My heart pounds violently against my ribs as their eyes drill into me, suspicious, searching, accusing.
I have no idea what they are talking about, but that name... Seth.
I remember Axel mentioning it, murmuring it with a grief so raw it stuck with me.
Seth, his lover. Someone long gone.
What do they mean, I summoned his spirit at the mountain?
"What are you talking about?!" Dad demands, his voice a low thunder of disbelief. "He posses Seth's spirit?! My son? Zane?"
"Yes, sire," the woman answers, her head bowing with a formality that feels surreal.
I stagger a step back. Everything inside me screams danger, screams run, but my feet feel locked to the ground.
Dad turns to me, and for a terrifying heartbeat, I don't recognize the man before me.
The warmth in his eyes, the familiarity, all gone, replaced by a dangerous glint, an edge I've never seen.
The air thickens, pressing down on me like invisible hands trying to choke the breath from my lungs.
I move instinctively, stepping backward, ready to run, but then...
A sharp, blinding sensation hits me. Visible dark like smoke.
It slams into me, numbing my body in a terrifying wave. My knees buckle, and I collapse onto the floor with a soft, broken gasp.
Dad strides toward me, his face a twisted mix of fury, frustration, and something even darker.
He grabs my wrist roughly, yanking my hand up. I watch helplessly as he opens my palms, his eyes land on the marks glowing faintly on my palm, the marks I've tried so hard to forget, to hide. To get rid off.
He sneers at the sight of them, the contempt on his face making my stomach twist painfully.
Without a word, he grabs me by the collar, my body too weak to resist. He drags me like a broken doll toward the door.
The woman follows.
Dad Lifts his hand casually, and with a simple flick of his fingers, flames roar to life behind us.
I watch in horror as my home, the only place I have ever known, is engulfed in fire.
The walls, the photos, the kitchen where Dad once cooked us simple meals...
All of it burns.
All of it becomes nothing but ash and smoke.
Tears stream down my cheeks, hot and unchecked. I don't bother to wipe them away.
It feels like watching a part of my soul being ripped out and incinerated right before my eyes.
He drags me to a car without a word. Shoves me inside. I don't even try to fight.
What's the point?
I wish he would just kill me already.
It would hurt less than this betrayal.
The car ride is a hollow blur. Dad keeps clicking his tongue in frustration, tapping the steering wheel aggressively at every red light.
I sit there like a ghost, numb, shattered, dead inside.
I don't even lift my head to see where he's taking me. I don't care.
Eventually, the car comes to a screeching halt.
He gets out first, pulling me roughly after him.
I blink up sluggishly at the scene before me, a sprawling mansion, luxurious and grand, surrounded by immaculately kept grounds and busy workers all dressed in matching uniforms.
They bow low as we pass, murmuring "Sire" with reverence.
Sire.
The word rattles in my mind like a cruel joke.
This man, this powerful, commanding figure... is supposed to be my dad?
The man who wore worn-out shoes to buy groceries?
The man who laughed at my stupid jokes and told me bedtime stories when I was small?
None of it makes sense.
None of it feels real.
What was the act for anyway?!
Inside the mansion, everything gleams_ polished floors, glittering chandeliers, marble walls.
I barely register it.
I just go wherever he pulls me, my body moving on autopilot.
He throws open a door and shoves me into a lavish bedroom, slamming the door behind me with a deafening thud.
He paces the room like a caged animal, muttering to himself before finally turning to me.
"Where do I even start?!" he spits out, raking a hand through his hair.
He glares at me. "Where did you say you went for that trip?"
I don't answer.
I won't.
What's the point? No one's giving me answers anyway. All they want is control me and get what they want!
Might as well let them figure out whatever twisted narrative they want.
"I'm talking to you!" he barks. "Alright, fine! You brought this on yourself! You can't blame me for what's going to happen now!"
With that, he storms out, slamming the door so hard the walls tremble.
Silence crashes over me like a heavy wave.
I sit there on the pristine bed, staring blankly at the door.
The tears dry on my cheeks, leaving tight, itchy trails behind.
I don't move.
I don't even breathe properly.
Then suddenly, A voice slices through the silence, deep and urgent.
'You need to get out of this place right now!'
I jolt upright, heart hammering wildly in my chest.
I spin around, but there's no one there.
'I said, we need to get out of this place NOW!' the voice echoes again, louder, like it's inside my skull.
My hands tremble.
'He's your father, yes _ but he's going to kill you. We have too much left to do. You cannot die now!'
I clutch my head, trying to make sense of it, trying not to lose what little sanity I have left.
The voice softens but carries a heavy urgency.
'You want to understand everything? You want the truth? Then get us out of this place first. I'll explain everything. But you must move NOW.'
'Zane!'
Hearing my name shocks me out of my stupor.
"We need to get out of here," I whisper hoarsely, barely recognizing my own voice.
The voice in my mind agrees, pulsing with urgency.
Think!
Think!
I glance wildly around the room, no obvious exits.
The windows.
I dash to them, metal frames, thick glass.
No way they're opening easily.
But just thinking about needing power, needing a way out, triggers something inside me.
My palms start to spark, flickering with raw energy.
Electric currents race through my veins.
I don't hesitate.
I press my hands against the window frame.
The heat surges, roaring to life inside me.
The metal melts under my touch like butter, warping and dripping to the floor in molten rivers.
The glass shatters.
I don't look back.
I don't hesitate.
I find a way to jump out unnoticed, find way out of the compound, and run.