Chapter 2

Jaron's body trembled, collapsed on the cold floor like a pile of shattered wreckage. He let out another cough, the grating sound tearing through my spectral form.

"She's... gone," he whispered, his voice so faint it was barely audible. "Kayla... she's really gone." His eyes were wide, clouded with pain, but he stared straight at Elliot.

Elliot's patience completely snapped in that moment. His face twisted, the mask of indifference replaced by pure fury.

He closed in like a predator. "I'm sick of your games, Jaron!" he roared, his voice bouncing off the concrete walls. "You think I'm going to tolerate these lies and just watch Dolly waste away?"

He delivered a brutal kick to Jaron's injured ribs. Jaron whimpered, curling into a tight ball, but he continued to plead haltingly.

"Since you value this stupid secret more than your own future," Elliot spat, "let's see if you can still play the piano with broken hands."

"Break all his fingers. Make sure he never plays again."

I gasped, letting out a phantom cry of horror.

"No!" I screamed, a futile shout that dissolved into the air.

Jaron, his hands, his life's passion!

This was an act of extreme cruelty, far beyond anything I could have ever imagined the man I loved was capable of.

My love was turning to ash, burning away with every act of violence he inflicted on my family.

A sickening crunch, followed immediately by another, echoed through the warehouse.

Jaron's screams were shrill and piercing, as if they were tearing my very soul apart.

It was the sound of something precious being utterly obliterated.

I couldn't bear to look, yet I couldn't look away. My eyes were forced to witness this horrific scene.

Elliot watched coldly, his expression unreadable, standing like a stone statue amidst the chaos.

"Perhaps your memory is returning, Jaron?" he asked softly, a taunt in his voice. "Does it hurt now? Does it hurt enough to finally tell me where your beloved sister is hiding?"

His words were like a twisted blade plunging deep into my chest. He was mocking my brother's agony, mocking his loyalty.

Jaron's hands, once nimble and elegant, were now mangled and grotesque.

His fingers were bent at unnatural angles, dark red blood blooming against his pale skin.

His dreams, his future, were all trampled to dust under Elliot's iron heel.

A cold wave of reality hit me, waking me up sharply. This wasn't the Elliot I knew. This wasn't the man I had given everything for.

This was a stranger, a monster forged from deception and obsession.

"She's... gone," Jaron choked out again. "Kayla... she's really gone. I swear."

Elliot scoffed, waving a hand dismissively as he turned to leave.

"He's pathetic, still clinging to that ridiculous lie." He paced for a moment, his jaw tight. "Fine. If you won't talk, maybe she will."

He snapped his fingers, and a heavy door in the corner of the warehouse creaked open.

Two of his men walked out, dragging a small, frail figure between them.

My vision blurred.

No, it couldn't be. It couldn't be her.

"Mom!" I screamed, my voice so hoarse no sound came out; it was sheer, absolute terror.

"Jaron!"

Despite his severe injuries, Jaron let out a raspy cry from the floor, a sound woven of pain and fear.

It was Barbara, my mother. She was pale, her silver hair disheveled, as they dragged her into the harsh light.

She was unconscious, her head lolling to the side.

One of the men slapped her hard across the face, roughly pulling her back to consciousness.

She slowly opened her eyes, blinking against the glaring light, and then her eyes widened in horror when she saw Jaron.

"Jaron! My son!" Her voice hitched, tearing at my freezing heart.

She struggled to break free from their grip, her weak body trembling. Her gaze landed on Jaron's ruined hands, and tears spilled over once more.

"You demon! What have you done to my son?" she screamed at Elliot, her voice filled with a mother's fury. "Go to hell!"

Elliot merely sneered, his face a mask of apathy.

He approached Barbara, reaching out to roughly grab her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"Barbara, do you remember when you used to call me 'son'? Do you remember baking me apple pies? Look at you now, a desperate old woman." He paused, his grip tightening.

"Where is Kayla? Tell me where your precious daughter is, and all of this ends. I need her. Dolly needs her heart."

I remembered a young Elliot sitting at our dining table, laughing along with Mom as she teased him about his terrible cooking skills.

He used to be so respectful, so genuine toward her.

Now, he spoke to her like she was garbage, as if she were merely a disposable prop in his cruel game.

"She's dead, Elliot," Mom whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks, her eyes filled with unspeakable sorrow. "My Kayla is gone. She died for you. She died so you could see the light again."

The truth. This naked, heartbreaking truth.

Yet, Elliot's eyes remained cold and uncompromising.

"How dare you lie to me!" he roared, shoving her away roughly.

She stumbled, collapsing to her knees beside Jaron.

"Do you think I'm a fool? Kayla would never do something so selfless."

"You're just trying to protect her. Now, tell me where she is, or your son will suffer even more." He gestured to Jaron's mangled hands, his tone merciless.

Mom's gaze darted over Jaron before returning to Elliot, her face carrying a silent, desperate plea.

The stress was too much. She swayed, her eyes rolled back into her head, and she collapsed onto the floor, unconscious once again.

Elliot looked down at her, a flash of irritation in his eyes, but no remorse whatsoever.

"Weak," he muttered under his breath. He turned to his men. "Take her away. Keep Jaron locked up here. Until Kayla shows her face, he doesn't leave." With that, he delivered one last brutal kick to Jaron.

Just then, his phone buzzed.

He answered it, and his expression instantly softened, standing in jarring contrast to the demonic persona he wore just minutes prior.

"Dolly, my love," he murmured into the phone, his voice dripping with tenderness. "Yes, I'm still handling some things. I'll be there soon, I promise."

He was like a chameleon, effortlessly switching between a brutal torturer and a gentle lover.

A wave of disgust washed over my soul.

He was a master of deception, or perhaps, he was the one being deceived.

He hung up the phone. The possessive tenderness still lingering in his eyes swept over my family's broken bodies before hardening back into icy resolve.

He would continue the hunt, driven by a fabricated tale of love and betrayal, while my family paid the ultimate price for my selflessness.

A profound dread seized me, etching itself deep into the core of my ghostly soul.

Elliot, did I make a mistake? Three years ago, maybe I shouldn't have saved you.