Lenox pov“God fucking damn it!” I hiss and instantly slap myself. I shouldn’t use God's name in vain since that thing is inside my Optimus. The bulky old man manages to get out of the weird trance state and steps closer, reaching his hand for me. Is this the right moment to point out that I’m kind of on a ‘no-no’ basis with germs? I get dirty all of the time, but there is a difference between blood germs and something other people carry around. After all, I have no idea where those hands have been before they touched me, right?“You are real. It’s actually you,” the dude’s voice trembles a little. “So are unicorns, but it’s not like anyone believes me. Listen, pal, this is all fun and games, but I already wasted too much time on the spoon snatching guy. My brother really needs my assistance about a week ago.” As I bend down to fetch my spoon, I keep a close eye on the man. Lately, I have been running into too many people all the damn time, so it wouldn’t surprise me if all of the
Luka pov No words could describe how happy I feel to see my brother. It’s not just that he is here to pull me out of the shitstorm that followed a stupid argument. No, I’m happy to see him alive and well. “Lenox,” I breathe out his name as he gets to releasing me. I didn’t notice the massive lock connecting the chains until Lenox manages to break it. “Hold on, big bro, I’ll get you out of these,” he mutters. It’s so weird to see Lenox like this. The usually cheerful maniac is so focused on his goal that even he doesn’t seem to notice the tears that fill his eyes. Lenox looks like he is about to break down right before my eyes. As he starts ripping and pulling the ropes, he looks manic, desperate to claw and break everything in his way, even though I am here, right in front of him, and don’t plan to go anywhere. I made that mistake once and can’t bring myself to repeat it. Turning my back on my family simply because I couldn’t take someone’s words has been the worst mistake I mad
Luka pov“Yeah, sounds gross, doesn’t it? Like an ass worm, but I think it isn’t quite in her ass because apparently it can control her. But no biggie, Than and Laz are dealing with that issue and everything should be all fine when we return home.” Lenox announces, rather happy. I’m about to question him, but clearly, he has more to add. “Dude, I miss a proper dinner. I think my stomach has started eating itself and I will start losing my good bits soon if I don’t get a nice steak meal anytime soon.” He groans. Honestly, I think he wants to change the topic. Why? I have no idea, but here we are. “I get that you’re hungry, we’re in the same boat, brother. But if we can, it would be better if we returned to that whole worm and Sarah situation.” I try to press the topic I’m most interested in. Lenox’ body tenses even as he keeps striding, but not a word leaves him. I worry my brother has something awful in his mind. Lenox isn’t one to give me all the details if he believes that the s
Luka povCompletely lost to what I am supposed to do, I realise I am wasting too much time just standing and waiting on something. I can either head back inside that forest and chase after my brother or head home and get some help. Yeah, honestly, going alone is stupid because Lenox knows the woods better than all of us together, and once he is set on getting away from everyone - he won’t stop running. “I need help,” I mutter to myself and turn towards home. For the millionth time I ask myself why fate can’t be a little gentler on my family. Sometimes, it feels like Vincents are the epicentre of bullshit and shitstorms. No matter where we go, something awful happens. And now, I hate to admit it, but it feels like fate is trying to separate us all.Walking home drags out, even though I’m fighting against the tiredness and the soreness of my muscles. I want to get there faster, but my legs refuse to move faster than they do. By the time I get close enough for guards to notice me, I
Lazarus povJust like my boy promised, about ten minutes before he claimed I had to turn he woke up. Another five minutes passed by until he decided to speak up.“Dad?” “Yes, son?” I keep my eyes trained on the road. Maybe it’s just a straight line I need to drive, but we’re still inside a car and I have two kids with me. This would be the worst moment to act reckless. “Is mommy going to be okay?” Alister mutters as his eyes focus on something far away. The question catches me off guard. This whole mess, everything that is going on, is supposed to remain pretty much hidden. The last thing I want is to see my children suffer because they saw too much. “Of course, buddy. Mommy needs to rest a little, that’s why we’re going on a trip together. We’re having a holiday and so is she,” I lie through my teeth while trying my best to act happy. I hate lying to my son. Ever since I first held him in my arms, I promised I would try my hardest to be the best father I could be and always be o
Lazarus povAlister is way stronger than he looks. My boy grabs my arm and nearly drags me into the field without batting an eye. All I can do is gape at him. “Come on, move your big legs, dad,” he mutters the encouragement that sounds oddly like an insult.I choose to ignore his words to keep up the peace. No matter how stressful our life is, I don’t want to argue with my son. He’s just a child, after all. “I’m coming, I’m coming,” I laugh as he keeps tugging on the sleeve of my shirt. Funny how he can barely see past the grass that is nearly as tall as him, but Alister is still determined to reach his goal. All things aside, this, too, worries me. Everyone around us has always insisted my boy is special, but now, I finally see the observations have been more than just a praise to his talents. Alister is special in his own way, in a way I could never understand. And now, as he walks closer to a place I fear as much as I am dying to see it, I wonder how my boy is connected to t
Felix pov“Free,” I mutter and look around the eerie forest. While technically, I don’t have Lenox Vincent on my ass anymore, surprising me with the level of crazy, bloodthirst and occasional threats, I don’t feel as free as I should. Funny, how now that I got what I wanted from the very beginning feels wrong. Maybe the feeling mainly comes from the fact that I don’t feel safe here without him around? Truth be told, I’ve never liked forests, never roamed them alone and always got goosebumps whenever I thought of them. “Admit it, Felix, you’re a coward,” I grunt under my breath, pulling my hands into tight fists and stomping my foot against the ground like a child. Why am I having this weird inner turmoil again? As I look around again, a cold shiver runs down my spine. Soon, the night will fall and all the weird creatures will leave their hiding places as soon as they get a chance. “You can continue the path you’ve always walked and be a coward, or you can prove yourself you’re
Luka pov“Wait,” Than mutters and runs a hand through his oddly near hair. “Go back a bit and explain the bit about the murderous trees, please.” “Haven’t Lenox mentioned anything about them?” I frown. Deep down, I know that answering his plea with a question is just wasting time. It’s bad, I know, but also, I wish to waste someone’s else’s time for once too. “Perhaps I’m too old and forgetful, but no. Also, I find it a little weird that you mention the gates of hell, but I don’t feel a presence powerful enough to shift the energy in mortal’s realm,” Than explains and mimics my frown. This back and forth conversation won’t go anywhere, so I decide to offer a compromise only a fool would ignore. “How about you tell me everything I want to know and I tell you everything I learned while I was away? Sounds fair, doesn’t it?” I’m really hopeful he will. Dealing with whatever is happening would be so much easier if I got all the details in check. I don’t like addressing the issues I ha
Than povReturning home has never felt like this before. Not in a sense that I’ve been eagerly awaited, which obviously is the case here since everyone around me seems very pleased to see me. What I mean is the feeling that I don’t belong here anymore. It’s not about others, it’s about what has changed within me - it’s deep rooted, captivating, something that has gripped me so hard, I don’t think it will ever let me go. Seth. It has to be the change she has brought me - the sense of belongingness I have whenever I’m around her. With that woman, I feel at peace, wanted, respected and needed. With her I feel everything I don’t have here. Home, on the other hand, hasn’t changed much, if anything at all. The same dark, slimy cave walls, those same faces of the demonic creatures that surround me. I could say something has shifted, but I’m not sure if it’s more my problem than any other. “My Lord, we have been waiting for your next visit. It’s such an honor to be present when the Lord
Sarah povI feel weird. Something about me feels different, but I struggle to pin-point why and if anything has changed. A little obsessed with the need to figure out what has changed, I start by touching my arms and legs. Then, I count my fingers and toes - all intact. I can’t check if anything inside has changed without an x-ray, so I don’t focus on that possibility. A minute of me wondering passes, then three and then I don’t even know how long until I realize something. The voice in my head is gone, it has stopped haunting me, stopped screaming at me and demanding for something. “A-are you there?” I stutter as I whisper into the darkness, but there’s no answer, both from outside the cell and inside my head. “This isn’t funny. Stop messing with me and speak up,” I say, a little louder to appear like I’m challenging the thing, yet still nothing. The only thing that happens is some footsteps in the distance that I hear slowly approach me. Looks like I haven’t been as silent as
Lenox povThe little shit is persistent, that much credit I can give him. I’m not one to grant first chances, let alone second and he sure as fuck doesn’t deserve any, given he kidnapped Luka and all that. However, here I stand, becoming a better man than I ever was and changing my way. Except, the shit head isn’t taking the goddamn hint at all. Lord have mercy on my soul because I’m about to bash someone’s head in with my trusty spoon. Speaking of which, where did I put it? As I start patting down my pockets in search of my magic weapon, the damsel in distress clears his throat and starts nervously scanning the damn surroundings. “What?” I grumble, half-assedly paying attention to him. “Nothing, I’m just worried, you know,” he mutters and casts his gaze down. “Yeah, yeah,” I grunt and give up. “Where the fuck did my spoon go this time?” I shout, a little louder than intended. How am I supposed to make this sacrifice and kick the demonic asses of whatever is on the other side of
Felix pov“Go on, run. Shoo, shoo, little pet, you’re free now. Don’t make me shoot at the sky or some shit just to scare you away. That bullet will come back down and there ain’t no way in flippity flappity fuck hell I’m standing here to accidentally take myself out with it. Nope, ain’t happening.” Lenox mutters in a baby voice. First of all, this approach of his, acting as if I’m some kind of a kid is downright disrespectful. And mean. Yes, mean too. Sure, I didn’t want to follow him at the beginning, but the guy has grown on me now and I really don’t want to watch him head into danger alone. So, like any proper brainless moron, I shake my head and refuse to move for an inch. If this guy is about to die, I’m doing the same. Besides, it’s not like I have anything better to do with my life anyway - why not become an unlike hero, huh?“Come on, man,” Lenox grunts and rolls his eyes. “I’m allowing you to live and see the day your balls finally drop. Don’t take this experience from yo
Lazarus povBy the time Alister finally wakes up, I manage to do a quick trip to the car and back. I grabbed some food and blankets to cover him and in the meantime, I started a fire to warm up some food for us. Every once in a while, I glance at Ophelia and for most part, check her pulse. Babies aren’t supposed to be this calm and sleep this long - she has to eat, but instead, she’s just sleeping. When Alister stirs awake, his eyes instantly seek me out. Once our gazes meet, he flashes me a smile and something within me shatters. That is my son - the little boy who’s been forced to grow up too soon, all thanks to my inability to be the father he deserves. “Dad, why are you sad?” He asks, instantly picking up on the change in my mood. Like the selfish, scared fool I am, I just shake my head in denial. “I’m not sad, just thinking.” Wordlessy, he kicks off the blanket, gets back to his feet and walks closer to me just to plop down next to me. Again, he rests his head against my upp
Luka povLeaving Sarah in the cell has to be close to the hardest thing I have ever had to do. The pleading look on her face, the desperation and sadness in her eyes paired with her words will forever haunt me. As I move through the halls, my mind instantly kicks into the right gear. First and foremost, I need to figure out how to fix this mess and then, we can move along with whatever has to be done next. Rounding the corner, I manage to run into the man she begged me to seek for - Than. “Luka? What are you doing here?” He asks, looking like he has just been caught red-handed, doing drugs or some shit. I raise an eyebrow and remain silent, waiting for an explanation to come, but that doesn’t happen so I groan and shake my head. “I was looking for you, actually.” Than tilts his head, obviously intrigued, “why?” If I wouldn’t be in such a hurry, I would use this moment to fuck around a little, but since we don’t have time for foolish behavior, I get straight to the point. “I went
Lazarus povI have no idea how much time has passed and while I sit here, with a baby in my arms, I can’t help but feel completely fucking useless. My son is in a place I don’t trust. The baby I’m holding keeps sleeping as if she’s in a coma - no signs of life other than the obvious raising and falling of her tiny chest. My wife is locked away, parents do whatever the fuck they do and my brothers - I don’t even have any idea what is up with them both. How the fuck did we get stuck in this loop of madness? Another roar of thunder echoes around me, so I look up at the sky. Perhaps Alister is right - it really looks like the sky is raging because it demands something to be returned. Or, more precisely - someone. I pry my eyes off the sky and look back at the calmly sleeping baby. She’s a thing of beauty - perfection, no matter how long I look at her. Ophelia looks like a mix of Sarah and Lenox, in a way, as if mother nature gifted her the best parts from each parent. At one point, I
Lenox pov“You can’t be serious,” my sidekick gasps. “N-no, y-you just c-can’t,” he starts stuttering as his hand grabs my upper arm and he tries to pull me back. Too bad he doesn’t realise that his strength has nothing on me. No matter how much he tries to hold me back - he simply doesn’t have it in him to stop me. Ever. No army has stopped me before and I don’t plan on changing that. “I’ve made up my mind, my beautiful mutt. Come on, let’s go, we have no time to waste,” I flash him the weakest smile. Truth be told, I don’t want to do this. Really, I don’t. But, by putting my priorities where they really should be, I save them all. And then, the downside is that I’m willingly missing out on my daughter’s future. I won’t be there for her first word, first steps and first milestones. “Totally worth it for as long as we ensure she has a future.” Atlas grumbles. I can’t help but agree with him. “You crazy bastard!” My sidekick snarls. “How can you give up on everything you have? D
Felix povOkay, I might have underestimated how far those bloody shadow forests are. Seriously, it’s already getting dark and I feel like I have been walking for years. It doesn’t help that everything in this part of the forest is starting to merge into one, big mess. I can’t keep track of the times I already tripped on something and I keep doing the same nearly every two steps I take. “Lenox Vincent, where are you? Come here and grab your death tools, I’m tired,” I hiss under my breath but still push forward. If he is already there, doing whatever a crazy person does in the middle of a creepy forest, he needs me to get there as soon as possible. I’m not sure when I changed my opinion of him as someone I need to escape to someone I need to reach as fast as I can, but that doesn’t matter. What does is he can’t do without his tools, the same things I’m carrying around. After another time of nearly kissing the ground, I stop and lean against the tree to rest a little. The water is g