CHAPTER 8

"Do your worst! You know where I am right? Well, I dare you. Do your worst" Zephyr's voice emerged from my lips, a sinister tone lacing every word. His fury was palpable, a dark energy simmering beneath my skin.

"I dare you! Just attack me if you dare" He challenged again, but there was a tremor in the way the words spilled from my mouth, bringing back the memory when he was scared in the metallic prison.

A sudden force rippled through the air, moving faster than the speed of light, a ghostly wind that chilled my very soul. The surrounding forest seemed to hold its breath, as if nature itself was wary of what was to come.

"You'd be dead in the blink of an eye if you knew who you were dealing with" Zephyr's voice, thick and menacing came out from my mouth. However, the tone was low and dangerous like distant thunder heralding an approaching storm. The words hung in the air like a curse, a promise of violence that would be swift and unmerciful. Yet, the forest remained eerily silent, the only light being the pale reflection of the moon filtering through the dense canopy, casting long, twisted shadows on the ground.

" 'I dare you'" A voice mocked from the shadows, rich with derision.

"When will you grow up? After 75 years of being apart, you still spew such childish taunts" This voice sent a shiver down my spine, Zephyr scoffed in my head, he then definitely knows whose voice this is.

A figure– the owner of this voice began to materialize with an almost theatrical slowness, stepping into the moonlight as if emerging from the very fabric of the night. He was cloaked in black, the kind of attire men wore centuries ago. His long, raven-black hair flowed like a dark river down his back, gleaming under the moon's silver light. He was a giant of a man, towering and muscular, his presence suffocating, filling the space with an aura of dread. His eyes were a shocking, electric blue, glowing with an unnatural intensity that pierced the darkness, as if they could see into the very depths of your soul. A mask concealed his face, leaving only his eyes to express the cold amusement that danced within them. He wore polished black boots that seemed to absorb the light, as if they were made of the very essence of night. Though his features were mostly hidden, the aura of menace around him was unmistakable.

My heart betrayed me, quickening as I caught myself admiring the dark beauty of this ominous figure. There was something intoxicating about him, an allure that I couldn't resist. My thoughts swirled in confusion, a part of me yearning to know more about this mysterious being.

"Shut up!" Zephyr snapped inside my head, his voice a whip that cracked through my thoughts. The fury in his tone was a hot, searing rage, and I knew better than to resist. Before I could gather myself because of his extremely loud voice, a hand gripped me by the throat and slammed me against a tree with bone-crushing force. The bark bit into my skin, sharp and unforgiving, as I gasped for air. The pain was immediate, sharp and suffocating, every breath a struggle as the world began to blur around the edges.

"Aww, Zephyr, come out of the child, and I'll stop... Or better, say please" the man teased, his voice laced with dark humor, a cruel smile audible in his words.

" I dare you" He mocked, his amusement at our suffering palpable. I struggled to breathe, every gasp a battle, but through the pain, I felt a grim satisfaction—Zephyr was suffering too. The demon within me was not immune to the torment, and that brought me a small, twisted sense of justice.

"Valtor, release me," Zephyr hissed, his voice barely a whisper as it escaped my lips, a plea wrapped in defiance.

"You're so weak... say please... No! …pretty please," Valtor taunted, tightening his grip on my neck, his words dripping with mockery, each syllable designed to wound.

"Please" I croaked. The relief of speaking with my own mouth. An enjoyment that seemed to be once in a million years. No sooner than the word was said was I dropped vehemently onto the group, landing with a bone-jarring thud that rattled through my entire body. The impact sent a shock of pain through me. Less than a millisecond was I dropped that the pain fled thanks to the supernatural powers of the idiot within me.

"Don't even think about it" Valtor warned, his tone cold and commanding as Zephyr, seething with rage, prepared to strike. I could feel his anger, his fury boiling within me, the tempest that threatened to consume us both.

"How did you find out?" Zephyr demanded through me, his voice laced with suspicion. Find out what? He is hiding from someone. I'm sure of it.

"I am your brother—I am not dumb" Valtor replied, his voice rich with condescension, as if the very idea that Zephyr could outsmart him was laughable.

"You're making a huge mistake, and you know it," Valtor continued, his tone shifting to one of cold, calculated menace.

"What do you want to tell me?" Zephyr asked, his control over my body absolute, leaving me a mere spectator to the exchange, a puppet in his hands.

"You're stuck... forever" Valtor sneered, and though his face was hidden, I could feel the smirk stretching across his lips, a dark satisfaction radiating from him.

"They are everywhere. If you want to survive, don't take control. The psychopaths – witches they are involved. Dun dun dun. He-he" He whispered, his tone almost playful as he placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip icy and firm, sending tendrils of fear down my spine. And then, just as quickly as he appeared, Valtor vanished, leaving behind nothing but a whisper of wind and a lingering sense of dread that clung to the air like a shroud.

Just what in the world was that all about?