The Truth Within
The darkness in the room wasn't natural. It clung to the air, heavy and suffocating, like a living thing.
Evelyn tightened her grip on Luca's hand. "Luca…" she whispered, barely able to see him in the dim light.
Luca's breathing was steady, but his body was tense, like he was listening to something no one else could hear.
Then, the voice came again.
You are awake now.
A deep, hollow whisper that sent shivers down Evelyn's spine.
Luca snapped his head toward the corner of the room, his silver eyes flickering to life again.
"Who's there?" he demanded.
The shadows moved. This time, Evelyn saw it clearly. The darkness itself writhed, forming into a vague humanoid shape. It had no face, no true form—just a twisting, shifting mass of blackness.
Julian stormed into the room, gun raised. "What the hell—"
The shadow creature turned, and Julian froze. Even he could see it.
He belongs to us now, the voice whispered. You cannot stop what has begun.
Luca stood abruptly, his jaw clenched. "I don't belong to anyone."
The shadow creature tilted its head, as if amused.
Not yet.
Then, with a rush of cold air, it vanished. The darkness in the room lifted, the lights flickering back to life.
But the silence it left behind was almost worse.
—
Aftermath
Julian lowered his gun, cursing under his breath. "Someone better explain what the hell that was."
Luca exhaled sharply. He looked down at his hands, flexing them like he expected something to change. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I think… I think I was supposed to."
Rayna appeared in the hallway, her expression guarded. "That thing wasn't just some hallucination. We all saw it."
Evelyn took a shaky breath. "It said you belong to it, Luca."
Luca met her gaze. "It's wrong."
She wanted to believe that. She really did.
But deep down, she wasn't sure if he believed it himself.
—
Later That Night
Evelyn couldn't sleep.
She tossed and turned, her mind replaying the encounter over and over. The voice, the shifting shadows, the way Luca's eyes had glowed in the darkness.
Something was happening to him.
And it terrified her.
With a sigh, she sat up, rubbing her face. Maybe some fresh air would help.
She stepped into the hallway, only to freeze when she saw Luca standing by the window.
He was staring out into the night, his body rigid, his hands gripping the windowsill so tightly his knuckles had gone white.
"Luca?" she called softly.
He didn't respond.
Evelyn moved closer, placing a hand on his arm. "Hey—"
Luca flinched violently, spinning to face her.
For a moment, his eyes weren't just silver.
They were black.
Like the shadows themselves.
Evelyn's breath caught.
And just as quickly, they flickered back to normal.
Luca stumbled back, a look of horror on his face. "Evelyn… I—"
He didn't finish. He didn't need to.
Because in that moment, she knew.
Something inside him really had changed.
And whatever it was…
It was only getting stronger.
—
Next Chapter: A Power Unleashed
What is happening to Luca? Can Evelyn help him fight it, or is he already too far gone?