FEELING SUFFOCATED AND DARK

Cipher frowned at the flashing alert on his screen. His system had flagged movement near their hideout—unauthorized, unexpected. He tapped a few keys, bringing up the security logs, and his eyes narrowed.

Myst.

Pushing away from his desk, he strode out into the main area, where most of the Clan had gathered. "Did something happen last night?" His voice was sharp, cutting through the usual murmur of conversation.

Blaze, who had been stretching his arms behind his head, lifted a brow. "Why?"

Cipher crossed his arms. "Because I just checked the logs, and Myst was outside in the middle of the damn night. And from the looks of it, she wasn't alone."

Silence settled over the room.

Myst, standing near the far wall, barely flinched. But she could feel the weight of their eyes turning to her, pressing down like a heavy chain.

Razor was the first to speak, his voice even but firm. "Myst?"

She exhaled slowly, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "I went out."

"You were attacked." Cipher's lips pressed into a thin line, almost emphasizing every word.

It wasn't a question. He had seen the alerts. Unidentified movement, a struggle, a gunshot. A fight she clearly hadn't walked into expecting.

Blaze pushed himself off the table, his chair scraping against the floor. "Wait, wait. Attacked?" His expression twisted in frustration. "Are you serious? And we're just hearing about this now?"

"I handled it," Myst said stiffly.

Blaze scoffed, folding his arms. "Oh yeah? Because from what Cipher's saying, it sure as hell didn't sound like it." He shot a glance toward Nyx, who had been quiet in the corner. "I'm guessing you handled it?"

Nyx didn't react immediately. His fingers curled slightly at his sides, but his expression remained unreadable. "She got out of it," he said simply.

Blaze shook his head, anger laced in his voice. "Fucking hell! Do you have any idea how reckless that was?" He took a step toward her. "You could've been taken. Again. Do you get that? And you just what? Wandered off alone in the middle of the night like you're untouchable?"

Myst's shoulders tensed. "I needed air."

Blaze let out a sharp laugh, but there was no humor in it. "Air? Really? And getting jumped was part of the plan?"

Cipher was more controlled, but his frustration was just as clear. "Myst, if Nyx hadn't followed you, we could've woken up today and found you gone." He shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Do you realize how dangerous that was?"

Myst clenched her fists, the pressure in her chest building. "I didn't ask for anyone to follow me."

Nyx, standing a few steps away, finally spoke up. "Good thing I did, right?" His voice was quieter than the others, but there was something sharp underneath it.

Myst turned to him, startled by the edge in his tone, but he didn't say anything else. He just held her gaze for a second before looking away.

Razor exhaled, rubbing a hand down his face. "Look, we're not trying to pin you against the wall here. We just want to know why." His voice, unlike Blaze's, was steady. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

She swallowed. "Because I didn't want anyone to stop me."

Cipher let out a short, disbelieving breath. "That's not how this works, Myst. We're not just some group thrown together. We watch out for each other."

Echo, who had been sitting back, observing, suddenly smirked. "So," he drawled, stretching his arms behind his head, "was it Flux on your mind that made you sneak off?"

Myst froze.

The shift was immediate. Her breathing stalled, and the room, already heavy, seemed to press down on her even harder.

Echo's smirk didn't fade, but his eyes sharpened. He wasn't just teasing. He was testing.

"Echo," Razor warned, but Echo ignored him.

Myst's fingers twitched at her sides. Her throat felt tight. "I..."

She inhaled sharply, trying to steady herself. "I just..."

Something in her snapped.

"You all should be looking at me the way you look at Nyx."

The words cut through the room like a blade.

A flicker of confusion crossed Blaze's face. Cipher stiffened.

Myst's breathing turned shallow, her pulse pounding in her ears. "You keep questioning him. Like watching his every move. But I'm the one who let them take me." Her voice cracked, raw with emotion. "I was right there when they came for me, and I wasn't strong enough to stop them."

She swallowed hard, her vision blurring. "If I had fought harder, if I had been better, maybe Flux..."

She couldn't say it. The words felt like glass in her throat.

Her voice dropped to almost a whisper. "I don't get why you still trust me."

Silence.

Then, Shade spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "Because you're one of us, Myst. Just like Nyx is."

His words hit harder than any scolding.

Myst's breath hitched. Her chest felt too tight. Like she couldn't breathe.

Without another word, she turned and stormed out before anyone could see the tears threatening to fall.

No one stopped her.

But behind them, Nyx watched her leave—his hands curled into fists at his sides.