My muscles tensed, and I turned slowly. Three men were standing a few meters away from me. They were tall, wearing dark clothes and hoods that partially hid their faces. The leader was the man from the restaurant, with a crooked smile, taking a step forward like a predator about to strike.
— You're the rich kid's boyfriend, aren't you? Evander Voss — he said, tilting his head as if analyzing me. — We need a favor.
I felt my stomach churn. Evander's name echoed in my mind like an alarm. — What do they want with him?
— I don't know what you're talking about — I replied, trying to keep my voice steady, but the tremor in my words betrayed me.
The leader chuckled softly, a sound that sent chills down my spine. — Oh, you do. You're with him all the time. I bet he'd do anything to protect a friend so... close.
His mocking tone made me tense. I took a step back, but my back hit the alley wall. — Damn, no way out — I realized, my heart racing.
— Look, we just want to have a friendly chat with your boyfriend — the leader continued, as the other two men spread out, surrounding me. — But we think he'll listen better if we have... something in return.
— You won't get anything from me — I said, trying to sound more confident than I actually was. But they laughed, a low, threatening sound that reverberated through the walls.
— Let's see — said the leader, advancing with a swift motion.
He grabbed my shirt and shoved me against the wall. The pain radiated through my back, and I bit my lip to keep from screaming. My whole body trembled, but it wasn't just fear. It was something deeper, something I couldn't explain, an energy that seemed to be growing inside me.
— Evander will come running when he finds out his boyfriend's in our hands — the leader mocked, tightening my shirt even more. — Then we'll make him pay.
— I'm not just his boyfriend, and you better let me go! — I shouted, trying to break free, but the man was too strong. The other two laughed, and one of them kicked my leg, making me fall to my knees.
— You should be thankful we're not really hurting you... yet — said the burly one, with a cruel smile.
My vision started to blur, but it wasn't because of the tears. It was the heat. A strange flame burned inside me, growing stronger with every second. The air around me felt heavier, as if it were filled with earth.
— I said... let me go! — I shouted, and then it happened.
A hurricane appeared out of nowhere. The men were thrown back as if hit by a colossal force. The leader was slammed into a pile of boxes, while the other two collided with the alley walls, knocking them unconscious on impact.
I fell to my knees, gasping for breath, as the air around me swirled in spirals. The wind was so strong it seemed alive, but it didn't touch me — it was as if it were protecting me. I looked at my hands and saw fire dancing between my fingers. My heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to explode.
— What... what is this? — I murmured, but there was no time to think.
The leader tried to get up, his eyes wide with pure terror. He tried to run, but a gust of wind threw him back to the ground, as if it had a mind of its own. He looked at me, trembling, the confident smile completely gone.
— You... you're a monster — he whispered, before running off, stumbling over his own feet.
I stood there, alone in the alley, as the wind finally calmed. The silence returned, but inside me, everything was different. The heat still burned in my chest, like a flame waiting to be reignited.
I struggled to get up, my legs still shaky. Fear and adrenaline were still there, but there was something else. Something that felt stronger than anything I had ever felt before. — What's happening to me?
I tried to walk out of the alley, but my legs were trembling, as if the ground was shifting beneath my feet. My vision started to blur, the shadows around me blending into indistinct smears. My body felt heavy, every step a monumental effort.
The sound of the wind, which had been roaring earlier, now turned into a distant hum, as if the world was pulling away from me. I tasted something metallic in my mouth, and a strange warmth was rising up the back of my neck.
Suddenly, everything around me seemed to slow down. The air grew denser, the cold of the night pressing against my skin. I tried to take another step, but my knees buckled, and I collapsed to the ground.
The last thing I heard before everything went dark was the distant sound of rain, its drops starting to fall and mixing with the smell of wet earth. Then, silence enveloped me completely.