Alex stood frozen in the doorway, his fingers still gripping the frame as Agent Marcus fixed him with a stare that felt like it could peel away his skin and read the truth beneath. The man's eyes didn't waver, and Alex felt his own resolve crumbling under the weight of the silence.
"I need to come inside," Marcus said firmly, his tone leaving no room for debate. "We have reason to believe you were involved in an incident last night. Witnesses saw—" He stopped mid-sentence, his head tilting slightly as if listening to a distant sound.
Alex's breath caught. Were the women making noise?
"What?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.
Agent Marcus didn't answer right away. His eyes narrowed, and he leaned ever so slightly closer, his presence practically spilling into Alex's personal space. "Is there someone else in there with you, Mr. Hartley?"
Alex's heart hammered in his chest, the heat pooling there spreading like a wildfire. He forced a laugh, but it came out too loud, too forced. "What? No, of course not. I live alone."
The agent's lips pressed into a thin line, and he didn't move. The tension stretched between them like a taut wire, ready to snap.
"Step aside," Marcus ordered, his voice low but commanding.
"No." The word escaped Alex's mouth before he could think better of it. His own defiance surprised him, but the panic bubbling inside him outweighed any sense of self-preservation.
Agent Marcus straightened, his expression cooling. "Mr. Hartley, if you don't let me in, I'll be forced to escalate this."
Alex opened his mouth to respond, but the words died on his tongue as the heat in his chest surged again, this time stronger. His skin prickled, the sensation alien but familiar, like a memory clawing its way to the surface.
"No," he said again, this time quieter, steadier. His hazel eyes locked with Marcus's, and for the first time, the agent seemed to falter—just a fraction, but it was enough.
The silence that followed was shattered by a muffled thud from the bedroom. Alex's heart sank.
Marcus's head snapped toward the sound, his hand instinctively moving toward his belt.
"Stay here," the agent said sharply, but before he could take another step, Alex moved.
He didn't think. His body reacted, his muscles responding to an instinct that wasn't entirely his own. In a blur, he grabbed Marcus by the lapels and shoved him back, hard enough that the agent stumbled against the opposite wall.
Marcus's eyes widened in shock, but the surprise was quickly replaced by cold determination. "That's assault, Mr. Hartley," he growled, his hand now firmly on the grip of his holstered weapon.
Alex's vision blurred at the edges, the heat in his chest intensifying until it felt like his skin might split open. He clenched his fists, his breath coming in shallow, ragged bursts. "You need to leave," he said, his voice low and trembling, but not with fear.
The air around him seemed to shimmer faintly, and Marcus hesitated, his grip on the weapon tightening as if sensing something was deeply, irrevocably wrong.
"What are you?" Marcus demanded, his voice barely above a whisper.
Alex didn't have an answer. All he knew was that he couldn't let Marcus inside. He couldn't let him find the women, couldn't let this escalate any further.
Behind him, the bedroom door creaked open.
"No!" Alex barked, spinning toward the sound. The first woman peeked out, her dark hair framing her face, her expression a mix of concern and fear.
"Alex, what's happening?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Agent Marcus's eyes darted toward her, and his expression shifted. Recognition? Curiosity? Whatever it was, it didn't bode well.
"Step back inside," Alex growled at her, his voice rough, almost unrecognizable to his own ears.
But it was too late.
Marcus drew his weapon, aiming it not at Alex, but at the woman. "Stay where you are!"
The sight of the gun snapped something inside Alex. The heat in his chest exploded outward, a wave of energy that crackled through the air, sending a shockwave rippling through the apartment. The lights flickered and then burst, plunging the room into dim, chaotic shadows.
Marcus stumbled back, his weapon dropping from his hands as he clutched at his chest, gasping for air. His eyes widened in terror as he stared at Alex, who now stood bathed in the faint, golden glow of whatever force had erupted from within him.
The women screamed from the bedroom, their voices cutting through the haze in Alex's mind.
"What's happening?" the second woman shouted, her green eyes wide with disbelief.
Alex turned to them, his expression pained, desperate. "I don't know!"
Agent Marcus dropped to his knees, coughing violently as he struggled to recover. His voice was hoarse but clear enough to send a chill down Alex's spine.
"You're not human," Marcus rasped, his gaze fixed on Alex like a predator marking its prey.
Alex stood there, frozen, his body trembling as the energy slowly began to subside. Deep down, he knew Marcus was right.
And that terrified him more than anything.
The room fell into an eerie stillness, broken only by the sound of Marcus's labored breathing. Alex staggered back, his legs threatening to give out beneath him as the last remnants of the golden glow faded from his skin. His chest felt hollow, as though whatever power had surged through him had left a void in its wake.
The two women emerged from the bedroom cautiously. The first woman's face was pale, her dark eyes locked onto Alex with a mixture of fear and concern. The second woman, in contrast, looked almost exhilarated, her emerald eyes glinting with something Alex couldn't place.
"What the hell was that?" she demanded, her voice cutting through the tension. She gestured toward Marcus, who was still on his knees, his shoulders heaving as he tried to catch his breath. "And who is he?"
Alex opened his mouth to respond, but his throat felt dry, his words tangled in his panic. "I—I don't know," he finally managed, his voice barely above a whisper.
The first woman knelt beside Marcus, her movements hesitant but deliberate. "We can't just leave him like this," she said softly, glancing up at Alex. "He's hurt."
Alex shook his head violently, his hands trembling as he backed away. "No. He's not here to help us. He—he was going to take me."
The woman froze, her expression shifting to one of quiet realization. Slowly, she stood, moving to stand between Alex and Marcus. "What does he want with you?"
Marcus, regaining some composure, raised his head. His eyes met Alex's, filled with equal parts fear and determination. "He's dangerous," he rasped, pointing a trembling finger at Alex. "You don't know what he is—what he's capable of."
Alex's fists clenched, his voice rising in frustration. "I don't even know what I am!"
The words echoed through the room, silencing everyone. The weight of the admission hung heavy in the air, Alex's own fear and confusion laid bare.
The second woman crossed her arms, stepping forward. "Well," she said, her tone sharper than before, "whatever you are, you just saved our asses. So maybe we stop pointing fingers and figure this out."
Marcus glared at her, his jaw tightening. "You don't understand. This—" He gestured weakly toward Alex. "—this isn't something you can figure out. People like him are dangerous. Unpredictable. If you stay with him, you're putting yourselves in danger."
"People like me?" Alex repeated, his voice tinged with bitterness. "What does that even mean? You don't know anything about me."
Marcus struggled to his feet, using the wall for support. His hand hovered near his belt, but his weapon was still on the floor, out of reach. "I know enough," he said, his tone cold. "And so do they."
Alex's heart sank. "Who's 'they'?"
Marcus didn't answer right away. His silence spoke volumes, but when he did speak, his voice was low, almost reluctant. "The agency I work for. The people who sent me here. They've been watching you for a while, Hartley. Last night just confirmed what we suspected."
"Which is?" Alex asked, his voice trembling with anger.
Marcus's eyes hardened. "That you're not normal. That you're a threat."
The room seemed to tilt, Marcus's words hitting Alex like a physical blow.
"I didn't ask for this," Alex said, his voice breaking.
The first woman stepped closer to him, her hand hovering near his arm as if she wanted to comfort him but wasn't sure how. "Alex," she said gently, "whatever this is… we'll figure it out. Together."
Marcus scoffed, shaking his head. "You don't understand what you're getting yourselves into. You think the agency's going to stop just because I failed? They'll send others—stronger, better prepared. He can't run from this, and neither can you."
Alex's chest tightened. The weight of Marcus's words felt suffocating, the reality of his situation crashing down on him all at once.
The second woman smirked, her voice cutting through the tension. "Sounds like we don't have much of a choice, then. Guess we'll just have to make sure they don't find us."
Marcus narrowed his eyes at her. "You think you can just disappear? They'll track him—track all of you. There's nowhere you can go."
Alex, shaking with adrenaline, stepped forward. "Then we'll make them regret it."
The room fell silent. Even Alex was surprised by his own words, the quiet fury behind them. But as he stared at Marcus, something shifted inside him. He didn't know what he was, didn't understand the power that had erupted from him, but he knew one thing: he wasn't going to let anyone take control of his life.
"Leave," Alex said, his voice steady now.
Marcus didn't move.
"I said leave," Alex repeated, his hazel eyes blazing with a faint golden glow.
The agent hesitated, then nodded stiffly. He bent down to retrieve his weapon, moving carefully as though afraid Alex might lash out again. "This isn't over," Marcus said, his tone flat.
"It is for now," Alex replied.
Without another word, Marcus turned and walked out the door, his steps echoing down the hallway.
The door clicked shut, and the tension in the room broke like a wave. Alex leaned heavily against the wall, his breathing ragged. The first woman reached for him, her touch light and tentative.
"Alex?" she asked, her voice soft.
He looked at her, his eyes filled with exhaustion and uncertainty. "What now?"
The second woman grinned, her expression wild and determined. "Now? We run."
"You can also leave now."