Beneath the Veil of Secrets

CHAPTER 24

Mike had flown home through the darkness of the night. His wings tensed and relaxed in exhaustion, his body felt almost too heavy to carry anymore. The window was open; he silently glided in and landed. The moment his feet touched the floor, he collapsed to his knees. His breathing was uneven, his chest rising and falling violently.

As he began to shift back into his normal form, the weight on his shoulders suddenly vanished—but the weight in his mind grew tenfold. His trembling fingers went to the back of his neck, both hands locking behind his head.

— Damn it… damn it… damn it…

His eyes were fixed on a single spot, but he wasn't really seeing anything. The hum inside his head was tearing through his thoughts, drilling holes into his sanity.

— What am I going to do? What am I going to do?!

Mike stood up, pacing back and forth in the narrow space of his room. His steps were hesitant, as if every move made him feel like he was drowning.

— Emily… I left Emily like that without a word… my phone… my phone is with them… damn it!

He stopped for a moment, clenched his teeth, and shut his eyes. The muscles in his jaw tightened.

— Think. Think! Why does nothing ever go right in this life?!

He tried to take deep breaths, but each one came out short and broken. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest; with every beat it felt like it would rip through a crack and shatter completely. His pulse was so fast it echoed in his ears. One hand pressed to his chest, he breathed in deeply, again, and again… but calming down was impossible.

— Breathe… breathe, Mike! Calm down…

But nothing worked. It was like an invisible hand was tightening around his throat. The pressure on his chest grew heavier and heavier.

Just as he was pacing—

The doorbell rang.

He flinched instantly. His breath hitched, his eyes darting to the door.

The bell rang again.

His heart froze. Who could it be? The only person that came to mind was Emily… and a deep ache formed in his chest.

— No… not now. Please, not now.

But the bell didn't stop. It rang over and over. Mike's mind was a storm. Should I open it? Should I not? Could I come up with an excuse?

As he stepped toward the door, only one thought ran through his head: Tell her… you have to tell her, there's no other way.

Before reaching for the door, he closed his eyes. For a few seconds, he just stood there in silence, his head lowered, taking in a deep breath.

— Tell her… this time you can't hide it. You have to tell her.

Slowly, he reached for the doorknob.

He turned it.

When he opened the door, Emily was standing there. There was a faint anger in her eyes, a look of disappointment on her face. Just her gaze alone stabbed into Mike's chest like a knife.

Emily began to speak. Her voice wasn't calm, but she wasn't yelling either. It was more like a scolding, a judgment.

— "Where have you been?! You disappear without a word… you don't answer your phone, I come to your house and you don't open the door, you've been gone all day! You vanished since yesterday, you left me waiting at that hour. What's happening to you, Mike?! You keep disappearing! Always!"

Emily's voice rose slightly, her words piling on top of one another. All the worry and frustration she'd been holding in suddenly burst out.

Mike didn't say anything. He just looked at her. He took a deep breath, then… took a step forward. He held Emily's hands.

— "Stop."

Emily was taken aback.

Mike's voice was slow but serious and deep:

— "I'm going to tell you… everything. Please… just listen to me. Don't be afraid. What you're about to hear… it'll sound strange, it'll sound ridiculous. But until I finish, please… don't react. Just… listen. Okay?"

Emily stepped back slightly, frowning.

— "I really wonder what you're going to say this time… What could you possibly tell me?!"

Mike drew in a deep breath. He knew there was no turning back from this moment. There would be no more secrets.

And he began to speak.

From the very first day he found the mask… he told her everything he had lived through.

The dark forest… the moment he first held the mask… his first contact with the demon… his trips to hell… his returns… the missions he was given… the creatures he fought… the nights he disappeared… the wounds… the hospitals… every single hidden detail he had kept buried…

Emily didn't interrupt. She just stayed silent and listened. Her eyes widened, her eyebrows lifted. She looked like she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

As Mike spoke, his breath trembled. At the very end, he looked straight into Emily's eyes… and, as proof, he opened his hands.

In an instant, blue flames bloomed in his palms.

The glow reflected off the dim walls of the room. In the silence, faint crackling sounds could be heard.

Emily didn't step back. But her eyes froze completely. Her lips parted slightly.

She couldn't form a single word.

In that moment… time felt frozen.

Mike extinguished the flame. And he just looked at Emily without saying anything.

Emily… slowly raised her hands to her mouth. She took a deep breath but couldn't speak.

Her expression was completely blank. A mix of shock, fear, and that strange space between believing and not believing…

Her eyes drifted slowly from Mike… to the spot where the blue flame had just burned.

And in the room, only silence remained.