The Master Psychic

chapter 16

The movie’s final scene played out in a swell of quiet music and bittersweet dialogue, but Sage barely caught the last lines. Her eyelids had grown heavier and heavier, the weight of the day pressing down on her until each blink lingered longer than the last.

She shifted slightly against Jared, her head resting more fully against his shoulder. The warmth of him, steady and solid, lulled her in a way she hadn’t expected. The movie ended, the screen fading to black, and still she didn’t move.

Jared tilted his head, glancing down at her. Her breathing had evened out, soft and slow, her lips parted just slightly in sleep. For a moment, something unfamiliar flickered across his face—tenderness, maybe, or awe.

He didn’t dare move. Instead, he leaned back carefully into the couch, making himself a little more comfortable while keeping perfectly still, as though afraid any shift would wake her.

The credits rolled, the faint glow of the television washing over the room. And there they stayed—Sage sleeping soundly against him, Jared sitting quiet and unmoving, silver eyes dimmed but soft as he watched over her. The credits had long since ended, the television screen dimming into its idle glow. Jared remained still, Sage nestled against his shoulder, her breaths soft and even. For a while longer he sat there, listening to the fragile rhythm of her sleep, as though moving would break something sacred.

But eventually, he knew he had to go. Slowly, carefully, he shifted his arm free. Sage murmured faintly in her sleep, but didn’t stir. Jared eased himself up from the couch, moving with deliberate silence until he stood over her.

She looked younger like this, peaceful in a way she rarely allowed herself to be while awake. Something in his chest tightened, but he pushed it down, forcing himself to keep his distance.

A folded blanket rested on the armchair. Jared picked it up, shook it out, and draped it gently over her. The fabric settled across her shoulders and down her legs, cocooning her in warmth. For a second, his hand lingered, hovering just above her arm before he drew it back.

“Sleep well,” he whispered, too soft for her to hear.

Then he turned and padded quietly toward the stairs, climbing each step until he reached the hallway. He paused once, glancing back toward the faint glow of the living room, before finally disappearing into his room for the night. Jared shut the bedroom door behind him with a quiet click. The room was dark, the only light spilling faintly from the moon through the window. He pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it onto a chair, then unfastened his belt and let his jeans fall away before tugging on a pair of sweatpants. The day’s weight hung heavy in his shoulders, but he exhaled slowly as he slid beneath the cool sheets, welcoming the silence.

For a moment, peace.

Then—ding.

The sharp sound shattered the quiet. Jared frowned, reaching for his phone on the nightstand. A new message glowed on the screen, the same unknown number as before.

> Congrats on the new weakness. Now the real fun can begin.

His jaw tightened, a low growl building in his throat as his fingers clenched around the phone. His silver eyes flickered faintly in the dark, the Hyde within him stirring at the provocation.

He glanced toward the door, toward the hallway that led down to the couch where Sage lay sleeping peacefully. His stomach twisted with unease. Whoever this was, they knew. They knew.

And they were watching.

Jared dropped the phone back onto the nightstand, forcing himself to lie back, but sleep was gone. His muscles remained coiled, his mind racing.

One thought pressed louder than all the others:

He wasn’t the target anymore. Sage was.

Jared lay flat on his back, the glow of the message still burned into his mind long after he set his phone down. The words echoed like a threat whispered directly into his ear. Congrats on the new weakness…

He turned onto his side, staring at the shadows on the wall. Who could it be? Someone from his past? Another Hyde? Or worse—someone who had been watching Sage longer than he realized? His fists tightened against the sheets, the urge to leap up and demand answers gnawed at him. But he knew there were none tonight. Not yet.

Minutes stretched into what felt like hours, his mind running in endless circles until frustration sank heavy into his chest. Whoever this mystery person was, they wanted him unsteady—and he couldn’t give them that satisfaction.

With a long exhale, Jared let the tension bleed from his muscles. His thoughts shifted, almost unwillingly, to Sage. Her soft laugh at dinner. The way her head had grown heavier on his shoulder during the movie until she finally drifted off, trusting him enough to fall asleep right there beside him. The memory drew an involuntary smile to his lips.

Their connection was fragile, tentative—new. But real. And for the first time in years, Jared found himself hoping for something more than just survival.

As his eyes drifted shut, one truth settled deep in his chest: whoever the mystery person was, they would not take this from him. Not her. Not Sage.

Sleep finally claimed him with that promise firm in his mind. Sleep pulled Jared under quickly, but instead of the usual restless darkness, he found himself standing in sunlight. The air was warm, scented with flowers, and when he looked down, he realized he was dressed in a suit.

Music floated through the air—soft, joyful, the kind of song meant for a ceremony. Jared’s gaze lifted, and there she was. Sage. Walking toward him in a simple white dress, glowing in a way that stole the breath from his chest. Her silver eyes—no longer frightening, no longer a haunting vision—looked at him with trust and warmth.

She reached him, her hand slipping into his, delicate yet steady. The crowd blurred around them; it didn’t matter who was watching. All that existed was her, the weight of her promise, and the way her lips curved into a smile just for him.

The scene shifted, flowing like water into something new. He was no longer standing at an altar but sitting in a backyard under a tree. Children’s laughter rang out. Two boys with messy hair and mischievous grins darted past, their energy boundless. A little girl, her eyes the same silver as Sage’s, climbed into Sage’s lap, her small hands tugging at the fabric of her mother’s dress.

Jared watched Sage laugh, her arms wrapping around the child as though nothing in the world could ever hurt them. And then her eyes met his again, filled with that same trust, that same unshakable bond.

For the first time in his life, Jared felt the weight of peace—family, love, belonging. It was everything he never thought he’d have.

She was walking down an aisle, a white dress brushing over her shoes as silver eyes locked onto a pair of deep, familiar ones waiting at the end. Jared. He stood there, every inch of him steady, sure, and when she reached him, his hand enveloped hers as though they had been made to fit together.

Then everything shifted. Laughter filled the air, light and musical. She sat beneath a tree in the backyard of a house she didn’t recognize but somehow knew was home. A little girl with her silver eyes clung to her, giggling as Sage kissed the top of her head. Two boys ran past, their smiles wide, their energy a whirlwind of joy.

And there was Jared. Watching her, watching them, as though he couldn’t believe it was real. His gaze softened, a smile tugging at his lips, and her chest ached with the weight of how much it felt like love.

Sage woke with a sharp gasp, sitting upright, her heart racing.