to make him understand, but the way he brushed it off made me wonder what he really thought of me. Did he think I was overreacting? Or worse, did he already know something that he wasn't telling me?

I stood up, pacing the room as if walking could somehow ease the tension winding tighter and tighter in my chest. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror—dark circles under my eyes, my face pale. I look like I've been through hell. I touched my heart, where the Aether Core rested, its steady hum a constant reminder that I wasn't normal.

My thoughts drifted to Sylus. What would he think about the old man's words? He wouldn't dismiss them so easily, I knew that much. Sylus thrived in the shadows, and somehow, that darkness felt less judgmental, less suffocating than the weight of Zayne's constant need to shield me.

But can I trust Sylus either? The thought lingered, unsettling but persistent. There was something about him that drew me in, something dangerous, yes, but also liberating.

With Zayne, everything felt controlled, measured. Even now, as he tried to protect me, it was like he was keeping me in a bubble. But Silas? He would throw me into the fire and let me burn, knowing I'd come out stronger.

I sighed, collapsing onto the bed, my head pounding from the mental tug-of-war between the two of them. Why can't I figure this out?

Just then, my phone buzzed, pulling me out of my spiral. I reached for it, hoping it was Zayne with some reassurance or clarity, but it wasn't. Instead, there was a message from Sylus.

"Hope you're surviving without me, kitten. Let me know when you're ready for a real adventure."

I couldn't help but laugh softly at the message, shaking my head. It was typical Sylus—cryptic, playful, but also laced with that undercurrent of danger.

But even as I laughed, I felt the confusion tighten its grip on me. What am I doing? What am I becoming?

The old man's voice crept back into my mind, his haunting words echoing in the quiet, "She will be the end of us all."

I shivered, pulling the blanket tighter around me, feeling more lost than ever. How was I supposed to navigate everything—Zayne, Sylus, this curse, the Aether Core—when I didn't even know who I was anymore?

Zayne's assurances had sounded hollow, but maybe that was because I had been drifting, lost in my own maze of confusion. But one thing was clear: I needed answers, and I couldn't rely on Zayne or Sylus to give them to me.