✔️Playing Heroes [a BoyxBoy novel]

Chapter Twenty-One

A/N: So, I know you all have been waiting to meet Kronos... and here you are. My character inspiration for Kronos is Danila Kozlovsky, I have put his picture in the media. However, you can portray him however you all want to. To celebrate hitting the 1k mark, I wanted to make this chapter a bit longer than usual. Don't worry, I won't write in Aiden's POV too much, I feel like it's hard to write from his POV since I relate to Nick so much. Nick is essentially my attitude so it's a lot easier to write from his POV. 

Oh, and I feel that the song is extremely fitting for this chapter.

Just wanted to say thank you all again for reading and supporting me throughout this journey.

Enjoy! <3

Chapter Twenty-One

Aiden

It was hard to even think back on it. Cara's smiling face looking at the twenty or so people that had gathered at the HQ, smiling so brightly through that glossy frame situated perfectly above that coffin. It was rare, her smile. She believed that smiles should only be given out when she sincerely felt like smiling, and in all honesty, I could kind of relate. Hence my lack of friends. But that's what made it hurt even more... she was the only person I really got along with. She wasn't afraid of me. She was kind of like that older sister that I had never got to have.

Her body was cremated and her ashes turned into a beautiful jewel necklace that Kadmos demanded to be put on display in the HQ. But she deserved so much more than that. She was a hero saving the world behind the scenes, and it pained me to know that the rest of the world didn't know that amazing woman, and she should've been worshipped.

And it wasn't just me. Evrain seemed like it took a massive blow on him too. Cara was like an older sister towards well... everyone. I cursed Kronos in my head. Things shouldn't of have gotten this far.

To make matters worse, Nick's disappearance was driving me absolutely insane. Don't even get me started on that telepathic conversation I had with him the day before. Initially, I thought I was hallucinating... it wouldn't have had been the first time. The past week that he had been missing, I found myself seeing him out the corner of my eye, but then realizing it was all in my head. I heard his voice calling out to me when I sleep and waking up to my arms wrapped around a firm object. Not Nick, but my pillow. This obsession was freaking me out. It was way more powerful than anything I've ever felt before and I felt like I was being deprived of something that my body physically needed.

But he's alive, I had told myself when his voice had cut off. He was alive... but I wasn't sure for how long. From what I could pick up, he was going to meet Kronos, meaning it was time for them to use Nick to do their bidding. But once he was no longer useful, what were they planning to do with him?

I found myself subconsciously walking into Nick's room, and when I snapped out of my thoughts, I found myself overcome with an aching feeling that I didn't know how to describe. A feeling I didn't even think I was ever capable of feeling.

Memories of Nick flooded my mind and I ran a hand through my hair. There wasn't anything I could fucking do. I had tried everything I could think of... I've tried asking one of our trackers who was able to track the energy source of any Super he wished, but he had said the exact same thing that Kadmos had said. Ashton must've put up a block in Nick's mind. But how was Nick able to break through that block? Was he getting stronger? Hope flourished in my chest- hope that I would find him soon. All he had to do was to stay alive.