CHAPTER 14

"Tell me what you want from me," I asked impatiently, my voice trembling with frustration. I enjoyed spending time with my parents. Three years of my life had already slipped away thanks to Zephyr. But not anymore. I'll do anything to rid myself of him, to give him what he wants, just so he can leave me.

"Never give in to what that man says." Zephyr's voice echoed through my mind, deadly serious but with an odd pleading edge.

Yeah, this is the same demon who used my body to commit murder, now sounding terrified because of some man who keeps appearing in my dreams. That man gives me the chills, but Zephyr? Pleading? Something's seriously wrong.

"What, man?" I inquired, even though I already knew who he meant.

"The one in your dreams," he responded, his tone flat.

"Do you know him?" I pressed. No answer. The fear in Zephyr's silence was palpable. What the hell is happening? What could scare the holy Zephyr who made me do the worst things?

"Firstly, you'll have to sneak out," Zephyr explained abruptly. And the strangest part? I believed him. I don't know why, but I trusted everything Zephyr said. For him to be scared—no terrified - was something that should never happen. It was unimaginable. If he was afraid, then I knew my life was at risk. I had no choice but to listen to him. And deep down, I needed him out of me, out of my life. I couldn't move forward until I was free of him. Three years of my life had already been lost, and I was determined to reclaim them.

I crept downstairs, grabbing an old lamp from the living room, and then, a knife—Zephyr said I'd need it for defence. That part scared me more than anything. Who would I need to defend myself against? But I trusted him again. I found a worn-out bag under the stairs and shoved the lamp and knife inside. My parents were in their room, oblivious to the fact that their daughter still had the demon in her and was about to sneak out just to help him and, well, herself too.

"You need cash," Zephyr urged.

"For what?" I almost yelled but managed to keep my voice low.

"I can't compel for now, dummy," he replied with an edge of sarcasm.

"Yeah, after ripping my stitches open" I hissed, rolling my eyes at his statement.

"It's complicated, Arachna" he sighed as if that explained everything. Of course, I ignored him.

"Where am I supposed to find money?"

"Steal it" he said bluntly.

"I asked where" I snapped, more irritated by the second.

"I don't know, check the cupboards, under the TV, Damon keeps money all over the place."

I scoured the house and bingo—$50 hidden in a drawer beneath the TV. I grabbed it, shoving the money into my pocket. Satisfied.

"What next?" I asked eagerly, adrenaline rushing through me.

"Like I said, sneak out. Quietly. Don't make a sound, and be gentle with the door. No screeching, Arachna."

"Maybe I will. If you call me Allison," I smirked.

"I won't" he said, stubborn as always.

"Too bad, I'm the one in control of both of us. I could just go back to bed right now" I teased.

"Then I'm stuck in your body for good" he growled.

"Fine, psychopath" I muttered, and with that, I slipped out the front door, opening it ever so slightly. The night air was cool and crisp, and the sky was studded with stars. Beautiful. It was hard to believe I was helping the demon who ruined my life.

I walked and walked, the streets stretching further with every step as if they had no end. The night was quiet; almost too quiet, and each step I took felt like I was getting farther from everything familiar. The distant lights flickered, but no sign of a cab or any help came my way.

"Why didn't you tell me to bring water? I'm dying of thirst" I whined.

Zephyr stayed silent. How dare he?

Finally, like a miracle sent from above, I spotted a cab and flagged it down.

"Tell him to take you to Rocre Street" Zephyr instructed, his voice filling my head.

I repeated the words. The cab driver hesitated. "No one lives there" he said, eyeing me suspiciously.

"My grandparents live there" I lied smoothly, "They're sick. I need to visit them."

He wasn't convinced.

"Twenty dollars?" I offered.

"Make it thirty," he said. Reluctantly, I agreed. Only then did he start driving.

"My, oh my, such a good liar," Zephyr chuckled. I rolled my eyes again. He seemed less terrifying, less domineering than the Zephyr I knew. There was something almost human about his sarcasm, and for the briefest moment, I didn't hate him as much. But I had to remind myself—this demon had ruined my life.

We reached Rocre Street, and I saw it: a massive grey gate, towering as high as Mount Everest, with bats hanging eerily from it. The whole place felt like a nightmare.

"I told you, Rocre is a no man's land," the cab driver muttered.

"The gate," I pointed out, feeling uneasy.

"What gate?" he asked, his hand outstretched, waiting for payment, eagerness to leave clearly written in his eyes.

"He can't see it. Only you can. " Zephyr's voice filled my head, and for the first time in what I could remember, it hurt. But i waved it off.

"After this, you won't hear from me again. I won't have enough power to communicate with you anymore. Just… Whatever you do, don't act afraid. Fear will attract them."

Them? My heart pounded violently in my chest. If Zephyr—was terrified, what chance did I have?

I got out of the cab, handed the driver thirty dollars, and without a word, he sped off, leaving me alone. I stood there, frozen in place, staring at the gate that now seemed even taller and wider than before.

With trembling hands, I took the lamp out of the bag and clutched the knife, trying to steady myself. The gate groaned as I pushed it open, a screeching sound that echoed into the night. The bats took off in a flurry, and I screamed.

Zephyr had told me to hide my fear, but it was impossible. I was terrified. The gate slammed shut behind me with a deafening clang. My heart pounded like it was going to burst out of my chest. I was stuck. Completely alone. The moonlight cast eerie shadows around me, and I tried to turn on the lamp.

Just as I managed to press on the switch button, I felt something soft and suffocating press against my mouth. Panic surged through me. I struggled to breathe. The more I inhaled, the weaker I became. My vision blurred, and the last thing I saw was the world spinning around me, the darkness swallowing me whole.