The Devil In Disguise

Revelations Unmasked

Gianina's heart pounded as Marcus slowly removed the devil mask, his familiar face somehow foreign, twisted with a cruel, unrecognizable expression. She stared in shock, trying to process the reality that Marcus—the boy she trusted, the boy she thought she knew—was the face behind the terror that had shattered her world. Across the room, Rufus was pale, his eyes wide with confusion and betrayal.

Marcus? How could it be Marcus? The silence that followed Marcus's revelation was thick and oppressive, as if the air itself had turned into something that could suffocate. Gianina's mind raced, questions piling up, each one more painful and confusing than the last.

"Marcus?" she whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of horror and disbelief. Her mind reeled, her heart pounding. "This doesn't make sense. You were with me the night Jamie died. How could..."

Marcus's expression softened slightly, though the edge of cold amusement remained in his eyes. "That's why you never suspected me, GG. You needed to feel safe, to be drawn in. You were always supposed to be the one who survived," he said calmly, as though they were discussing something mundane.

Gianina's stomach churned, nausea pooling within her as the realization began to sink in. "Are there... are there two of you?" she whispered, her voice weak.

Marcus tilted his head, a half-smile playing at his lips as if impressed by her deduction. "Yes. Cal and I—it's always been the two of us. A well-planned dance, each taking our turns."

Her eyes darted to Rufus, who sat frozen, wide-eyed and stricken with disbelief. Across from him, Mr. Cameron lay slumped, still unconscious and unaware of the horror unraveling around them. Gianina's mind raced with a new, sinking question. If she, Rufus, and Mr. Cameron were all here, where was Cal?

"Where's Cal?" she demanded, her voice wavering. A new fear tightened her throat, twisting her heart in knots. Was he dead? Did Marcus find out about their moment together, their betrayal?

Marcus's smile grew colder, his face a mask of twisted satisfaction. "Cal's fine, GG. More than fine, actually. He knows everything—more than you think. And as for you and Cal," he continued, his tone hardening with resentment, "don't worry, I know about that too."

She felt a chill grip her as Marcus's words settled over her. "You're... you're doing all this because... because of some twisted idea of fairness?"

"Fairness," he scoffed, leaning closer, his eyes locked onto hers. "It's poetic, really. My father—he was just a man, a man who got involved with the wrong people. Your parents tried to help him, but the world saw them as foolish for it. And they paid for it with their lives. Destiny's parents opposed my father in court, working to ruin him. They had to die. And as for Jamie... he was always so curious, too curious. He figured it all out."

Gianina felt the blood drain from her face, a sickening dread pooling in her chest. "So you killed him because he was getting close?"

Marcus chuckled darkly. "Jamie was resourceful. He found records, old court files, things that tied it all back. He had no proof, but he was clever enough to guess. He found out that I changed my name. He tied it together as I had never met Rufus as a child. Rufus' parents adopted him. He's not my blood but he's still my cousin. Jared over here adopted Rufus." He says pointing to his uncle that had just woken up.

"That's his big secret. Rufus never had a family until last year. I kept my distance from this house and Uncle Jared and Aunt Marlene. I knew if they saw me they would know. My real name isn't Marcus Reeves. It's Mark Cameron. And then, of course, there was Jordan..." He trailed off, his voice softening as if in fond remembrance.

"She left my sister alone that night, alone with the real monster—my uncle. My parents hired her to babysit as I was out of town for a away football game. Something came up and since my parents were gone as well they told her to leave Sarah with my uncle for the night. She was only 7 years old. Jordan had no idea who I was and had never met me. You didn't think it odd that I am the newest member of your group GG? I have only been around since your parents died."