Page 14 of The Darkness Within

Blade’s jaw tightens, a fierce determination settling in his gaze. “Then we’ll make him pay. I swear to you, Rayne, we’ll stop him. We’ll end this.”

She nods, clutching his hand as the tears finally came, a torrent of pain and anger that she couldn’t hold back. He holds her close, his arms strong and steady, a rock in the storm of her emotions. And in that moment, as they sit together in the darkness, she knew that they would face whatever came next—together.

Rayne sits alone in the room, the silence pressing down on her like a weight she couldn’t escape. The night’s events replay in her mind on a relentless loop—the laughter, the costumes, the warmth of Rita’s smile just before everything fell apart. She squeezes her eyes shut, but the images won’t leave her, it’s seared into her memory with a vividness that makes her chest ache.

It is her fault. She can still hear Rita’s laughter, see the way she had waved goodbye to the students as they left, completely unaware of the danger lurking just beyond the shadows. Rayne wraps her arms around herself, the weight of guilt settling over her like a shroud. If only she hadn’t insisted on going to the party. If only she had listened to Blade, had accepted his warnings instead of brushing them off.

She can still feel Blade’s arms around her, his whispered reassurances, but they did little to ease the ache in her heart. She had wanted to be brave, to show that she could handle this new world she’d found herself in. But her pride, her stubbornness, had cost her everything. It had cost Rita her life.

A sob escapes her, a raw, broken sound that fills the empty room. “I’m so sorry, Rita,” she whispers, her voice barely more than a breath. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

She remembers the look of joy on Rita’s face as they set up the decorations, her friend’s playful teasing about her costume, the way they’d laughed together, oblivious to the shadow that was waiting to strike. They’d been so happy, so caught up in the moment, and she had let herself believe, just for a little while, that everything would be okay.

But it hadn’t been okay. Rake had found them, had taken Rita away, and now, Rayne was left with nothing but the hollow ache of loss and the bitter knowledge that her choices had led them here.

She buries her face in her hands, the tears flowing freely now, each one a testament to the guilt that claws at her insides. Blade had tried to protect her, had done everything he could to keep her safe, but she had pushed back, insisting that she could handle herself. And now, Rita was gone. Because of her.

She looks up to see Blade standing there, his face etched with worry. She tries to pull herself together, to hide the pain that threatens to consume her, but he is already moving toward her, his arms encircling her as he pulls her close.

“It’s not your fault, Rayne,” he whispers, his voice firm, but she shakes her head, unable to accept his words.

“Yes, it is,” she chokes out, her hands clutching at his shirt. “I insisted on going. I put everyone in danger. If I had just listened, if I hadn’t been so selfish, Rita would still be here.”

Blade holds her tighter, his hands running soothingly over her back. “You couldn’t have known, Rayne. None of us could have. Rake is the one who did this, not you.”

But his words did little to ease the pain. She could feel the truth of them, but they didn’t change the weight pressing down on her chest, the relentless guilt that gnaws at her insides. She had made a choice, and that choice had led to Rita’s death. No matter what Blade says, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was to blame.

“I can’t... I can’t stop thinking about it,” she whispers, her voice barely audible. “I keep seeing her face, hearing her laugh. She is my friend, and I let her die.”

Blade pulls back slightly, cupping her face in his hands as he meets her gaze. “Rayne, you are not responsible for Rake’s actions. He is a monster, and he will pay for what he’s done. But you can’t carry this weight alone. We’re in this together.”

She looks up at him, searching his eyes for some kind of solace, but all she could see was her own reflection, the sadness and guilt mirrored back at her. She wanted to believe him, to let goof the blame and accept that it wasn’t her fault, but the hollow ache in her chest told her otherwise.

She takes a shaky breath, her hands still clutching at his shirt as she tries to steady herself. “I just... I don’t know how to move on from this. I don’t know how to let it go.”

Blade pulls her back into his arms, his embrace a solid comfort against the storm of emotions inside her. “You don’t have to do it alone, Rayne. I’m here. We all are. And we’re going to make sure Rake never hurts anyone again.”

She nods against his chest, the tears still flowing as she clings to him, letting his presence ground her, even as the guilt continues to gnaw at her heart. She knows it will take time, that the wound left by Rita’s death will not heal easily. But for now, she held onto Blade, finding a fragile comfort in his words, even as the weight of her choices linger in the shadows, a constant reminder of what she had lost.

BLADE 8

Rayne slept fitfully, her breathing uneven even as she lay curled up on the bed, her face still streaked with the tears she had cried through the night. Blade watched over her for a long time, his heart aching with a mix of helplessness and anger. He had tried to comfort her, to hold her as she broke down, but he knew there were wounds that even he couldn’t heal. The memory of her sobs, of the way she had clung to him in desperation, gnawed at him, fuelling the rage simmering beneath his skin.

Finally, he slips out of the room, careful not to disturb her. He needs to release the fury building inside him, to feel the burn of his muscles and the ache of physical exhaustion. It was the only way he knew to keep his emotions from boiling over. He made his way down the dimly lit hallway, his footsteps silent as he headed toward the gym on the far side of the building.

The gym was empty, a cold, stark space filled with rows of equipment and training mats. Blade barely noticed as he moved to the nearest punching bag, his hands clenching into fists. He didn’t bother wrapping his hands, didn’t care about the sting of the impact as he began to strike, each punch a releaseof the anger that seethed within him. His fists flew faster and harder, the bag swinging wildly under the force of his blows.

He could feel his demon side slipping to the surface, the darkness he usually kept in check pushing its way out as his vision blurred and his thoughts spiralled into chaos. His eyes shifted to pitch black, the pupils dilating as the demon within him took control, feeding off his rage. With a low growl, he lashes out, the force of his blows intensifying, the air around him crackling with a faint, dark energy that seems to pulse in time with his heartbeat.

He doesn’t hear Scar enter the gym until he feels a hand on his shoulder, steadying him, pulling him back from the edge. Blade pauses, his chest heaving, his body tense with unspent energy. He turns to find Scar standing beside him, his expression a mixture of understanding and concern.

“Easy, brother,” Scar warns, his voice calm and steady. “You’re going to break that bag if you keep going like that.”

Blade lets out a shaky breath, the fury still simmering beneath the surface but momentarily held in check by Scar’s presence. “I should have stopped him. I should have protected her. I can’t stand seeing Rayne like this.”

Scar nods, his gaze steady. “We all feel it, Blade. But you can’t carry it alone. Rake is the one responsible, and he’ll pay for what he’s done. We’ll make sure of it.”

Blade clenches his fists, his jaw tightening as he fights to control the darkness that surges within him. “I just feel... useless. I can’t take her pain away, and every time I see her, it’s like a reminder of how much I failed her.”

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