8. Bay
Bay
I’ve been lying here, wide awake, the weight of another wasted day pressing down on me. I slept through the sunlight, yet now when I actually need rest, it evades me. The silence of the empty house creeps in, thick and suffocating, settling like a hollow ache in my chest.
Why do the people I need the most always leave? Or worse—betray me?
A tear slips unbidden down my cheek, burning hot as Pedro’s words echo in my mind. “You’re family.” The syllables slice through me, raw and jagged. My mind scrambles for excuses. Maybe he’s just dealing with Luca. Maybe it’s not me.
My breath hitches as the world shifts, reality bleeding into memory. A bone-chilling roar vibrates through my skull, visceral and relentless. My stomach clenches in response, nausea rising. No. I’m on land. I’m safe. I’m far from that place.
I clutch the sheets, knuckles whitening, as his voice growls from the shadows of my mind. “My huntress…” The words slither through me, sharp as a blade. My chest tightens until I can barely breathe.
I squeeze my eyes shut, the darkness behind my lids safer than the ghosts lurking in the corners of my mind. A deep breath. Then another. Slowly, the silence returns, but it’s fragile, like glass stretched too thin.
When I open my eyes, the dark room feels solid again, real. My knees draw up to my chest, arms wrapping around them tightly as if I can hold myself together through sheer force.
He saved me, but never Elyr.
The thought burns, unraveling the fragile threads of composure I’ve been clinging to. My forehead presses against my knees, and I grip tighter, as if I can keep the memories at bay through sheer will.
A creak in the hallway snaps me from the spiral. My breath catches, and I freeze, every nerve on edge. It’s 1 a.m.; Pedro must be back.
The faint shadow of footsteps pools under my door, the sound stopping just outside. My heart thunders in my chest, loud enough that I wonder if he can hear it too. For one aching, desperate moment, hope swells, filling the void in my chest. Maybe he’s come to his senses.
Maybe this time, he won’t leave.
But then he turns and walks to his room. I exhale, crushed.
Maybe just for tonight… Would it be so wrong? I just need to feel someone close to me. I don’t want to be alone right now. Ignoring the voice in my head telling me to stay put, I get out of bed and, before I can stop myself, knock gently at his door.
When I peek in, his eyes widen, surprised.
“What are you doing awake?” he asks, his voice low, and I look away, trying to hide my nerves.
“I was having another nightmare,” I lie, managing a small smile. “Can I sleep here? Just for tonight?”
He looks conflicted, glancing to the side and then back at me, releasing a heavy sigh. “Just for tonight,” he says firmly.
Without hesitating, I slide into his bed, too afraid he might change his mind. His scent wraps around me like a drug, soothing every ache and whisper of doubt. My body feels light, relaxed for the first time all day.
Pedro watches me with a puzzled look, sitting on the edge of the bed in his shirt and pants. He keeps his distance, his gaze intense, like he’s calculating every move. His eyes finally break from mine, and he lets out a string of quiet curses.
“Is it that hard for you to be near me?” I ask, my voice cracking. “Even a brother shouldn’t be that horrified.”
“No, that’s not it. It’s just… a rough day.”Pedro mutters, letting out a heavy sigh as he slides under the covers, but he keeps his distance. His tone is flat, distant, and I can tell it’s not just Luca—he feels detached, like I’ve somehow slipped away from his thoughts.
“I just don’t want to be alone tonight,” I murmur, burying the sting of his rejection. He nods, not saying a word.
I turn my back to him,feigning sleep, but my mind spins in the quiet darkness. Every sound feels sharper, every second longer. I breathe in his scent, something familiar, something safe—at least, it used to feel that way.
But the comfort doesn’t last.
The roar—familiar, yet too loud, too close—rips me from sleep. My eyes fly open, and I look around, disoriented. This isn’t Pedro’s room. It’s wrong. I’m trapped again. In the cage. My heart pounds, a cold dread tightening in my chest. No. Please, no.
“Bay!” Elyr’s voice cuts through the dark, raw and terrified. “Help me!” Her arm is stretched out, reaching for me, her pink tail ensnared in a dark, swirling cloud of the cage’s magic.
“Take my hand!” I shout, lunging for her. Our fingers lock, but the black fog is relentless, pulling us both deeper into its hold.
“Bay, I don’t want to die!” Her voice breaks, fear twisting her face as she tries to hang on. I pull with all my strength, but the force is too much, and her hand slips from mine.
“I thought you were going to save me! You promised you’d help! Why did you let me die?” She screams, her voice echoing as the fog pulls her away. Her scream rips through me as I cry out her name. I can’t watch her die again. “Elyr!”
The darkness closes in, crushing me. The roar of the guardian swells—louder, louder—an inescapable storm that drowns everything, leaving me alone in the void.