Chapter 18: The Price of Truth
Marissa couldn't shake the feeling that she was walking into something far darker than she could imagine. Each step took her further into the unknown, and though her heart raced with both fear and anticipation, she couldn't stop herself. She had to know.
She had to find Mason.
The sun was setting as she walked through the streets, the sky turning a deep crimson as though the world itself was bleeding. She gripped her phone tightly, the message she had sent earlier to Mason left unanswered. Her mind raced, wondering if he would show up at the place she had arranged to meet him. What if he didn't? What if he was already gone, swallowed up by the darkness he'd warned her about?
Marissa shook her head. No. She couldn't think like that. She had to believe he would come. He had to. She had given him her heart, her trust he couldn't just leave without explaining why. Why now? Why didn't he tell her before?
Her phone buzzed in her pocket, making her jump. She pulled it out, her breath hitching when she saw the name on the screen. Mason.
Her thumb hesitated over the screen as she read the message: "You shouldn't be here. It's not safe."
Her heart skipped a beat. The message was short, but its weight was heavy, its meaning clear: he was in trouble. Bad trouble. The kind that could get him or worse, her..killed.
She glanced around nervously. Was someone watching her? She couldn't shake the feeling that the shadows were closing in, that the world around her was suddenly too quiet. Too still.
She tapped out a response, her hands shaking. "I'm not leaving until I understand what's going on. Please, Mason. Tell me where you are."
The reply came almost instantly. "You don't understand. It's too dangerous. I've put you in too much danger already. I can't"
The message cut off abruptly.
Her mind raced, spinning in a thousand different directions. He was keeping something from her. Something huge. But why?
Just then, the sound of footsteps reached her ears. She whipped around, her heart thudding in her chest. Standing there, in the fading light, was a figure. Tall, with a hood drawn low over their face. Their posture was stiff, tense.
Marissa's stomach dropped. She didn't recognize them.
The figure spoke, their voice low and familiar, but cold. "You're not supposed to be here."
Her breath caught in her throat. The voice... it was Mason's. But it wasn't him. Something was different. The words felt wrong, like a mask he was wearing, hiding something someone else beneath.
"Where is Mason?" Marissa demanded, her voice shaky but firm. She wasn't backing down. Not now.
The figure stepped forward, and Marissa's eyes widened when they pulled down the hood. It was Mason but not the man she knew. His eyes were cold, his expression hardened, his jaw clenched in a way that made him look almost unrecognizable.
"You shouldn't have come," he said again, his voice distant, as if he were speaking to her from a place far away. "You have to leave. Now."
Marissa stood her ground, her pulse quickening. "What's happening? Why are you like this? What's going on, Mason?"
He stepped closer, but the shift in his demeanor was frightening. It was as if he was no longer the man who had shared his life with her. No longer the man who had kissed her under the stars. He was someone else..someone dangerous. Someone she didn't recognize.
"I can't protect you anymore," he said, his voice low, almost regretful. "You need to go. You don't belong in this world. Not anymore."
Marissa shook her head, her heart pounding. "I won't leave without answers. Not again."
He seemed to hesitate for a fraction of a second, as if debating whether or not to tell her the truth. But then his expression hardened once more, and he grabbed her arm with an urgency that startled her.
"I won't let you drag yourself into this, Marissa," he said, his voice now desperate. "You don't understand what's at stake. The people I'm running from they'll do worse than hurt you. They'll destroy you."
Tears pricked at her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She couldn't be weak. Not now.
"I can handle it," she said, her voice trembling but strong. "You're not the only one who's been through hell. If you think I'm just going to walk away from you, from this, you're wrong."
Mason's grip loosened for a brief moment, his eyes flickering with something..regret? Pain? But then he pulled away, shaking his head. "I'm not the person you think I am, Marissa. You don't know what I've done... what I've become. You don't want to be a part of this."
Marissa stepped forward, her heart aching with the weight of his words. "Then tell me the truth, Mason. I can't walk away until I know everything."
For a moment, there was silence. Then Mason's gaze softened, just for an instant. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, a sharp noise rang out from behind them.
A car screeched to a halt just a few feet away, and a shadowy figure stepped out, their presence commanding and dangerous.
"Mason, get away from her," the voice barked, sharp and filled with authority.
Marissa's heart skipped a beat as she realized that whatever Mason was trying to protect her from, it was already here.
She turned to Mason, desperate. "Who are they?"
Before he could answer, the new figure raised their hand, signaling for Mason to move aside.
"It's too late," the figure said, their voice dripping with menace. "The truth's already out. And now, we take what's ours."