Epiphany

Chapter 42 Part 1~Easily

My legs buckled and I fell to the ground.

This can’t be, I tried reassuring myself. He promised me to keep her safe.

But…

Ryder was right.

He held no power. He was a puppet. A puppet that both Boss and Edward had control over. Edward caught him and he certainly threatened him. And if he declined and stayed under Boss’ control only, Edward would have easily eliminated him on the spot. He could kill anyone and no one would do a thing. Just like he did to Elijah and now he would do the same to my friend.

I needed to get out of this room in this instant and save Julia!

If Ryder caught us he would kill us with no hesitation. Boss wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. The word boss didn’t even fit their boss if other people could take over his minions and control them this easily.

I doubted that Boss wanted me alive. If he did, he would’ve kept me with him. He would’ve hid me in his mansion or something. But no, he left me with his minions that couldn’t do a thing against Edward.

This was all a game to him.

A game that would result in me and my friend and everyone around getting hurt—or killed.

“You all lost. Your friend is in danger and she will be killed. And if Chase refused to kill her, he’ll die along with Julia.” Ryder thumped on the door, shuffling with the doorknob again. “So open up, will you?!”

Julia will be killed.

“Alyssa!” Jesse shouted at me. “Alyssa, stand up for the love of God!”

My legs were numb, and I had to grip them to make sure they were still attached to me. My legs felt like they were covered in pins and needles, with each pointy tip poking my entire leg from the bottom to the top.

Worse, it appeared that this sensation was spreading throughout my body. It wouldn’t be long before it consumed me, leaving me completely helpless and unable to stand up on my legs again.

“Alyssa!” Jesse’s voice became distant, and I felt as if I were being devoured in my own body. My soul appeared to be shrinking within my body.

“Alyssa, help me with the door!”

It was as if I dwindled inside my own body and sat in a room inside my own brain, watching the next events unfold through two windows that were my eyes. I felt hopeless. I had lost control of my body. Or I thought I was. I wanted to stand up and do something with the door or stand up so I could do something about Ryder so I could reach my friend before Chase did, but how could I when I was held hostage by my own body.

Stand up! I yelled. Do something!

Jesse winced as he struggled to keep the door shut. It swung back and forth repeatedly as the opposing sides fought to push the door in the other side so they could win.

The door slammed open in a sudden unexpected strong force that shoved Jesse backwards and reached me and hit my body as a result. What worried me was that I didn’t feel anything. Why couldn’t I feel anything?

The next second, Ryder was in front of Jesse, and he wasted no time, swinging the kitchen knife he was holding at Jesse. Jesse avoided the attack by taking a quick step backwards, but it wasn’t a total success as the knife reached his face and grazed his cheek.

Jesse, like Ryder, didn't waste the next second that Ryder wasn't swinging his knife at him and fisted Ryder's collar while also grabbing his knife-wielding wrist. Jesse rolled on his back, pulling Ryder down with him, then kicked him backwards behind him with his legs that landed on Ryder's stomach. Ryder flew for a millisecond before crashing to the ground.