Chapter 184: Ch 184: A den of Drug-Addicts- Part 1
With Zara and Orion gone, the dimly lit streets of the slums felt quieter.
The occasional flickering of neon signs and distant voices were the only reminders that life still pulsed through the area.
Ethan walked beside Selene, his sharp gaze scanning their surroundings, but his mind was elsewhere.
After a long pause, he finally broke the silence.
"Are you really fine with sending only those two back? Should we not have headed back as well?"
His voice was low, carrying a hint of concern.
Selene didn’t imdiately respond. She kept walking, her boots lightly tapping against the cracked pavent. When she did speak, her tone was asured.
"No, I’m not fine with it."
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
"Then why—"
"Because this is the most optimal course of action. If I went back myself, I wouldn’t be able to do what I need to do next. And right now, our priority should be gathering information"
Selene interrupted, turning her head slightly to glance at him.
Ethan scoffed, folding his arms.
"And what exactly do you plan to do?"
Selene’s steps slowed, and she finally stopped to face him fully.
"We’re going to find the base of these drug addicts. I feel like we will learn sothing if we head back now."
Ethan’s entire body tensed.
"Selene—"
"And then, we’ll ask them a few questions."
Ethan took a deep breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"That’s too dangerous. Well, it’s not that dangerous since I’m here, but still....I don’t think we should risk it."
Selene smirked slightly.
"That’s why I brought you along in the first place."
Ethan exhaled sharply.
"I figured."
The playful remark should have lightened the mood, but the tension in his shoulders didn’t ease.
Selene’s expression softened, and she took a step closer to him.
"I trust you, Ethan."
His breath caught for a mont.
"That’s why I’m willing to take these risks in front of you."
Ethan clenched his jaw. His hands curled into fists at his sides.
"It might be better for you if you didn’t trust
so much. I don’t have your best interests at heart."
His voice was lower now, almost strained.
Selene only laughed, a quiet, knowing sound.
"That’s fine."
Ethan blinked, thrown off by her nonchalance.
Selene tilted her head, her gaze unwavering.
"As long as you have your own best interests at heart, I’m sure you’ll still end up following what I want. After all, I know you well. Even if you don’t rember it, it does not an that I don’t rember you either."
For the first ti in a long while, Ethan felt sothing deep inside him shift.
He shook his head at her confidence, letting out a short, disbelieving chuckle.
"You’re ridiculous."
"I try."
As they continued walking, sothing suddenly surged in Ethan’s mind.
A mory.
But not his own.
He was walking through a fog-covered field. The air was thick, and beside him stood a figure—one he couldn’t clearly see.
Their voices felt distant, like echoes of sothing long forgotten.
["Ethan, promise
sothing."
The figure’s voice was warm, familiar and hearing that voice made Ethan ache for more.
Ethan felt himself responding before he could even think.
"Anything."
"If I’m ever in trouble, help ."
Ethan nodded in the mory.
"Of course."
But then, the figure stopped walking. Their face was still blurred, but their next words were clear.
"But more importantly, take care of yourself first."
Ethan frowned.
"What?"
"I’ll always do what’s best for you, Ethan. So promise
you’ll always do what’s best for yourself."]
A sharp pain lanced through Ethan’s skull.
He gasped, stumbling slightly, the vision cutting off abruptly.
Ethan staggered.
His vision blurred for a split second, and his body wavered as if sothing had montarily loosened his grip over it.
His foot caught against a crack in the pavent, and for a brief, humiliating mont, he thought he might actually fall.
But sheer instinct kicked in, and he forced his body to stabilize before he could collapse outright. His breath ca out uneven, his fingers twitching slightly at his sides.
Selene noticed imdiately.
"Ethan?"
Her voice was calm but edged with concern. She had already stopped walking, her sharp eyes scanning him for any signs of injury.
Ethan clenched his jaw and straightened.
"I’m fine."
Selene didn’t look convinced. She took a step closer, her gaze not missing the way his muscles tensed.
"You don’t look fine."
Ethan exhaled sharply.
"You don’t need to worry about ."
His tone was firm, dismissive.
Selene didn’t back down.
"You’re obviously not at a hundred percent right now. You should head back."
Ethan stilled.
"What?"
"You should go back. Whatever that was just now, it’s ssing with you. If you’re not in top condition, you’ll be a liability."
Selene repeated, her expression unreadable.
Sothing inside Ethan snapped.
Before he even realized it, his arm shot out, fingers reaching for Selene’s shoulder in a tight, almost bruising grip.
But his body didn’t move the way he wanted it to.
The mont his fingers brushed against the fabric of her coat, his entire body locked up. It was as if invisible chains had wrapped around him, holding him still.
Panic flared in his mind.
’What the hell is happening? Am I losing control of this body?’
For a brief second, he felt like he wasn’t in control. Like sothing else had stopped him.
His breathing grew uneven, and he felt his own heartbeat pounding against his ribs. The sensation was foreign. Wrong.
Selene, completely unaware of his internal struggle, looked at him with mild confusion.
"Ethan?"
He forced himself to take a step back, tearing his hand away before he could do sothing reckless.
"I’m managing."
His voice was steadier now, even if his mind was anything but.
Selene studied him for a long mont.
Ethan could tell she didn’t believe him. But to his relief, she didn’t press further.
"If you say so."
She finally said.
And just like that, they continued walking.
But Ethan wasn’t fine.
Not at all.
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