Chapter 43: The Unraveling Plan

DANICA

His lips were pressed into a thin line, his face reddening from the exertion. I tried to push him away, but the lack of oxygen left me weak and helpless. No sound escaped my throat, just desperate gasps for air, but he didn’t relent.

I was on the brink of passing out, thinking this was the end. Suddenly, my saviors burst into the room, one after another. Hugo led the charge, landing a punch on Creed’s head that forced him to release me and stumble onto the bed.

Hugo was at my side in an instant, my hands clutching my throat, trying to soothe the pain. Hugo gently pried my hands away, wincing at the sight of my swollen, red neck. The others had surrounded Creed.

He tried to yell, but Davina and Riley held him down. Hugo handed me a few of his crystals, placing them in my palm. I didn’t question it, trusting that they were meant to heal me.

While everyone was preoccupied, I was the only one who noticed a figure in the doorway. Unfortunately, Jackson from Creed’s clan spotted him too.

“Traitor!” he bellowed. “Get weapons,” he ordered, just before Klaus tackled him to the ground.

Klaus dragged Jackson into the room where we all waited, the sound of weapons and heavy footsteps growing closer. We were trapped in a dead-end room with no exit, save for a small window that was impossible to open.

I glanced at Hugo, who was already preparing his crystals, his fist clenched tight. The room was suddenly filled with people ready to attack. They noticed Creed, silenced by Davina’s hand over his mouth.

They all held guns, some even smirking. “Let them go! You stand no chance against us,” a man in his sixties, whose name I couldn’t recall, declared with a sense of triumph.

We were outnumbered, but they didn’t know our true strength. The man spoke again. “Let them go now, or you will suffer!” He aimed his gun.

Despite our supernatural abilities, we were still mortal, still vulnerable. I didn’t want anyone to get hurt. Hugo stepped forward slowly, several guns trained on him.

“Stop right there!” the man warned. Hugo’s face was impassive, his fingers playing with the crystals in his hand. He halted, but his gaze remained fixed on them.

“Hugo, we can just leave,” I whispered to him, making sure he heard me.

He turned his head slightly towards me, never taking his eyes off our adversaries. “Creed will talk, we can’t just leave,” he murmured.

“Who are you?” the man from Creed’s clan demanded, his anger palpable.

I decided to take a risk and stepped forward, but Hugo blocked my path with his arm. “Don’t,” I told him.

He shook his head, as if I was asking the impossible. “Let me!” I insisted.

He leaned in closer. “Without you, we may never see daylight again. I can’t let you risk even the slightest,” he said, each word laced with urgency.

I tried to shake his arm off, but he stood his ground, positioning himself protectively in front of me.

“Have you seen what’s happening outside?” I asked, addressing everyone in the room, especially the older man who seemed to be leading them.

He didn’t respond. “How do you plan to fix that? By starting a war you can’t win? The end of the world could be upon us any second, and all you care about is destroying a world that’s not even yours.”

“I can’t fix that, but I can do something I’ve been training for. You’re young, you don’t understand what it’s like to want something so badly that you dedicate your life to it. I’m ready to die to protect people from that horrific world,” he retorted.

“People are living in perpetual darkness. Your mission won’t change that. But you can help us fix what’s happening outside!”

“Who are you?” he asked suspiciously. “All of you?”

I shook my head, unable to provide answers that he could comprehend. “Don’t ignite a battle you can’t win. You can’t conquer the mythical, it’ll only breed chaos. But you can assist us in helping everyone.”

His gaze shifted to his clan, their eyes now mostly cast downward. “You’re all eager to join this hunt because you want to shield someone. But you can’t protect them from something they don’t need protection from. They need to see daylight again!” I asserted.

“Can you make that happen?” he challenged, his weapon lowering.

I didn’t have a response, at least not one I had faith in. “Yes, I can restore daylight to you,” I lied. Sometimes it’s easier to deceive the delusional.

Hugo’s gaze lingered on me a bit too long, making me feel as if he knew I didn’t believe my own words. “Release them!” the man commanded, motioning towards Creed and Jackson.

I turned to Creed. “He tried to kill me and he’ll command you to do the same. But he’s also battling for the unattainable.”

“Free them both and we’ll disregard his orders. We’re not his lackeys, he can’t control us. If it’s still night in twenty-four hours… I’m going hunting,” he declared.

“Why?” I questioned.

“Someone’s responsible for this, and I intend to act on it, take it or leave it,” he retorted.

Gregory approached hastily, halting as weapons were pointed at him, but his mouth kept moving. “Why can’t we just kill you right now!” he shouted.

“No!” Hugo interjected, his glare seething. “We’ll take it.” He motioned to release Creed and Jackson.

As soon as Creed was freed, he bellowed, “Kill them!” He directed the others who had already lowered their weapons.

“We’re not murderers! We’re a team and as a team we decided to wait!” A woman from the crowd stood up to Creed. He didn’t seem pleased.

“They know more about that world than you think,” he spat. “And who knows, maybe they’re the ones we need to hunt,” he muttered more to himself.

Hugo approached him. “Try,” he taunted. “I dare you. But just so you know, the mythical world isn’t so forgiving when you invade their territory,” he threatened, also glancing at the old man who had let us go.

Creed looked terrified but tried to hide it. “It’s time for us to leave,” Hugo announced, taking my hand.

The others nodded in agreement, and Hugo whispered to me, “It’s time for you to go. Time is ticking.”