Page 27 of His to Slash

Cain turned to me, his mask hiding any expression. But I could feel his satisfaction radiating off him in waves. He took a step toward me, then another.

"You… next?" he purred, raising his blade.

I gripped the pipe tighter, my knuckles turning white. My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst from my chest. This was it. There was nowhere left to run, no one left to save me.

As Cain closed in, time seemed to slow. I saw Grayson stirring behind him, struggling to rise. Our eyes met for a brief moment, and I saw something I never expected to see in those dark depths - fear.

Not for himself, I realized with a jolt. For me.

I watched in horror as Grayson and Cain clashed once more, their bodies colliding with bone-crushing force. The air crackled with violence, each impact sending shockwaves through my body. Cain's earlier frustration had morphed into something darker, more primal. His movements were sharp, vicious, fueled by rage at Grayson's interruption.

My heart pounded against my ribcage as I pressed myself against the wall, desperate to become invisible. The fight before me was beyond human comprehension - two unstoppable forces locked in a deadly dance.

Grayson fought with renewed desperation, his fists connecting with Cain's body in a flurry of strikes. But for every blow he landed, Cain seemed to grow stronger, more focused. The laughter from before was gone, replaced by an eerie silence broken only by the sound of flesh hitting flesh.

I couldn't tear my eyes away, even as bile rose in my throat. This was no longer about me - it was a battle for dominance between two monsters. And Cain was winning.

With a sickening crunch, Cain's fist connected with Grayson's jaw, sending him stumbling backward. I saw the moment Grayson's guard dropped, just for a split second. But it was enough.

Cain pounced, his movements fluid and precise. He grabbed Grayson by the throat, lifting him off the ground with inhuman strength. Grayson's feet kicked uselessly in the air as Cain slowly squeezed.

I wanted to scream, to do something, anything to stop this. But fear had paralyzed me, turning my limbs to lead. All I could do was watch as the life was choked out of Grayson.

Just as Grayson's struggles began to weaken, when I was certain I was about to witness his death, something changed. Cain's body suddenly went rigid. His head tilted to the side, as if listening to a voice only he could hear.

The silence in that moment was deafening. I held my breath, afraid that even the slightest sound would shatter whatever spell had fallen over the scene.

Cain's grip on Grayson's throat loosened, just enough for Grayson to gasp for air. "Not yet," Cain whispered, his voice barely audible but filled with a chilling promise.

Before I could process what was happening, Cain moved. One second he was there, solid and terrifying. The next, he had vanished into the shadows as if he'd never existed at all.

Grayson crumpled to the floor, coughing and gasping. I remained frozen, my eyes darting around the darkness, certain that at any moment Cain would reappear to finish what he'd started.

Seconds stretched into minutes, the silence broken only by Grayson's labored breathing and the frantic pounding of my own heart. Slowly, painfully, the realization sank in - we were alone.

But the terror didn't subside. Cain's disappearance wasn't a reprieve - it was a promise. He would be back, and next time, there would be no mysterious voice to stop him.

I slid down the wall, my legs finally giving out as I stared at Grayson, my heart still racing from the terrifying encounter with Cain. Relief washed over me as I saw him slowly regaining his strength. His mask was askew, revealing a sliver of his scarred face beneath. For a moment, our eyes locked, and I felt a surge of conflicting emotions—fear, gratitude, and something deeper I couldn’t quite name.

His hand twitched, as if he wanted to reach out, but stopped just short. I watched, breathless, as his fingers hovered near my cheek, trembling. For the first time, I sawhesitationin him—hesitation and something else, somethingfragile.

“Grayson?” I whispered, voice barely audible.

His gaze shifted, the intensity fading for just a heartbeat. Then, slowly, he let his hand fall to his side, his posture shifting back to the tense, coiled readiness of a predator. Whatever moment we might have had vanished as quickly as it came.

We had survived, but at what cost? And for how long?

Shaking off my daze, I remembered the waitress. "We need to help her," I said, my voice hoarse.

Grayson nodded, struggling to his feet. I moved to support him, but he waved me off, gesturing towards the room where the waitress was held captive.

I approached the door cautiously, my hand trembling as I reached for the handle. The room was dimly lit, and the smell of fear and sweat hit me as I entered. The waitress was tied to a chair, her eyes wide with terror.

"It's okay," I whispered, moving towards her. "We're going to get you out of here."

As I worked to untie her bonds, I could hear her muffled sobs. The ropes were tight, cutting into her skin, and I winced as I saw the angry red marks they left behind.

"What's your name?" I asked, trying to keep her calm as I worked.

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