The bright screen cast a glow on the Tear Stealer, and he squinted, finding Eye's figure perched on a chair. She stared up at the screen, and though her eyes were glazed behind her glasses, every inch of her posture spoke of focus.

    Ethan and Konray lingered behind, peering through the door. They had just passed Xilef's test, their auras honest, and all that Dark had done was gaze at them and mutter, "Come."

    The Tear Stealer cleared his throat. "Eyes," he said softly, stepping into the room. Despite the bright glare of the enormous screen, it was still dark. There were no other lights in the room. "Eyes, do you have a moment?"

    Ethan and Konray stayed at the doorway, still on edge.

    After a pause that felt like ages, Eyes' posture relaxed, and she swiveled her chair towards Dark. The screen flickered out of focus when she did so; all the tabs, locations, dates, and times grew fuzzy now that she returned to her present reality.

    "Mr. Edwards," she said pleasantly, rubbing her eyes at the sight of him. "What is it?"

    "You know these two already," said Dark, turning towards the door. Eyes followed his gaze, and her breath caught. "They'll be joining our team."

    Ethan and Konray exchanged glances, their brows raised high.

    Team?

    They had been hoping for—at the very least—something of an alliance with the Tear Stealer. But to be working with him?

    Eyes took a moment to make sure she knew exactly what she was seeing.

    "The Nestor kid," she said after a moment, her voice edging between excitement and disbelief. She turned to Konray, blinking to try and regain focus. She was still getting out of her tech headspace. "And—you!"

    Konray jumped at the sudden shout, heart hammering in her chest. Her ability had the sudden urge to camoflauge her.

    "Um, yes—" said Konray, finding comfort in rubbing her arm. "Me...?"

    "It's so nice to meet you—both of you," said Eyes. She glanced at Dark. "Do they have intel?"

    Dark nodded, the ghost of a smirk reaching his lips. "You'll be surprised with what they've done." He gently waved the two inside, and they hesitated before walking into the room. "Tell her."

    Konray glanced at Ethan, but he only swallowed. He figured he'd done enough talking today. The last few times, he screamed in Dark's face, and he was still stunned that he wasn't dead yet.

    "So," started Konray. "A few nights ago, we tapped Antinstine's mansion." Eye's mouth dropped and practically hit the floor. "I designed them. Untraceable."

    "What?" gushed Eyes, practically vibrating in her seat. "How?"

    Konray chuckled and blushed. "Well, I—"

    "The three of you will be working together," Dark cut in, red eyes flashing. "Until we attack, you two—" He looked at Ethan and Konray. "—will stay here in the mansion."

    They exchanged glances again, eyes wide. Attack? Staying?

    "Konray," said Dark. "Did you bring the host device for the taps?"

    She nodded firmly and patted her pocket. "Yeah," she said. "It's like a harddrive. I can upload it into Eyes' computer."

    Dark glanced at Eyes, who gave him a nod. "Perfect," he said. "You two get settled. If you need anything, pound on the walls, and Voxe will come over." He motioned his fingers at Eyes, and she stood. She joined Dark's side, and they began to make their way out of the room. "I have something to discuss with Eyes and the others."

    "Wait, you're—just gonna leave us here?" said Konray.

    Eyes walked out the door, already knowing where to go. Dark stopped at the doorway.

    "Explore, if you want," he said. Then he smiled. It was the last thing Ethan and Konray had expected to see. "Just don't get lost."

    With that, he left, leaving Ethan and Konray in the room.

———

Mark walked through the halls, stunned.

    He didn't even care about the Evolveds staring at him as he passed by—didn't even feel threatened in the slightest. His feet continued to drag him along—step... step... step... and when he glanced down at the floor, his reflection stared back up at him through the shiny floors. He didn't recognize himself.

    His mind was too busy whirring with the possibilities. He had agreed to join Antinstine's side. He agreed. Anti had promised that the experiments would be painless—that he would strip his powers away once he was done—but what then? What about the inbetweens, the after?

    What if's rushed through his mind like wildfire.

    What if it was a bluff? Just a hoax?

What if it wasn't that simple? Maybe there was a test? A way to prove his "newfound loyalty?"

What if Antinstine was ten steps ahead of him, and this was all some scheme to make Dark hurt more?

What if? What if?

Mark dug his fingers into his palms, willing himself to keep walking. He couldn't break down in the middle of the hallways—not with all these Evolveds around.

What if?

He needed to go to his room.

What if?

He needed to be alone.

Mark walked faster. He went up the stairs, through the balcony—and just as the walls of rooms closed in around him, so did his vision. His chest heaved. He didn't realize he was gasping for breath.

He sped into a jog. Rushed down the end of the hallways and turned left, the dead end of his room in sight. It neared him, and he neared it, and the room seemed to spin around him, and he stumbled, and he fumbled with the door and crashed inside.

Prada jumped and whirled around. His doll dropped to the floor as the door slammed shut.

Mark's breath caught. Prada was one of the last people he wanted to see.

The first experiment flashed across his eyes—Prada's gaze and the flick of his hand; the strings of his blood pulling him like a ragdoll—and then there was the pain. It grew alive in him again—phantom but so real to him—and in an effort to grab his bearings, he turned his back to Prada and faced the door. He hid his face in his hands and breathed hard.

He was shaking.

"Viper," came Prada's voice. Mark couldn't help it—he flinched. "Are you..."

"Get out," Mark snapped. His lips trembled. He couldn't get a hold of himself.

When he was met with silence, he said again, firmer this time: "Get out, Prada."

It felt like an eternity—the silence in the room, the unmoving figure of Prada... Mark's thoughts beat down on him mercilessly.

There was a rustle. Prada approached Mark, gave him a long, worried glance, then slid out the door. Once it shut, Mark gasped and slumped, his knees meeting the floor. The threads keeping him together seemed to snap then; threads of Viper he desperately held onto with a tight fist, but even with the tightest of holds, the string was always bound to slip away. It was only a matter of time.

Mark clutched his head and closed his eyes. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, quieting the thoughts for a moment—but once it calmed in the slightest, it all came rushing back.

What if someone else walked in?

What if Antinstine walked in?

What if—

Mark stumbled towards his bed and fished out the device. He had to talk to Dark. Needed to hear his voice.

His trembling heart ached with longing; his eyes stung with tears.

Antinstine had practically guaranteed his safety, but if anything, he only felt more vulnerable.

Mark pressed the button hard, and he tried focusing on the soft, purring rings to calm himself.

Brrring... it cooed at its lowest volume. Mark took a deep breath and closed his eyes, climbing into the bed.

Brrriingg... Mark thought of Dark, focusing hard on the mental image of him. The sharps and edges of him—his corrosive aura, and—

Brrriiinggg... Mark's hands still shook, but he smiled. He thought of the Dark that only he could see—the side that he brought out. Warm, and sweet, and elegant... The line wasn't picking up, but he had calmed down significantly.

In Dark's mansion, the large screen in Eyes' room rang loudly. A device that was identical to Mark's sat on the desk under it.

Ethan and Konray looked at each other.

"Should we answer it?" Ethan spluttered.

"I mean—maybe it's important—"

"But if it's important, we shouldn't be the ones to—"

"But maybe they'll only call once," said Konray.

The line was nearing its final rings. Two more.

Ethan bit his nails.

"Fuck, I'll just answer," Konray said. She tapped on the screen, but it wouldn't respond to her touch. One ring. She snatched the clunky device and answered.

Silence.

Ethan and Konray stared at each other, looked at the device, stared again—and if they were just quiet enough, they could make out the tremble of a breath.

    "Dark?" came Mark's voice through the device, muffled with faint static.

    Ethan covered his mouth, eyes flying open. Mark. He wanted to scream his name right then and there. Mark. He couldn't believe it—he hadn't heard his voice in so long.

    Konray rose her brows at Ethan, urging him to speak.

    "I-I—" Ethan cleared his throat and took the device from Konray with shaking hands. "Mark... Mark, it's me."

    Mark's breath caught.

    "Ethan?"

    Ethan choked on a laugh. Or maybe it was a sob, or both, he didn't know—he was overwhelmed with emotion. He ran a hand through his hair.

    "Y-yeah, I—" Ethan shook his head, clutching the device like a lifeline. "Look, Mark—we're gonna get you out of there. O-okay? I—my friend and I—"

    He looked at Konray and his voice caught. He still hadn't told Mark he was an Evolved.

    "We're gonna get you out," Ethan repeated.

    There was a long, stunned silence. Ethan wondered for a moment if the line went dead.

    "How... how are you..." Mark fumbled for words. As much as he wanted to speak with Dark, this alone was enough to keep his mind busy on something else. "This phone—"

    Ethan glanced up, meeting Konray's gaze. Her arms were crossed, and her foot tapped on the floor. He knew that gaze.

    Tell the truth, it said.

    "I'm..." Ethan cleared his throat, and he walked across the room and sat down in Eyes' chair. He let himself swivel in an attempt to clear his mind. "I'm at the Tear Stealer's place." He glanced over at Konray. Her gaze had softened, but she still stood firm. "And I'm with Konray... my friend, she's—she's the one who gave me that info. The Evolved."

    There was another silence.

    "Are you okay?" breathed Mark. "Did you get caught, or—or—" He spluttered through the line. "I'm confused, how did you—?"

    Ethan sighed. "I have all the time to explain right now," he said, "but I need to know why you called in the first place. Is something wrong?"

    Konray huffed and shook her head; Ethan was avoiding the subject.

    "Oh, I..." Mark paused. His voice faded into a shy mumble, and Ethan's brows furrowed. It was a foreign sound from his friend. "No, I... just needed to hear Dark's voice."

Ethan rose his brows at Konray. She did the same, and then it dawned on her. Her mouth fell open as she grinned, and she clapped her hands over her head.

"No. Way," she mouthed, giving a giddy jump.

"No other reason?" said Ethan. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I... think I just had a panic attack? I just came back from... well, something, and it was just... Everything's just so..." He trailed off.

Ethan's spirits fell. He couldn't imagine how scared Mark was, in that big house with big monsters. He was sure that every step he took was one on thin, melting ice, and no matter how hard he wanted to escape, the ice was cracking all around him. Ethan knew he'd feel that way.

"How did this even happen, Mark?" he said, his voice so soft it neared a whisper. There was a gentle pause on the line.

"It's a long story," Mark said.

Ethan slumped in his chair, gazing down at the device. Konray rested a hand on his shoulder from behind.

"I broke in, they caught me..." said Mark. "They kept me hostage, and then decided to use me for a favor."

Konray glanced down at Ethan and met his eyes. They had just been talking about that favor—where Dark had to give up one of his Evolveds. Now that Mark said it himself, their suspicions were confirmed.

"But you're a human," said Ethan. "How did you even—"

"You're a human, too," said Mark. Ethan's face paled, and his fingers dug into the device. "So how did you get into Dark's place?"

"You keep calling him that," snapped Ethan, in an attempt to protect his true identity a bit longer. "Are you—are you close to him?"

"Hey now," warned Konray. "I know it's been a while since you two have heard each other, and emotions are high and all over the place—" She rose her brows at Ethan. "—but this—" She pointed at the device and Ethan. "This doesn't help anyone."

Ethan took a deep, shuddering breath. Mark was quiet for a while.

"Mark," Konray said to the device, gently prodding the silence. It had gone tense in the room. "This is Konray. I know the both of you are confused on how the hell each of us got here—and I am, too—but let's just answer one question at a time, alright?"

Mark pulled the covers over himself in bed. There was something about her voice—something almost motherly—that compelled him to listen to her. He sighed through the device.

"Can you answer Ethan's question, Mark?" said Konray softly.

Mark explained simply. He told them about the lessons, the tour of the City... and he told them about Viper, the shell that he'd been forced to call home for the past couple weeks.

It was mind-boggling, now that he said it out loud. It had only been two weeks since he first broke into Dark's mansion. Only two weeks since he'd entered this whole new world. So much had changed in so little time.

"Now my turn," Mark said when he was done. "How did you end up at Dark's place?"

There was a long, heavy silence that gripped the room. Ethan swallowed thickly and glanced at Konray, but she gave nothing away. He had to decide whether he would lie or not. It was his choice.

Ethan took a deep breath and sighed, slumping in his chair.

"Look... Mark..." His fingers flexed around the device. "I haven't been completely honest with you." He didn't want to imagine Mark's furrowed brow, or the frown in his lip when he said something odd—but he could feel it through his silence. "Basically..." He took a deep breath. "To put it simply, I..."

Ethan bowed his head and sighed. "I'm an Evolved."

Another long, heavy silence. Ethan was wondering how many more of them he could take.

"Oh," Mark ended up saying. It was just a syllable, just a word, and yet it was enough to cut into Ethan like a knife. There was another long, unbearable pause. Quiet. The screen hummed with electricity, and Konray softly breathed beside him.

He wondered what Mark was thinking.

"This whole time, have you... known Dark?" Mark muttered.

Ethan blinked in surprise. "What? Nooo, no, no," he said. "If you mean if I was behind this whole—acting like an Evolved shit—then no, absolutely not." He swiveled in his chair. "I used to live in the City, though. When his mother was in charge."

"Celine," breathed Mark. Ethan's brows furrowed, but he didn't ask how he knew that. "All this time... why didn't you tell me?"

Ethan sighed. "I was... ashamed. I still am. And—" He shifted in his seat. "I didn't want you to see me any differently. If I had told you, you would've thought that I was just like the rest, and I'm not, and—"

There he was—rambling again. He always tried to spit out the words before the full weight of them could hurt him. To him, being an Evolved was a curse.

"—and it's not like I can really harm anyone, anyway. Not like the Highs." He swallowed. "I'm what they like to call the Lowlifes. Me and Konray both. Given just a sliver of powers, but never able to fit in with Evolveds or Humans. Stuck in the middle."

Mark hummed, and Ethan imagined him nodding.

"I'm going to change that," said Mark softly—so much so that Ethan had wondered if he'd just been imagining it. "Dark and I, and the others... we're going to change that."

"What do you mean?"

"Has Dark told you anything?"

Ethan glanced at Konray. "Well... no. All we know is what we heard on the taps—"

"You tapped—"

"Designed to be Antinstine proof," chimed Konray.

"We know about the experiments," said Ethan. "T.S. said we're on his team now, so I guess he'll tell us the rest."

Mark went quiet for a moment.

"I completely forgot," he said. "Can you get Dark? I need to tell him something."

"He's apparently at some—meeting," said Ethan, nose furled. "I dunno when he'll be back."

Mark cursed under his breath. "Okay, well—just tell him I need to talk to him. I may have deviated from the plan a little—I think—so he just needs to know—"

"What do you mean? What plan?"

"For someone who tapped the place, you sure know jack shit," Mark laughed, then lapsed back into seriousness. "I'm here to kill Antinstine."

Ethan's face paled, and his mouth fell agape. "What?"

"I'm more of a distraction, actually," said Mark. "But it's really all a blur. They never filled me in properly, so I'm just here like a sitting duck." Before Ethan could answer, Mark continued. He had been on the call for too long—he didn't want to risk getting caught. "I'll call again tomorrow, or whenever I have the chance. Make sure Dark answers, okay?"

Ethan shook his head, blinking, still unable to believe what he'd just heard.

What exactly did they get themselves into?

All this time trying to avoid his Evolved side, and here he was, deeper in it than he had ever been in his life.

"I—okay—"

"Hey," Mark said suddenly. "I've really missed you, you know? It's honestly a relief to hear your voice."

Ethan tried to push away the weight of what Mark had just said aside, wearily smiling. His chest ached. "I thought you died on me," he said. "I've missed you, too."

Mark hummed. Ethan could hear the smile through his tone.

"Talk to you later, Eef," he said. "Good luck."

And he hung up.

Thank you so much for reading! Sorry again for the delayed update. Things have just been really hectic for me lately.

I'm nearly finished applying to colleges, though! Fingers crossed I get accepted 🤞

Also, I'm going to start working more hours at my job, so I won't have as much time to write as I did before. So if I'm unable to update again, please understand! A lot of life stuff is changing for me lmao

Today's chapter was a bit of a filler, but I hope you enjoyed! Ethan and Mark are finally back in contact again 👀👀

Again, thanks so much for reading, and for understanding! <3

Here are a bunch of cookies!! 🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪🍪

Love ya,

Kass xoxo