Chapter 12
1352 Words
The first thing Eve noticed was the cold.
Then the ache in her neck. Then the ropes.
Her eyes flew open.
It was dark. Like, movie-theater-during-a-blackout dark. Her head was pounding, her mouth was dry, and the air smelled like mildew and something... rusty?
She was in a room. A small, disgusting one. Dirty concrete floor. Metal chair. No windows. One flickering bulb swinging above her like it had anxiety.
She was tied to the chair. Ankles. Wrists. Tight. Her hands were already starting to go numb.
Okay. Okay. Okay no, not okay.
Her brain scrambled to remember. Why did everything feel like a dream?
She tried to breathe. Think. Trace things back.
She was in the living room. Her parents were talking. Cal was there. Elias walked in and—oh no. He fainted.
And then—
The people. The ones with black eyes. The cloth. That smell. The way everything just—
Her heart shot straight up into her throat.
“Mom,” she whispered, like saying it would make her appear. “Dad? Jayden? Elias?”
Nothing.
No voices. No sign of anyone. Just her. Alone. In a creepy room. Tied up like some Netflix documentary victim.
And then it hit her. Where is Caelum? Her pulse jumped. Where is everyone?
Just then the door creaked open and Eve's whole body went stiff.
Footsteps. Two sets. One heavier than the other.
She held her breath.
A man walked in first, tall, dressed in black from head to toe, face like stone. He didn’t look at her like she was a person. More like she was… an object. A chore. Something to deal with.
Behind him came a woman.
And instantly, Eve knew she was worse.
The woman was smiling. Not a nice smile. A slow, smug one that said, I’m going to enjoy this.
Her eyes—like the man’s—were black. Not like dark brown. Not “oh wow your eyes are so deep and mysterious” black. Just… black. All of it. Like ink had swallowed the whites. Like her soul rotted and decided to show up in her face.
Eve’s breath caught in her throat.
Demons.
She didn’t know how she knew, but she knew.
The woman stopped in front of her, tilted her head. “Aw. You’re awake.” Her voice was fake sweet, like syrup hiding poison. “Was starting to think we gave you too much.”
Eve blinked hard. Her head still throbbed, her arms were tied so tight her fingers had gone numb—but none of that mattered.
“Where are they?” she croaked. “My family—where are they?”
The man didn’t say a word. Didn’t even look at her. He was staring at the wall, like he was already bored.
The woman laughed, soft and mean. “Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart. They’re alive. For now.”
Eve’s chest clenched.
She tugged at the ropes. Useless.
“You don’t have to do this,” she said, voice cracking.
The woman grinned wider, like Eve had just said something adorable. “Oh honey. But we want to.”
She looked back at the man. “Let’s get started.”
The man finally turned. And Eve’s blood ran cold.
☾ ⋆･ﾟ:⋆･ﾟ: ✧ :･ﾟ*⋆:･ﾟ*⋆ ☽
She couldn’t walk straight.
Her legs felt like jelly. Everything in her body hurt. Her head, her stomach, her arms—especially her wrists from the ropes. They didn’t even talk. Just pulled her down the hallway like she was nothing.
She didn’t know where they were taking her.
Didn’t ask.
She was too tired to ask.
Her eyes were heavy. Her mouth was dry. Her thoughts were all over the place, but one kept coming back:
Where is everyone? Where’s Caelum?
Then they stopped in front of a door.
The woman opened it like she wasn’t in a rush at all. Like this was just another normal day.
And they pushed Eve inside.
She froze. Her eyes went wide. They were there.
Naomi. Jonathan. Jayden. Elias.
Tied up. Sitting on the cold floor, chained to the wall like… like criminals or something.
But they were alive.
Eve almost cried just seeing their faces.
Naomi saw her first. “Eve?”
“Eve, are you okay?” Elias said, trying to move toward her, but the chains pulled him back.
Jayden looked stunned. “What did they do to you?”
Eve couldn’t answer. Her voice was gone.
Because her eyes landed on him.
Caelum.
He was across the room, chained up worse than the others.
Way worse.
They had him locked down like some dangerous animal. Arms pulled out, chains heavy. His head was down. She could see bruises on his arms. Blood near his collarbone.
He didn’t look up. He didn’t even move. Her heart dropped.
Something about seeing him like that—so quiet, so hurt—it broke her in a way she didn’t know was possible.
The woman smirked behind her. “Sweet little reunion.”
Eve turned her head, just barely.
“Don’t get too excited,” the woman added. “This is just the beginning.”
Then the door slammed behind her. And Eve just stood there.
In that room. With her whole family. With him.
Not knowing what was going to happen next.
They needed to get out of here.
Eve took a slow, shaky step toward Caelum. His skin was pale, like the color had drained right out of him. His chest barely rose with each breath.
She crouched down a little, careful not to make the ropes cut in more.
“Cal… what happened to you?” Her voice was quiet, almost afraid to break the silence.
He finally lifted his head, his eyes tired but still burning with that fierce fire she knew so well. “They tried hurting me.” His voice was hoarse, like every word cost him.
“And?” she pressed, heart pounding.
He gave a bitter smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “It didn’t work. So they chained me up. These aren’t normal chains, Eve. They’re enchanted—weakening my powers. Every second I’m trapped, I feel myself getting weaker.”
Eve’s stomach clenched.
Behind her, someone spoke up.
“What the hell is going on?”
It was Jayden. His face was tight with confusion and fear.
“Seriously,” he said louder now. “Can someone please explain? What is this?”
Eve turned. Her whole family was there—chained to the wall too, but not like Caelum. Less harsh. Less… inhuman.
Naomi looked furious. Jonathan was quiet, but his jaw was clenched. Elias stared at the floor like he was trying to convince himself this wasn’t real.
“Where are we?” Naomi asked, her voice sharp with panic. “What are they? Those people—those things—what do they want with us?”
No one answered at first.
Eve’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. What was she supposed to say? That they were demons? That this was all happening because of her? Because she was somehow tied to something bigger—something terrifying?
She looked at Caelum. Still chained. Still quiet. But his eyes were open now, barely.
This wasn’t just about her. It was about them.
Her and him.
Her heart thudded. Fated. That word he’d used. Why would they be Fated if it was only going to put people in danger?
Unless… unless the bond meant something more. Something powerful.
“Cal,” she said suddenly, voice breathless. “How do we bond? Maybe… maybe if we do, we’ll have enough power to break out. To fight back.”
Her words hung in the air. Even Naomi and Jonathan turned toward them, blinking like they had no cooking clue what was happening.
But Caelum didn’t smile. He didn’t even look hopeful. He looked… torn.
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” he said, voice rough.
Eve frowned. “Why not?”
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