lost souls ➳ to the edge of the sky | ✓

SIXTEEN

❦

The whoosh of the wind disrupted as I closed the windows shut, but even if going all the way with my feet nearly slipping off the edge of the sills outside had me thinking it was the worst thing that ever happened, I still thought I was wrong to think of it for there was nothing worse than being alone in the darkness of eerie silence and knowing the high chances of not being alone in it.

As soon as I took a deep breath and turned around, I had my back pressing against the windows with my heart stopping and an abrupt  turmoil in my stomach as I repressed the desperation to scream out of fright, having my fists clenched before a pair of glowing hues of orange and a mischievous smile that I couldn't avoid widening my eyes.

After barely escaping Artemis which earned me bruises and searing pains across my body, I was sure the man could see my entire body shaking, and he seemed amused of knowing that he got the upper hand. I stayed where I was, yet it even scared me more of the fact that he was not making a single movement as he merely had his eyes fixed on me, and when I looked back at them again, his underlying features gradually sent me into realization that he somehow looked like one of the operatives of PHASe, particularly in Phantom Alpha.

Five. That was it, remembering what Enzo told me that this was the man who had the same name as Caron, the new hound of High Priestess. Eight's friend. Joined KAIROS after being killed by PHASe? It didn't make sense.

How was he alive then—it can't be that he was also a part of Project Interim like me—

I whipped my head to the side, eyes widening at the sight of a familiar masked woman, inching closer that led me to pushed myself off the wall as I thrashed around to break free and scream, but I couldn't, I felt another pair of hands having twice the force as Temperance's, seizing my limbs they almost felt like being detached. Soon my hands were clasped behind my back, and I could feel Five's breath beside my ear.

“I knew you would end up here.” Temperance's face emerged and blocked the moonlight out the window with a cheeky smile. “A witty choice, but still unfortunate for you. I'm impressed that we both have a little bit of similarities.”

She crossed her arms over her chest.
“The art of stealth. With that being said, Artemis is a messy fighter, objectively no match for ones like us.”

“You seem to enjoy these technicalities as if we're only games to you,” I told her coldly.

“And if I do enjoy them, do you think it is my problem to deal with?”

“Where are my friends?!” I hissed in anger, lunging at her but only to be forced backwards with a strong pull that made me yelp in pain as Five tightens up his grip on my arms. I let out a curse while sending Temperance a glare of death, to which she returned a smile, before gleaming silver—like a needle—protruding from the pocket of her jeans caught my eye. And it happened after a split second when her hand hovered towards it that had me do it. “Eight!”

She stopped, fingers just about to touch the needle, and I felt Five's grip tighten more for me to repress the pain while gritting my teeth. Before looking down at the ground, I caught Temperance sending Five an undermining glance for a second.

“I—” I closed my eyes, voice softening a little and exhaling with a shaky breath “—I'll bring you to him, Five, if you would let me go—"

“Five is dead," he spat. “I'm Caron. You don't call me Five!"

I opened my eyes, for I did hear a bit of shakiness in his voice. It loomed with fear of something I had yet to find out although I felt his grip loosen a little with his hands trembling, but then I saw Temperance taking a step forward through my peripheral that made me move for a second to cause Five to clasp around my arms again tight. One of her hands slipped into her other pocket.