Veil Over Madeline

CHAPTER 5: WRAITH

CHAPTER 5

WRAITH

Plain white walls, a mattress in the corner, kitchen stripped to the basics doesn't exactly scream a high paying job. Only thing worth a second look is the setup against the wall—screens layered like some tech fortress, cables looping around like they own the place. Honestly, it's a bit of a joke. This place feels more like a college dorm than the crib of a guy who pulls in some serious cash as an enforcer and hacker. The processor hums as I press on button, filling the room with a steady, low thrum like it's breathing. Monitors stretch across the desk, casting a bluish glow that eats up the shadows. Each screen pulses with lines of code, feeds, data from every corner of the web—some too deep and dark for most people to even know exists.

Muscles ache. Eyes burn. I need a shower. Shit. The house is silent, thick with that deep, late-night stillness, as I walk past the empty walls. The bathroom light is harsh when it flickers on, cold and clinical. I strip off my clothes, and they drop to the floor with a soft thud. When I step into the shower, the tiles feel rough under my feet, cold against my skin. I twist the knob, and the pipes groan, releasing an acute spray that warms as I adjust the temperature. The water pounds down, hitting my shoulders with solid, steady heat that seeps into every tense muscle, loosening knots that have been building for hours. The sound swells filling the room, drowning out everything else. Hot steam coils around me, blurring the edges of the world until there's nothing but heat and water. It's almost scalding now, striking my skin with a force that feels grounding. My head tilts back, letting the water drum against my neck, sliding down my back in rivulets, tracing over every line and scar. I close my eyes, listen to the sound of it crashing around me, feeling the heat turn my skin red, like it's burning something clean. I pulled her out—a girl, thirteen with scared eyes and bruises she tried to hide. I got her out, though. Safe now, somewhere they can't touch her. The water pelts down, and suddenly Andrea's face burns up in my mind—pale brown orbs full of something too familiar. Except, it shifts into someone else's, a softer shade I haven't quite placed. Framing a face I've only seen in half-glimpses. Her. A girl I don't even know, and yet I can feel her, lingering in my mind like she's supposed to be there. I shake my head, let the hot water drown her out. That's not happening. I can't let it. I'm already obsessed—with my job, but that's a good kind of obsession. That's the kind that keeps people safe, lets me sleep at midnight, if I even remember to. But a girl? A distraction? I can't afford that. I've seen what happens when you let a weakness creep in. The water burns against my skin, hot enough to anchor me back. I grew up in chaos—had to be on guard, ready to control whatever came my way. The first betrayal came from my own maker—my father. He wasn't big on mercy. At a very young age I learned to keep things tight, predictable. Control was my shield. It kept me safe, kept things manageable. I couldn't study in the evening if he got drunk. If I made any noise upstairs he'd take me down and beat me till I cried. I had no choice but to be stealthy and invisible.

Millions of thoughts run through my mind. Water brings unpleasant memories.

I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid. I was a kid.