"To find a way to stop the creatures." Malakai replied, his voice so casual and calm, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. As if dragging him back into that hellscape above ground was just a minor inconvenience.
Devyn stared at him, blinking in disbelief. His body stiffened, a knot of anxiety forming in his gut. "What's that got to do with me?"
Malakai didn't look up from what he was doing, just kept packing, his hands deftly moving from one item to the next. "It has everything to do with you."
Devyn could feel his pulse quicken, heat rising in his chest. He took a step back, his arms folded tightly across his chest as he tried to steady himself.
"Nope. No way. I'm not going back up there."
Devyn shook his head, the images of the creatures, their twisted forms, their hollow eyes, flashing through his mind.
"I spent a year preparing on how to stay away from those monsters. There's no way I'm going back up there." His voice wavered just enough to betray the fear gnawing at him.
Malakai stopped what he was doing and turned slowly, his movements deliberate. A mocking smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as he locked eyes with Devyn. "I thought you liked helping people?"
His voice dripped with sarcasm, and his silver eyes gleamed with a teasing amusement. "Or have you changed your mind already?"
That smirk, so irritating, so smug, made Devyn's skin prickle. He could feel his frustration building, his fists clenching instinctively.
"No, I still want to help people!" Devyn snapped back, his voice a little louder than he intended. "But not when it means sacrificing myself in the process."
Malakai raised an eyebrow, going back to packing items into the backpack without a care in the world. "You humans are so complicated," he muttered under his breath. "Either you're a helper or you're not. Besides, you've done it before."
The comment was quiet, almost an afterthought, but loud enough for Devyn to catch it. His brow furrowed in confusion. Humans? Done it before? His mind scrambled to make sense of what Malakai had just said.
"What do you mean by 'you humans'? And what do you mean, I've done it before?" Devyn demanded, stepping closer, his irritation giving way to suspicion.
Malakai froze for just a second, the smirk slipping from his face. His eyes flicked away, clearly realizing he'd let something slip. "It's nothing," he said quickly, turning back to his bag as though the conversation hadn't happened. "Don't worry about it."
But Devyn wasn't letting it go. "No, you said something, and I want to know what it means." His voice was sharp now, the confusion twisting inside him like a knot.
Malakai's hands moved a little faster, a little more deliberate as he shoved more supplies into the bag. "You're overthinking things," he said, his tone too casual. "Focus on what's important."
"No," Devyn pressed, taking another step forward. "You're acting like you're not human, and you said I've done it before. What does that mean?"
Malakai let out a long sigh, still not turning to face him. "It doesn't matter," he muttered, his voice lower this time, more guarded. "We have bigger things to deal with than your curiosity."
Devyn's frustration flared. "No, it does matter. You've been acting strange since I met you, and now you're slipping up, saying things that don't add up. So what's going on?"
Finally, Malakai stopped packing and turned around, his eyes darker now, the teasing edge gone. "It was a slip of the tongue, Devyn," he said in a firm, final tone. "Let. It. Go. It doesn't matter."
Devyn's irritation flared again. It was clear Malakai was dodging, trying to gloss over what had just slipped out. "A slip of the tongue doesn't explain why you're talking like you're not human," he shot back, refusing to back down. "What are you keeping from me?"
"Nothing," Malakai replied quickly. "Either you come with me, or I drag you with me." His eyes flashed with a cold determination, his body language clear, this wasn't a request. It was an ultimatum.
Devyn stood there, stunned. His mind raced as he processed the absurdity of the situation.
Malakai had gone to great lengths to save him, to bring him to this bunker, this sanctuary where he had carefully built to stay away from the dangers of the world above.
And now, Malakai was demanding he leave it all behind? And saying things that didn't make any sense.
"You can't be serious," Devyn spat, his frustration bubbling over. "You can't just drag me back out there! You help me get this far, and now you're going to take me back there? Back to face those monsters?"
Malakai's eyes softened, just for a moment. "We're not going to fight them head-on," he said, the smoothness in his voice like silk hiding a blade. "We're going to find a way to stop them."
Devyn threw his hands up, exasperation finally boiling over. "And what about this place, huh? What about everything I've worked for? Are you telling me I did all this for nothing?"
His voice echoed through the small bunker, the words bouncing back at him like a challenge he couldn't take back. His breath came in sharp, ragged bursts, his chest heaving as he tried to rein in his emotions.
Malakai didn't answer immediately. He straightened, slinging the packed bag over his shoulder and looking around the bunker with mild disinterest, as if the place meant nothing to him.
"We're coming back," he said, his voice unnervingly calm. "After we get what we need to stop the creatures."
"There's no we," Devyn shot back, his voice rising with the swell of anger in his chest.
"How can there be a we when I don't even know what I'm supposed to do? I don't understand any of this! I don't understand anything anymore." His hands were trembling now, fists clenched at his sides as he tried to make sense of what Malakai was forcing on him.
Malakai sighed, his frustration starting to bleed through the cracks in his usual calm demeanor. He raked a hand through his dark hair, his expression tight. "For gods' sake, Hiller, you..."
"Hiller?" Devyn's breath caught in his throat, his heart stuttering in his chest. The name hit him like a punch to the gut, knocking the air out of his lungs. That was the name from his dream. The name Malakai had called him when they stood together in that strange, peaceful place. "You just called me Hiller."
Malakai's eyes flicked toward him, and in that moment, Devyn saw the slip, the realization in his gaze. Malakai's face hardened, the brief flash of vulnerability gone, replaced by the stoic mask Devyn was starting to hate.
"Forget it, Devyn," Malakai said, his voice tight, the edge of his tone sharp enough to cut. "Just get ready."
"No." Devyn shook his head, stepping forward with renewed resolve.
"No, I'm not going to forget it. In fact I'm no longer going to forget anything that comes out of that mouth of yours.
You know something.You've been hiding something from me this whole time." His voice cracked with a mix of anger and desperation. "What aren't you telling me, Malakai? Why did you call me that?"
Malakai froze, his body tense, his silver eyes darkening as he met Devyn's gaze.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
The air between them thickened with unspoken tension, a palpable energy crackling in the comfortable space of the bunker.
Devyn's chest tightened, the weight of the unanswered questions pressing down on him.
"You don't want to go down this road," Malakai warned, his voice low, almost dangerous. "Not now."
"I think I do," Devyn challenged, his own anger boiling over. His voice echoed through the bunker, bouncing off the cold, metallic walls.
"You keep dragging me around like I'm supposed to just follow you blindly. You've been pulling the strings, and I've let it happen because I thought you had a plan.
You say things that doesn't make sense to me. Now you're calling me by names that aren't mine, names from a dream I just had, a dream that felt too real to ignore. So, what are you hiding?"
Malakai was shocked to hear that Devyn dreamt of Hiller, his eyes widened a little.
Malakai's fists clenched and unclench at his sides. His body language shifted, defensive now, as if he were bracing for something he didn't want to admit.
At least not this early. "You have no idea what's at stake here," he said, his voice softening, though the tension in his words remained. "This is more than you can ever imagine."
"Try me." Devyn said, more determined than ever.