Page 291 of Shadowman

There’s a faint glow coming from up ahead in the distance, and now that my eyes have adjusted, I can see that we’re in the library. Just beyond the study is where the panic room is located.

“Yea.” I bring them with me, through the rooms, slowing down when I hear hushed voices coming from inside the panic room.

“Fuck,” Dash mumbles. “This might not be a good idea…”

Swallowing, I release Dash’s hand, inching closer by myself.

“Byron!” Dash whisper-shouts after me. But I’m still going.

Whoever they are, I can take ’em.

“Ha! I fucking told you I’d find it,” a familiar voice rumbles.

All the hair on the back of my neck stands up.

“You’re a genius, baby. We all know that. Now what?”

My heart is lurching up my throat and out mygoddamn motherfucking mouthas I peer into the room.

Everything falls…

Heart, gut, hands, head. No air in my lungs… My knees are buckling.

“W-what…” is all I can say, eyes wide and burning with baffled emotion.

They jump at the sound of my voice.

“Oh, thank God,” Luthor cries.

“Babe,shh!” Ren scolds him, tripping over his feet to get to me. “Byron, Jesus, you’re here…”

He throws himself at me, knocking me into the wall. His entire body is coiling around me, but I can’t… move. Ican’t breathe.

I’m fucking stunned, coming apart at the seams of my soul.

Is this a dream…? Is this some kind of sick joke??!

What?? How??

Luthor curls around me too, the both of them hugging onto me tight. But I’m limp, arms hanging at my sides.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Luthor whimpers.

Ren sniffs in my neck. Like he’s… crying.

Jesus Christ, what is happening??

My heart can’t deal with this much emotional whiplash.

“You’re… you’re…” I stutter, unable to catch my breath as my hands lift to touch them. To verify that they’rereally here. “I thought…”

“Kang, what’s—” Dash’s words come to the same frozen halt when he enters the room. “Holy fucking shit…”

“Dash?!” Luthor squeaks, his voice a broken sob of disbelief as he pries off of me and Ren to attack Dash. “What the fuck, man?? How are you here?!”

Ren finally releases me, tear-stained sky-blue eyes finding mine. “I’m sorry I left you,” he sniffles, then chokes. “We had to try… You understand, right??”

He seems desperate for me to know this, but I’m too busy losing my sanity… Attempting to unlearn everything I thought I’d known for the past however many weeks.