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ARCHER

“Hey, sweet boy.” The bed sinks beneath a weight. “Don’t you think it’s time for you to wake up? It’s been one week. Everybody is worried sick.” He sighs. “Kai just wanders around the house. He doesn’t even step foot inside the tattoo parlour. Eli had to ask your brothers to take over it.” I feel a soft stroke on my hair. “Iris stays glued to your side. It’s incredible how I tore her away from your side for a brief moment. And Elijah spends his day locked in his office.” A soft kiss touches my forehead. “You need to wake up. I miss looking at your beautiful eyes.”

A warm body presses against mine, but I can’t move. I can’t reassure him.

‘I’m here,’ I want to say, but the words don’t come out.

“I should’ve stayed behind you. I should’ve made sure you were following us.”

A warm wetness suddenly touches the crook of my neck.

“I love you.”

Is he crying?

I’ve never seen Theo cry before.

“Everything is upside down,” he sniffs. “It doesn’t feel right. You shouldn’t be here. I wish I could exchange my place with you.”

I want to shake my head, but it feels like my body is trapped under a pile of heavy bricks.

What the hell happened?

“Come back to me, babe. Come back to us.”

“You should be proud of me. I didn’t kill anyone today.”

I know this voice… and this perfume.

Lavender and vanilla.

“But Wolf refused to let me paint his nails, which is a bummer because it really suits him.”

Her voice doesn’t sound like usual. It feels like each word is a fracture, shattering the silence.

“Kale didn’t try to kill me today, which is a plus.”

I feel her weight sink beside me, her soft lips brushing against my forehead and warm tears dripping down onto it.

“Elijah is still being Elijah.” She clears her throat, but I hear the tears in her voice. “Oh, and I tried a new matcha recipe. How, you may ask… well, you’ll have to wake up to know.” A deep, guttural sob punctuates her last words.

‘Don’t cry,’ I want to tell her. Everything will be okay.

But once again, my body doesn’t cooperate.

“Anyway,” she sobs harder. “Nothing new, except that I was maybe thinking of dying my hair green again. I think it’s a good time to do it.” Her lips brush my cheeks, and she whispers, “Don’t leave me. I just had you. I cannot lose you.”

I’m not going anywhere, Vixen.

“You’re my sunshine. My sweet boy. The one that makes me laugh. I need you. I cannot be complete if you’re not here.” Her body shakes against mine. “I’m begging you. Please. Come back to us.”

“Hey, pretty boy,” a voice says, and I feel a warm hand gently grasp mine. “The house has been pretty chaotic these past few days.” He sighs as he kisses my hand. “I don’t know what to do. How can I be the one fixing things, and yet I can’t fix the most important thing?” He clears his throat as he continues. “Kai isn’t coping well. He broke more than one thing this past week. He and Iris transformed the basement into a demolishing room. They took the old dishes and smashed them to pieces with a hammer. You can imagine the scene.” He lets out a sad chuckle. “Theo doesn’t know how to manage his emotions. He has been on a relentless pursuit for days, trying to track down the person responsible for stabbing you.”

I’ve been stabbed?

Is this the reason why I feel stuck here, unable to move?

“I’m so sorry.” I can feel his tears wetting my hand as he grips it tightly. “I should’ve stayed inside. I should’ve stayed with you.” The rhythmic shake of his head against my hand creates a comforting feeling. “It’s my fault. I failed to protect you.”

It’s not your fault. Nothing is.

“Arch… Angel… I cannot breathe. I need you to be okay. I need to see this beautiful smile of yours. I love you so much it hurts. Come back to me. Come back to us.”

A gentle warmth caresses my face, soon joined by a cool sensation that nestles upon my shoulder and then settles at the crook of my neck.

Kai.

A smile forms deep within me.

“She misses you.” The bed sinks as he sits on it. “I miss you. I…” he sighs. “I don’t know how to breathe if you’re not here. It has always been you and me. What am I supposed to do if you’re not here? How am I supposed to survive?” He clears his throat, but his voice cracks and splinters. “The Yin doesn’t go without the Yang. We’ve always been there for each other, and I’ll keep doing that, but you need to wake up.”

My broken boy.

I’m here.

I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.

A loud sob escapes his lips, his body trembling beside me.

“I’m not a religious man, you know that. But I prayed for the first time since I was a child. Theo and I restored the old church, located in the left wing of the house. It’s not perfect, but it does the job.” His tears mingle with the warmth of his kiss as they trail down my cheek. “I’ve spent a lot of time there. If someone can do something, it’s God, right? We’re living in an old church. Surely he can do something.” He leans closer to my ear while Bella moves, trying to find a better position. “You’re the best out of all of us. I would choose to end my own life in an instant if it guarantees your survival.”

His body trembles uncontrollably against mine as he lets out a soft sob.

“The boys and I need to meet Logan. It might take a while, but Iris will be here.” His lips brush mine, and he whispers against them. “I love you so much that it feels like a stabbing pain in my chest. Come back to me. Come back to us.”

Fuck. Everything aches.

Where am I?

My eyes strain to open, but a piercing pain throbs in my head, intensifying with each ray of light that enters.

Bloody hell.

What was that?

I attempt to move, but my body remains unyielding, refusing to obey my commands.

It feels like my mouth has turned into a desert, as dry as sandpaper.

I need to drink.

I try to open my eyes once more, slowly, and take in my surroundings through squinted eyes.

This is not my bedroom.

The room is devoid of any presence, and the pitch-black darkness outside is only pierced by the radiance of the lamp on the bedside table.

This is not my bed, nor my bedroom.

Although the walls are painted the same shade and my personal items are in place, this bedroom doesn’t exude the familiar comfort I’m used to. The bed is unusually spacious, giving the impression that it could easily accommodate over six people.

And why do I have so many tubes attached to my arm?

I try to speak, but my mouth feels as if it’s been sealed shut, preventing any words from escaping.

Why am I alone?

Where are they?

Surely they didn’t abandon me alone here, right?

They would never abandon me… Right?

And then, every word my mother had said to me repeated in my mind as if it were yesterday.

Your friends will leave you.

They’re using you; they don’t love you.

You don’t believe me? Wait and see if they will still be there once something happens to you.

You’re just a toy for them. They have no loyalty and will abandon you as soon as you become useless to them.

No. They wouldn’t.

They love me.

Panic starts to set in as a sharp scream pierces the air around me.

“OH MY GOD! YOU ARE AWAKE! YOU ARE AWAKE!”

Iris rushes towards me, her eyes filled with tears, and my body relaxes immediately.

“Y-yo…”

Fucking hell.

Why is it so hard to speak?

“Don’t talk.” She sprints out of the bedroom and returns in an instant, holding a glass of water. “Here.”

With tender care, she lifts my head and offers me the glass, but my muscles ache with agony.

As I take a sip, a sudden cough overtakes me, causing me to choke.

“Shit. Slowly.” She removes the glass from me and slowly pats the top of my back. “Better?”

I nod and glance at her glassy eyes. “Y-you didn’t leave.”

“Leave? What do you mean?”

How can I explain this ridiculous fear of being abandoned?

“Y-you… Where are we?”

She glances around her and smiles sweetly.

“We transformed the spare room. We bought the biggest bed imaginable because we couldn’t bear the thought of being apart from you. We moved everything here to create our own little sanctuary. We took some of your stuff so you don’t feel disoriented.”

“You did what?” My voice comes out cracked, and fuck if it’s not painful.

“We moved everyt?—”

“I got that. But you all slept here?”

“Yes.” Her tears flow freely now as she keeps smiling. “None of us wanted to leave your side. We’ve all slept here for the past week.”

My body relaxes immediately at her words.

They all slept here? With me? In the same bed?

“What happened?” I don’t remember anything.

“Wait. I need to call the guys.”

She takes her phone and puts it on speaker. It rings once before someone answers.

“ Sirène . Is everything okay?”

“He’s awake! Elijah, he’s awake.” Her voice trembles with emotion.

He must have put the speaker on because they all speak at the same time.

“Poison, don’t play with us,” Kai warns.

“Sh-she’s not playing,” I manage to say.

“Arch?” I can clearly see Kai’s brow lifting.

“Did you think she’d bring someone else home?” I try to joke, but a sudden cough cuts me.

“Thank fucking god! We’re on our way.”

He hangs up without any words. Knowing them, they’re going to drive like maniacs.

“They were with Logan,” Iris explains as she stands in front of the bed. “Logan, who’s also Oliver.”

“Wait, Oliver, the guy who hands you your missions?”

She nods. “So many things happened.” She gestures at me. “We were at Jolie’s for Mischief Night when a fire broke out. You were stuck beneath a beam. Both of your legs are broken.” She pinches the bridge of her nose. “The roof collapsed, and every entrance was blocked and inaccessible. The guys thought you were following them, but by the time they reached outside, you were nowhere to be found. So I decided to go in, and Eli followed me. When we arrived, we found you lying on the floor, barely conscious, while another section of the roof collapsed, bringing down a beam that landed on your legs.”

I absorb every word she’s saying, desperately trying to recall the sequence of events.

“Elijah took me back out, and they decided to go back in for you. Just as I was about to follow them, the roof of the back entrance collapsed, trapping me outside. When they arrived, they found you unconscious and sprawled on the floor, with a heavy beam trapping you in place.”

“So, am I paralysed, or will I eventually be able to walk again one day?”

“The doc said they are broken. He has high hopes of you walking again soon but emphasised the importance of taking it one day at a time.”

I nod as everything sinks in.

I grimace in pain, and she immediately catches on, reaching for the bottle of painkiller on the bedside table.

“Here. Drink slowly.”

As she extends the glass towards my mouth, her uncontrollable sobs erupt, causing the glass to shake against my lips.

“Hey.” I swallow the meds, and she drops the glass on the side.

“I’m sorry. I just… We were all so worried.” She sniffs as she wipes the tears away. “You said I love you as if you were ready to die and...” Her voice trembles as she shakes her head, tears streaming down her face.

“I’m fine.” I think I am. “And I do love you.”

“I love you so much, Angel, that it hurts.”

The sound of the door opening and closing reaches our ears, making Iris jump to her feet.

“They’re here.”

It all happens in an instant.

Just as she draws nearer to the door, a person concealed behind a black mask seizes her, swiftly injecting a substance into her neck, leaving her unable to react in time.

“NOOOOOO!”

I attempt to move, but my legs betray me, rendering me unable to take a single step. I forcefully remove the tubes that had been attached to my body and make a desperate attempt to crawl across the bed. But my lower body remains motionless, defying my efforts.

No, no, no, no, no.

“IRIS!”

She falls to the floor in a split second, but the guy is there immediately, reaching down to lift her up.

“I don’t know how you’re still alive, but the inflicted stab should have been fatal.”

“What do you want? Leave her alone!”

Sweat drips from my body as I keep trying to move, but I’m stuck.

“Oh no,” he lets out a devious laugh. “I have everything that I want.”

In no time, he swiftly exits the room, Iris perched on his shoulder while my scream reverberates in the empty space.

“IRIIIIISSSSS!” No, no, no. “IRIIIIIIS!”

Just as I manage to move to the edge of the bed, the guys arrive in a storm in the bedroom.

Just as I’m about to lose my balance and tumble off the bed, Kai swoops in to catch me. He effortlessly lifts me up as he wipes the tears away from my face.

“What happened?” Eli asks, on high alert.

“Iris! Someone came in, injected something into her neck, and took her.”

“What do you mean?” Eli asks, his voice filled with urgency, as Theo quickly heads in the opposite direction, determined to find her before it’s too late.

“It’s my fault. It’s my fault. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t?—”

“Hey, look at me.” Kai leans in front of me. “It’s not your fault. What do you remember?”

“He… He had a black mask that covered his face, and when I confronted him about his intentions, he coldly stated that he already possessed everything he desired as he effortlessly hoisted Iris onto his shoulder. He also said the stab wound he inflicted on me should have killed me.”

“Mother fucker!” Shouts Eli.

“Where is she?” Logan bursts into the room, his voice filled with anger, his breath trembling.

“Logan—”

“WHERE THE FUCK IS MY DAUGHTER?”