Who Is This... Vic?

(Jace's POV)

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The moment we crossed the threshold into his room, Ethan shoved Vic down onto the bed without ceremony, his limp body landing with a dull thud against the mattress. Vic rolled slightly, his arm slumping over the edge, fingers twitching faintly, as if he were still half-tethered to consciousness. Or maybe it was just a muscle spasm. Either way, I didn't care. Not now. Not with the surge of dread rising in my throat.

The room was just how it was before he had kicked me like a horse in the chest. Dimly lit. Claustrophobic. The air hung thick with sweat, mildew, and that ridiculous smell of cheap perfume. A single chair sat in the corner, completely buried beneath a mound of crumpled clothes that gave the whole space a sense of frantic, unwashed disarray. I moved toward it like I was wading into deep water, every step more cautious than the last.