The storm within

Caden kept moving until he was far from the docks, his chest hurt with each breath and he felt suffocated. He couldn't shake the argument with Rhea off his mind, her words echoed repeatedly in his mind like a haunting warning "You can't run from what you are".

Caden arrived at his apartment long after midnight, the small place felt colder than usual and smelled musty. He locked the door behind him and leaned against it, feeling the stress of the night.

"That didn't go well" Ares said breaking the silence. "Letting her walk away like that made you look weak".

Caden ignored him and headed straight to the sink, he splashed cold water on his face trying to clear his mind. His reflection stared back at him looking pale and tired, he felt like a stranger but maybe this was who he really was and he'd just be pretending to be normal.

"Do you think that book was there by accident?" Caden whispered to himself, clutching the sink. "They knew I'd show up".

"Of course they knew" Ares snapped. "Rhea basically handed it to you on a silver platter. A reminder of your true identity and your destiny".

"I don't care what she thinks I am" Caden said with a rough voice. "I'm never going back to them".

Ares laughed. "Keep lying to yourself" he said. "But the truth is, you're still controlled by them. You have been since the day you tried to leave".

Caden slammed his fist on the counter, making a loud noise that filled the apartment. "Shut up!" he yelled, his voice cracking. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

The silence that followed was deafening. For a moment, Caden thought Ares had stopped talking, but then Ares let out a low, menacing laugh.

"You are pretty sensitive aren't you" Ares mocked. "Acceot the truth Hart, you are not just some innocent bystander in this situation, you are a weapon and you are wasting time pretending you are not".

Caden stepped away from the sink and began pacing around the apartment. His head was throbbing, and his thoughts were a complete mess but Ares had said one thing that was true: he was wasting time. The Circle would come after him, and he needed to be prepared.

His phone rang on the counter, stoping him from concentrating. He picked the phone up, frowning at the screen. it was another unknown number, he hesitated for a moment before answering the call.

"You're a lot harder to track down than I thought" a deep voice said. It wasn't Zane, but it sent a shiver down Caden's spine. He knew that voice.

"Who is this" Caden asked.

"You know who I am" the voice replied calmly. "We need to talk in person".

Caden's mind was racing, only a few people knew how to contact him and none of them were friendly. "Why would I do that?" he asked sharply.

"Because if you don't, you won't survive what's coming" the man warned. "The Circle isn't targeting only you, Caden. They're coming for all of us."

The man hung up before Caden could respond, leaving him standing in the dimly lit kitchen with his heart racing. He stared at his phone for a while, the voice he just heard belonged to someone who was supposed to be dead for years.

His name was Lucas Graves.

Caden didn't waste time wondering if it was really Lucas, if he was was alive then it meant something big was about to happen, something worse than The Circle's usual schemes.

Lucas has been one of The Circle's top agent before he disappeared, he was known for being brilliant, ruthless and dangerous. He definitely wasn't reaching out for a friendly reunion.

Caden grabbed his jacket, stepping outside. The city was quiet as usual as he made his way to the address Lucas had sent him. The destination was an old diner on the edge of the town, the faded sign and worn exterior suggested that it hadn't seen a customer in years.

As he pushed open the door, a bell above it rang, disturbing the silence. The air inside smelled of burnt coffee.

The place was dark making it look ominous, Lucas who was sitting alone in the far corner with a steaming cup of coffee in his front immediately turned to look at Caden who just entered.

He looked older than Caden remembered, his face was full of scars and his hair had turned gray but his eyes were as sharp as ever.

"Welcome Caden, it's been a while" Lucas said, gesturing for him to sit down.

"Not long enough" Caden replied, sitting down. "You were supposed to be dead".

Lucas smirked, taking a sip of his coffee "A lot of people think I'm dead, and I prefer it that way".

"Why are you here Lucas, what do you want?" Caden asked.

Lucas dropped his cup gently, his expression turning serious "The Circle's making their move, Rhea was just the beginning. They are after something much bigger".

"Bigger than me?" Caden asked.

"Yes, bigger than you" Lucas replied. "They've been getting ready for years waiting for the right time and now they have it".

"What are they after?" Caden asked.

"The Codex was just a distraction, they needed to get your attention, but what they really want is what is inside you" Lucas said.

Caden paused from shock "What do you mean".

"Do you think Ares is just a voice in your head?" Lucas said lowering his voice. "Well he is not, he is a part of you and the circle needs him to achieve their goal. Their rituals connected him to you for a reason."

Caden's mind was racing, he had always thought Ares was just a dark side created in his mind by the Circle's abuse. But if Lucas was telling the truth then Ares was something much more evil.

"Why should I trust you" Caden asked gravely.

"Because I've been fighting them too" Lucas said. "I know what they are capable of and if we don't stop them, they will destroy the city".

Caden stared at him, his mind was telling him to leave but deep down he knew Lucas was right. The Circle won't give up and if they succeeded, the darkness inside him would be released into the world.

"Fine, what's the plan" Caden said.

Lucas smiled grimly. "First, we make it through the night then we fight back".

Caden nodded, he realized the storm wasn't coming anymore, it was already here.