Knot Your Fated M.U.S.E. (The Parazodiac Nexus #1)

Prologue Who I Was Then And Now

~NYX~

Pain. Always pain.

Hunger gnaws. Empty. Hollow.

How long since food?

Days? Weeks?

Time blurs here.

Patient 495, they call me.

Nyx , I remind myself.

Nyx Blackwood .

Have to remember.

Have to hold onto something.

Memories fade like smoke.

Slips through fingers.

Had a family once.

A sister?

Sometimes see flashes.

Green eyes like mine.

Dark hair. Same face?

Twin?

Can't remember.

Don't remember….

White coats come again.

Always come.

"495 ready for morning trials."

Mockery in their tones.

Smoke and tainted misery in their presence.

Rough hands. Cold metal.

Restraints bite broken flesh.

Routine now. Every day the same. Different poisons. Different pains.

But always pain.

Needle slides in. Burns. Scream tears throat.

No one hears. No one cares.

Shadows dance.

Whisper.

They're my only friends now.

Listen , they say.

Listen to our song .

But white coats don't like it when I listen.

Don't like when I speak to shadows.

More needles when I do.

More pain.

"Remarkable," they murmur.

Write in charts.

"M.U.S.E. showing increased sensitivity."

M.U.S.E.

Mentally insane.

Unsatisfactory.

Scentless.

Excelled.

Their perfect experiment.

Their broken toy.

Had hope once. Dreamed of rescue. Of freedom.

Not anymore…

This is life now.

These white walls. These endless tests.

This gnawing hunger.

Home. Prison. Hell.

Sometimes remember before.

Warm hands. Soft voice. Mother?

Singing lullabies. Keeping monsters away.

But she couldn't keep these monsters away.

No one can.

New liquid today. Glows green.

Terror spikes. Heart pounds.

"Hold her down."

No no no.

Try to fight. Always fight.

But so weak.

So hungry.

Liquid burns throat. Melts insides.

Scream until voice breaks.

Until darkness comes.

Shadows grow louder.

Sing sweeter.

Promise things.

Soon , they whisper. Soon .

Don't believe them anymore.

Only believe in pain.

Only trust in agony.

This is Ravenscroft.

This is where hope dies.

This is where I belong.

Patient 495.

The M.U.S.E. they made.

The monster they created.

Nyx , I whisper in my mind.

Nyx Blackwood .

Have to remember.

Have to hold on.

Even as darkness takes me again.

Even as shadows sing their lullabies.

Even as I forget everything else.

I am Nyx.

I am 495.

I am their greatest mistake.

And someday...

They'll pay.