Violet Eyes

48: Nyctophobia 2: Rhys and Orion

TW// FAMILIAL ABUSE

Rhys was quiet as he and Orion moved swiftly down the hall, Orion had to jog to keep up with him. Suddenly, Rhys stopped in the middle of the hallway and Orion accidentally bumped into his back.

"Where is she?" Rhys asked quietly as he turned around to face Orion. He tensed for a moment at Rhys' tone before he remembered what Soul had said, that it might take a while for her friends to warm up to him.

"She's upstairs, but she is probably being guarded." Orion answered meekly.

"That's not going to be a problem." Rhys said as he stretched out his arms and turned back around to continue down the hallway.

Orion held out his hand, "Wait, you don't want to fight him with hand to hand."

Rhys halted, "Why not?" He spoke with slight concern.

"His ability is activated through touch, and you don't want him to activate his ability. He forces you to rewatch your greatest nightmares and takes energy from the target's fear. There's a good chance he's already fed from Nyx and Nerissa so he is probably pretty strong right now, and fast." Orion spoke decisively. "So please, let me go in first and deal with Ezekiel, you just hang back and wait for my signal." It seemed as though Orion's aura had shifted, he was giving a more confident visage as he walked past Rhys and down the hall towards the staircase. Rhys stood and watched for a moment, he wasn't really used to people telling him to hang back. Typically he was the muscle, the one to take charge.

The two guys reached the top of the staircase and Rhys' brow furrowed. "Where are all the guards?" He asked Orion quietly.

"Master Kuroi ordered that they all leave, except for the two at the gate. I assume he didn't want to risk any more lives than what was necessary, so he only kept the lieutenants on the property." Orion answered as he walked down the hall with purpose.

"So, you're a lieutenant?" Rhys followed up with a slightly surprised tone.

"Yes." Orion answered flatly, causing Rhys to look at him with a surprised expression. Alive for less than six months and he was already a lieutenant. "Here we are." Orion said quietly as they approached a door at the end of the hall. Rhys' brow furrowed again, realizing that he should probably warn this kid.

"Wait." Rhys said as Orion reached for the door knob. "There's something you should know about me. I have a bit of an...anger issue, and I can't control my Gift when I'm enraged. If I lose control in there, I'll most likely attack you, and maybe even Nerissa..." Orion glanced down at Rhys' clenched fists before looking back up into his eyes. "You knock me out cold if you need to. Just keep Nerissa safe and get her out." Rhys stared into Orion's shimmering blue eyes and his own eyes softened, Orion really looked like a younger Jack...

"Okay, I will." Orion responded before he turned around and gently gripped the doorknob.

Meanwhile, Ezekiel was looking out the window as Nerissa sat silently. She was still numb from the nightmares she was forced to watch from her past. "You know..." Nerissa lifted her head and looked at Ezekiel when he spoke. "I saw a lot more of your nightmares than what I played back at you. I'm sure you've been wondering, why I didn't play back your biggest nightmare." Ezekiel turned away from the window to look at her with a serious look on his face. Nerissa looked down and shifted uncomfortably. Ezekiel leaned against the wall next to the window with his arms crossed. "Nerissa, just because I'm with the Erebus Mafia, doesn't mean I'm a criminally insane, power hungry freak. I'm with them because it's the only place where I feel like I belong." Nerissa lifted her head slightly, recognition flashing in her eyes.