Patrick sat across from the couple, feeling the weight of their intense, almost magnetic stares. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, as a thick silence filled the room. He was so far from the familiar studio, so far from his friends, and with no idea how he’d ended up here. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that this meeting, however strange, held answers to questions he didn’t yet understand.
Sensing his confusion, the woman leaned forward, her piercing eyes softened by a hint of amusement. “Allow us to introduce ourselves. My name is Elara,” she said, her voice flowing like a quiet river. “And this is my partner, Lucian.”
Lucian nodded, a slight smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “Quite a night you’ve had, Patrick. A bit of lost time, a bit of mystery.” He looked amused, as if he already knew the story. “The bag in your studio was meant to find you, you know. You’re here because of it.”
Patrick’s mind spun as he tried to piece together what they were saying. “So… you know about the bag? And you know my name? I… I don’t understand. Who are you? And why were you waiting for me?”
Lucian chuckled, leaning back and crossing his arms. “Consider us… guides, of sorts. Keepers of hidden things.” His eyes glittered with something dark, a knowledge that seemed both ancient and dangerous. “We know many people who pass through this city, some looking for things they’ve lost, others searching for things they can’t explain.”
“And you’re one of them, Patrick,” Elara added, her gaze unwavering. “You’re here because you’ve stumbled into something far beyond what you expected—a world where things aren’t as they seem.”
Patrick felt a chill run through him. “You’re saying the bag led me here? That it… it somehow chose me?”
Lucian nodded slowly. “Precisely. That bag holds more than just forgotten belongings. It’s a key, a passageway. And it chose you because of what lies within you—the questions, the curiosity, the yearning for something more.”
Patrick tried to process their words, his pulse quickening. “But… what about my friends? They’re looking for me, and they’re probably worried sick by now. I can’t just disappear like this.”
Elara gave him a sympathetic look. “Your friends are safe for now, but if you truly want to reunite with them, you’ll have to understand what you’ve stumbled into—and make a choice. There are paths opening up before you, Patrick, but each one comes with a cost.”
Lucian’s eyes darkened, and he leaned closer. “Once you begin, there’s no turning back. But you’ll find the answers you’re seeking, and maybe even some you never thought to ask.”
Patrick felt his heart pounding in his chest. Part of him wanted to bolt from the café, leave these two mysterious figures and try to find his way back on his own. But the other part—the curious, restless part—was drawn to their words, to the mystery they hinted at, the secrets he could almost touch.
Finally, he spoke, his voice steady but tinged with determination. “If this is the only way to get back to my friends… then I’m in. Show me what I need to know.”
Elara and Lucian exchanged a knowing look, their eyes alight with something Patrick couldn’t quite place.
“Very well,” Elara said, her voice soft but full of purpose. “Then let us guide you.”
YOU ARE READING
Fallout Boy: Heartbreaking Falls Out
HorrorFallout boy were in the middle of recording their new studio album, From Under The Cork Tree, when they were about to open up their studio and clean it, they find a strange bag. None of them knew who owns it, or what was in it, or how it got in the...
