Page 73 of The House of Whispers

My head slowly raised, turning to face him. “What did you say?” My words burned as I glared up at him.

“You had everything you wanted—everything youneeded.”Jakkal stepped toward me. “I have gifted you everything. I removed those who stood in your way and presented the world at your feet… and you just let it all slip through your fingers,” he pointed the blade at Min’s body, “for her.”

“Stop this,” I whispered, grabbing my throbbing head.

“She was already dying.” The room flashed as a distant ringing pierced my ears, adding to the already growing pain beneath my skull. “You had almost fully embraced your true self. Had you allowed her to pass, you would have succeeded. Instead, you allowed your weaker self to slither through the cracks in your mind. That unbearable pain you are experiencing in your chest, that is your real weakness. You could have freed yourself, Casper.” Jakkal growled, his words filled with contempt as he slowly stalked toward me. “We could have frolicked in the darkness together,” he used the blade to lift my face to his, “but, instead, you once again failed yourself.” I fought back heavy sobs as he lowered the blade allowing my head to drop. I stared at Min’s body, my heart ripping apart as my brain reflected that pain. Jakkal crouched across from me, his face level to mine. “Death feels no pain.”

“Stop it,” I whispered, crying. “You have taken everything from me,” my burning eyes met the fox mask as he stared at me, “you have left me broken and alone. End this now.Kill me.”

Jakkal shook his head, tisking in disappointment. “After all I have done for you,” his voice fell flat with disgust, “all I have helped you accomplish, helping you unlock the depth of your power within yourself, you still fight me. Even when the core of your existence is dying to join me, you still fight back!”

“You have donenothingto help me.” I growled back. “You have been a nightmare, haunting my life since the day our paths crossed, cursing me with your neverending presence.” I spat the words through my tears.

Jakkal sighed, “Tell me, when exactly did our paths cross?”

I blinked, taken back and unsure of how to answer his unexpected question.

“You see, Casper, you knew me as Reynard far before I presented you with this version of myself.” He motioned to the blood-stained mask across his face. “Do you know why you see me as you do?” I shook my head, wiping the constant flowing tears from my face. “Do you remember the night you lured me to that alley? The one just a few streets over from the brothel?” Hearing Jakkal refer to himself as Reynard stunned me. I couldn’t speak, struggling to recall the past, overwhelmed by Min’s murder. “Do you even rememberwhyyou slit my throat?” The color drained from my face, the gruesome scene replaying in my mind as I recalled running my blade along his neck.

“I-I…” The reasoning for my action had escaped me, like so many memories before it.

Jakkal sighed, extending his arm toward me, magik flowing from his fingers as it danced around my skull seeped deep into my brain. I could feel my eyes burning in unison with his magik as it forced its way into my memories, unlocking the night in question. The night this madness began—the night I killed Dr. Reynard.

Allow me to show you.

My brain boiled as Jakkal’s magik soaked into my mind, seeping into my memories as the night of Dr. Reynard’s murder dripped into my mind’s eye. Sounds played slowly, distorted, as the image of that fateful night faded in across a rippled surface, buzzing as it brightened into view.

“Come on now, Casper,” the familiar voice echoed as the memory flashed, “try it once. If you don’t like it, I’ll stop pestering you.” The sound of the house in full swing played on, laughter and voices overlapping as the scene unfolded before me. Dr. Reynard was leaning against the wall of the back hallway that led to the basement of the house. His dual-colored, glowing eyes stared into mine, his copper-colored handlebar mustache moving as he smiled. He was dressed in his usual dark-tailored coat and pants, wearing those faded leather clothes that he preferred, playing with the trim of his hat within his grasp. “I know you’ve worked hard to kick your old habits. I must say, I’m impressed with how far you’ve come. You’ve been clean for quite some time now, but this new concoction of mine is unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before.”

“Tell me,” the words fell from my lips, echoing as my voice spoke for me, “is the experience better than that of White Rabbit?” I was teasing him—flirting. My body leaned against the wall, my arms crossed as I looked at him. I didn’t need the drugs, but part of me wanted them.

“You know my rules, the first try is always free. You’ve always been known to pay what you owe.” Reynard raised an eyebrow, “Besides, I have enough on me to front you your next few hits. You can pay me during my next visit,” he winked.

“Exactly how much of this new drug of yours do you have created?” My curiosity was getting the better of me as an old hunger grew in the pit of my stomach. An itch I couldn’t scratch had been picked at, and now it was dying for me to release the prickling pressure.

“Enough. Let’s just say, I have experimented enough to create a substantial supply, the benefits of my occupation. Now, I wouldn’t offer this to just anyone, but you’re not some run of the mill Whisp or Other with the need to escape their sad reality. No, I’m offering this toyou, Casper.” In that moment Reynard had made me feel special—important. The desire to know more drove me.

“What exactly is this new concoction of yours made of?” My body wriggled as I fought the unbearable urge to immediately cave and accept his offer.

Reynard smiled, “That’s for me to know and you to find out.” A sleeping monster had awoken inside me, clawing at the surface to be released. The discomfort of my struggle had to have been obvious as he cleared his throat. “I can see the internal struggle in your eyes.”

I broke my gaze from his, swallowing hard. “I’m not sure trying an experimental drug you created in a hospital basement is the best option. I promised Min I’d stay clean, and I meant every word of it.” The beast within raged at my answer.

Reynard lifted from the wall and slowly paced in my direction. “Ah, but she doesn’t need to know.” My face remained turned from him, the corners of my eyes watching his every move. “We can keep this secret between us, locked away from the rest of the world. Please, Casper, if you’d try the powder, just once, I think you’d find it worth the risk.” My body consumed his words, his promises, begging me for more. We had kept many secrets over time—the secret of him dealing to the Whisps beneath Madame Chepi’s nose, dealing to me, and the secret of how I paid my debt to him.

“Tell me, what are the side effects?” His face reflected the eagerness he must’ve felt.

“Technically, there are none. Like any other mundane drug, it offers a euphoric escape from reality. The only difference is that this specific powder enhances your true self. Take it, and you can live out your inner most desires, free from that moral compass that holds you back. The only thing you need to worry about,” he wrapped his hand around my waist, pulling me close, “is paying me.”

Reynard leaned in, moving my hair back as his lips kissed my neck. “Not here,” I breathed, struggling to contain myself. As time had progressed, I had resorted to paying for my habit with my body—the only thing I knew I could offer. The agreement between Reynard and myself hadn’t been terrible. Sex was just a tool I had used to gain what I wanted, but over time, it became more than that. Being with Reynard had morphed into something new and different. Something darker and addictive. Once Min had forced me to detox, kicking White Rabbit, Reynard had stopped visiting the brothel. His absence had sent me into a spiraling depression as I forced myself to live without our exchanges. I hadn’t seen or heard from Reynard, until tonight. He had suddenly reappeared, offering me this new creation. The promise of seeing him again all while returning to that euphoric state I experienced when on the drugs was tempting. My body and mind craved it—begged me for more.

Glancing around, I pushed Reynard from me. He smiled, knowing exactly what he was doing to me. “Admit it, you missed this—allof it.” He lifted my hand, kissing the top of my glove as he spoke. “Imagine unlocking all your desires,” his mouth moved up my arm sending a wave of chills along my skin against his hot breath. “And embracing your true self. A part of your soul that only you can unlock.” His mouth made its way to mine, hovering as he whispered to me. “Who wouldn’t want to possess that kind of power?” My mouth pushed into his.

Power. That was exactly what I truly craved.

The memory rippled as our faces twisted together. Black flashes following, one after another, revealing Reynard opening his palm, a small pinch of sparkling orange powder in his hand. He extended it to me, offering me this elusive, new drug that was filled with the potential to unlock everything I wanted. The memory of the insatiable hunger I felt burned, eating away at my soul.

“Imagine living in a world where you felt free to be your true self. Free of those who rely on you, free of the burdens you bear, and free of the House of Whispers.” Something deep inside broke as I gave in to my temptation, inhaling every bit of Reynard’s mysterious powder. “Free of yourself.”

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