Ruin // Danger Days (Book 3)

30.

Val broke the door down. Storm heard it from his office, even with the door closed. He heard him shouting, and instantly knew something was wrong.

"Lucas?" General Riptide, Decan, asked. "You've got that look again; something's wrong."

Storm ignored him, jumping up from his desk and bolting to the lobby.

Val was there, and his gang was desperately trying to hold him back. The lobby was in a state of chaos, with several chairs and tables thrown around and broken.

"WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON?" Storm yelled, properly yelled, for the first time in years. He was so terrified, he couldn't help himself.

Val looked up at him, and he saw what was wrong. Val's cheeks were covered in tears, and they were still streaming down his face. "WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING ON, YOU BASTARD?!"

Then, he broke free of Vinyl's grip and darted forward, grabbing Storm by the shirt. "You go up to Sun's room, then ask me again what's going on. I dare you."

He'd never realized how scary Val could actually be until now. When he was around Sunset...

Sunset. Where is she?

Storm nodded once, and sprinted up the staircase until he reached the room that she and Val shared.

He threw the door open, and saw something odd straight off the bat. There was an opened letter sitting on Sunset's bed, right next to one that was unopened.

It read To Storm.

He picked it up gingerly, his heart racing faster than it ever had. His mind was going at 200 miles per hour, formulating all of the worst possible situations.

He carefully pulled the letter open, and began to read.

Dear Luca,

I hate that I have to tell you what happened like this. I would have told you beforehand, but I know you would have done anything in your power to stop me from going through with it, and you're much more powerful than me.

There is a bomb that was just planted under Route Guano, and it'll go off as soon as someone drives over it. I'm the only one who knows about it, and the Vs are about to go out and try to attack BLI, so it had to be me.

I also received a dream from the Phoenix Witch a few weeks ago. It consisted of me doing just that; driving over a bomb in Route Guano. I asked Cola about it and he told me it was a vision of the future, meant to tell me that it was something that had to happen in order for the future to happen how it should.

I'm sorry it had to be me. Honestly, I'm not afraid to die. I'm afraid of how you and Val will react. And since I know you'll be a lot less angry than him, I have to ask you a favor: please make sure he doesn't do anything bad. He needs someone watching over him, and if it isn't me, I'd much rather it be you than anyone else.

Be a good General for me. You know what? You already are one. Just be yourself. That's all I want.

I love you so much. Never forget that.

- Hailey

Storm could barely finish reading the letter, because his vision was nearly entirely blotted out with tears. He could feel the wetness on his cheeks, but he didn't care.

It was all he could do not to cry out, but he failed anyway. He sank to his knees, clutching the letter to his chest, and sobbed. He didn't care who heard him.

The world was different now. One of the brightest lights in it, and certainly his brightest light, was gone.

Decan must have heard him, because he felt his presence in the room a few minutes later.
"Oh, Lucas..." He fell to his knees as well, and pulled the broken Storm into his arms. "Shh... they told me what happened. I'm so sorry."