OBSIDIAN

~Chapter 23~

I sit in Sergio’s arms, feeling like his presence is the only solid thing I can hold on to.

Still, my mind won’t settle. Suddenly, a strange thought crosses my mind, something I can’t explain, and I feel a strange sensation, like a shiver running up my back to my neck.

“What the hell…?” I whisper, trying to push the feeling away.

But it doesn’t go away. It’s like something inside me—or maybe outside—is trying to tell me something.

A voice, or some kind of premonition, that’s not a real voice, but still feels close.

“Cass… are you okay?” Sergio senses it immediately.

He moves his hand along my back, trying to anchor me, but I can’t explain it to him. I don’t even know if I can.

My mind starts to play tricks on me. I see fleeting images, fragments of sensations: people who are not people, eyes that burn, a heat that bites and a cold that paralyzes.

Wolves, … or something like them.

I can’t believe it, there’s no such thing.

“It’s just a dream…”, I try to tell myself.

“Just a dream that appeared, and just as quickly it will leave.”

But the feeling doesn’t go away.

In my head, I hear fragments of conversations, premonitions: something about “followers” who have been extracted, something that was inside us and is no longer there.

A total confusion. I don’t understand anything.

And yet, I feel that everything I see and feel is true… but impossible

Sergio tightens his arm around me. “Cass… breathe,” he says.

And I try. Inhale, exhale. I try again. Each breath helps me not to lose myself completely.

But then I feel someone trying to enter my mind, a kind of wordless connection.

And I know instantly it’s Emy. My friend, the one who feels everything I feel, even if I’m not always open.

And in my mind I hear her voice:

-“Cass… I feel like something’s wrong.

You’re caught between something you don’t understand.

You want to believe it’s just a dream, but I know it’s not.

Breathe. You’re not alone.”

I try not to answer, but it’s hard.

It’s like every thought I have is put on a plate.

Emy feels my confusion, my fear. And I don’t ask her for anything, I just feel like she’s there, without being physically next to me.

-“Do you want to try to understand?” I feel she say to me in my mind, and a wave of gratitude hits me.

But I still can’t. My mind is too agitated, too skeptical.

“No, I don’t know if I can,” I answer, and my voice is just a murmur.

Sergio feels the tension. “Cass… if you don’t want to talk, you don’t have to.

But you need to know that I’m not judging you.

You’re not alone in this.”

I try to calm myself.

I lean against him, I feel the rhythm of his heart, his breathing.

And yet, in my mind, wolves, the next excerpts, the feeling that something inside us has changed…

all of this mixes with reality. With the only reality I can understand: Sergio is here.

And Emy feels it. And maybe, for now, that’s enough.

I realize that I don't have to understand everything now.

I don't have to understand wolves, I don't have to accept what's happening yet.

All I have to do is breathe. To stay here.

To not lose myself completely.

And so, between the fear that tears me apart and Sergio's safety and Emy's presence in my mind, I let myself breathe a little.

Because maybe, just maybe, not all monsters are real.

Or maybe some are real... but that doesn't make me any less human.

---

I get out of bed slowly, feeling every muscle protest. I still don’t know exactly what happened, but there’s just a strange sensation in my mind, a shiver that I try to ignore. I try to tell myself that it was all just a dream, nothing more. Nothing that matters.

I go to the bathroom and look in the mirror. My face is the same, tired, but with no visible signs of the fear or confusion that still simmers inside. I try to calm my thoughts and take deep breaths, not letting the feeling turn into panic.

When I'm done, I head back to bed and collapse back onto the pillows. I don't have the energy to talk about how I felt, not now. It's too much. Maybe later. Or maybe never.

And then I see Sergio, standing in the doorway, looking at me with his warm but attentive eyes.

I glance at him briefly, avoiding showing how much it has affected me.

“Are you sleeping?” he asks softly, almost as if he doesn’t want to disturb me.

I realize that I haven’t even closed my eyes completely, I’ve just thrown myself onto the bed to calm myself down.

“Yeah… just… getting some rest,” I whisper, my voice lower than I would have liked.

Sergio doesn’t say anything. He comes over and sits on the edge of the bed, not touching too much.

He just sits there, next to me. I feel like he understands me, even though I can’t explain what I’ve felt or seen.

His silence is more comforting than any words.

It’s a kind of promise that I don’t have to face it alone.

In my mind, I try to forget everything that happened earlier, to convince myself that it was just a dream.

But at the same time, I know that the thrill won’t go away completely.

Sergio reaches out and touches my shoulder lightly.

“If you need to talk… you know where to find me,” he says.

I give him a little nod, because right now the words aren’t coming out.

And for the first time in hours, I feel relieved that I don’t have to be strong for everyone. Just for myself.

A few more minutes pass and I cough. I look at Sergio and see that he is looking at me

"I had a really weird dream" I say and My voice seems quite hoarse.

"What was it?" He asks and I see that he is waiting for an answer so I sigh

"I don't know.

..wolves or similar creators, I felt Emy telling me that something was wrong with me, my body protested with every move.

And after Niko and Ash... I don't know how to explain what I felt.

After some of the following excerpts" I say slowly and he looks at me a little surprised.

"What do you mean you could hear Emy?

" He says

"I don't know for sure, Sergio.

I felt her next to me even if it wasn't physical, but mental" I say and I look at a point.

"Strange" he says and I nod, "do you want to tell her about this?

" He asks and I shrug

"I don't know.

I'm thinking about it, but I don't want to lie to you anymore, so I guess so" I say and I see him smile, pull me towards him and give me a hug.

He looks at me for a long time as if he saw something or remembered something

"I remembered something.

.." He says a little scared, I look at him and wait for him to say "wait a minute!

Did you say wolves?" He says

"Yeah. What is it?

" I say and I see him look at me for a long time.

"So at those two guys' party I saw a wolf.

..but it wasn't a normal wolf, Cassian. It was massive and White, I think it was the size of a man, it was running through the forest that surrounds that house and the platforms there were.

..strange, they didn't come close to me and Theo too much.

I don't know what to think" he says after everything he said.

I look at him a little surprised but then I wonder

"What the hell is going on.

..?" I say softly, not wanting to say it out loud

"I don't know, but this is weird" Sergio says and gets up, walks towards the door and stops "let's eat" he says.

I get up and follow him into the kitchen.

There was no one except us.

"Listen.

" I say and Sergio turns to me "parents stay away a lot, do you think.

.." I say but I'm interrupted by Sergio

"Cassian let's not let people think we're crazy.

Let's not say anything for now, there's nothing logical" he says and puts food in front of me.

I eat and nod.

He's right. Who knows who believes us, or says we're crazy.

That I wouldn't already be.

"Tomorrow is Monday?

" I say when the air was already getting heavy enough that you could cut it with scissors.

"Yeah. Guess who's coming to our school!

" He says with food in his mouth. I look at him for a moment and then I say

"Who?

"

"Those two guys I met at the party and in Spain" he says and my jaw drops "I think he called them Niko and Ash, I think that's what you said" he continues and I remain even more speechless.

He looks at me and starts laughing.

"What's with that look on your face?

Aren't they the same people you've fucked twice before?

" He says and I glare at him

"Go to hell" I say and eat what's left, I pause but then I ask "how do you know he's moving?

"

"Emy said that, don't ask me how she knows I didn't say anything" he says and gets up and takes the plates and puts them in the dishwasher.

"I can't wait to see something nice between you, Cassian" he says and washes his hands.

"What do you mean?" I say even though I know the answer, but I wanted to know exactly what he's saying

"You see.

..everyone needs someone, including you.

And those boys have been eyeing you for a long time, that meant they really wanted you, Cassian" he says and wipes his face on his hand, I don't get to say anything before he continues "give them a chance Cass.

They're good boys after what's happened so far" he says.

I look at him and think about what he said.

I put that thought aside for another time and ask

"And what about you?

Sir 'I only like girls'" I say and he looks at me with a frown

"What do you mean?

" He repeats my question and goes into the living room.

I follow him and sit a few inches away

"Theo told me he saw you and Colby go into a room.

What's going on?" I say

"It was just a fluke, I was drunk, that's all" he says and turns on the phone even though it was in the living room.

Next to the TV.

"Didn't you tell me not to lie and to take care of each other?

!" I say a little too loudly without meaning to and I stand up.

"Cass wait" Sergio says when he sees me getting up.

I stop and wait for him to speak. "Look.

..I don't know what to say right now either.

But...only Colby is the only one... that's all", he says and I sit back down on the couch.

"Sergio" I say and he looks at me "we've talked about this before.

I don't care about your life or not, but if you think it's better and it feels better to be with a boy I respect your decision like you did with me" I say and I see him looking at his hands.

I get up and go next to him.

He raises his head and looks into my eyes.

"Look...it's not wrong what's happening now, take your time, as much as you need but know that I'm on your side even if you choose A or B" I say and I get up.

He takes my hand and says

"Thank you" I smile and go up the stairs to my room.

I look at the clock as I climb the stairs and see that it's already almost noon and I wonder how on earth time passes so quickly.

I'm going to my desk because I think I have homework so I'll start now, so I have time to look at something.

I sit down at my desk and open my notebooks, but my mind immediately wanders.

The blank page stares at me and I can't concentrate.

My brain is still full of the strange feeling from this morning, from that dream.

.. or whatever the hell it was. I try to convince myself that it doesn't mean anything.

"It was just a dream," I tell myself, but even I don't fully believe it.

I feel a familiar presence, even though no one is near me.

Emy. The image of her appears in my mind, smiling, but with an expression that knows more than it says.

It's like she feels everything I'm trying to hide.

It gives me a strange kind of comfort, a sign that I'm not alone, even if she can't physically touch me.

I look at my homework and try to concentrate.

All I see on the sheet is a jumble of letters and numbers that are jumbled up in my head.

And yet, Emy remains there, like a fixed point in my chaos.

I feel like she wants to say something but it doesn't come.

I look up at the window. The sun is already down, and the time seems to have escaped me.

Despite my fatigue and confusion, I think that maybe if I take things step by step, I will be able to get out of this state.

And somewhere in the back of my mind, I know that I am not alone.

Sergio and Theo were there, and so was Emy, even if not physically.

I take out my notebooks, take the pen in my hand and try to write the first correct answer. And, slowly, I feel that a little of that strange tension begins to dissolve. But the morning thrill does not go away completely.

I tell myself that maybe, just maybe, reality is more complicated than a dream.

---

I look up from my notebooks when I hear the door open. My mother walks into the office with light but determined steps, just the way I know her. I don’t look at the clock, but I know it’s almost midnight. Her eyes are warm, but they also seem… to know everything.

“Cassian, are you okay? Did you eat?” she says, her voice soothing but firm, just the way it should be.

I feel strange. I don’t know if it’s from fatigue or from that strange dream.

I try to smile, but I know my smile is weak, barely there.

“Yeah… just… working on homework,” I answer, and it’s clear that it doesn’t sound convincing.

She raises an eyebrow, slightly curious, and approaches the desk.

“Homework or… something weighing you down?” she says, but she’s not accusing.

She’s more… attentive. Every word is weighed, just the way my mother does when she knows she has to find the balance between gentleness and authority.

I cross my arms on the table. I can tell she can sense something is different.

Somehow, she senses something I don’t even want to admit to myself.

I want to tear my eyes away from her gaze, but I can’t.

She’s too strong.

“Cass, I know you’re going through a lot…

and that some things aren’t easy to understand,” she continues, her voice soft but with subtext.

“But you don’t have to go through it alone.

You know that, right?”

I feel torn between guilt and relief.

How on earth can someone understand everything without you telling them anything?

And yet, she senses. Just like Emy, but different, my mother, with her instincts, with all her life experiences.

“Thank you,” I blurt out softly, almost in a whisper. “Really… thank you for being here.”

She smiles. She doesn’t say anything more, she just sits down next to my desk and touches my shoulder lightly.

Her presence is enough.

And as we sit there, the silence between us isn’t oppressive.

It’s… calm. Sure, it’s a stillness that makes me realize that, even though my internal world is still a mess, I’m not alone.

But at the same time, something in me wants to run.

Not from her. From myself. From my thoughts.

And yet, she’s there, waiting patiently, as if she knows that one day I’ll be ready to tell her everything.

He gets up, kisses me on the head and says:

"Leave your homework.

Go to sleep, you're really stressed" says the board in the room.

I stay as I was for a while but then I listen to it and leave my homework, put it in my bag and get up from my desk.

I get into bed, and I see that it's already midnight and almost 30 minutes, so I try to go to sleep.

It doesn't take long for my subconscious to stop thinking and want to go into the much-desired hibernation.