Vrrrrooom… A sleek black limo pulled up in front of Devin's house, its glossy exterior glistening under the dim, flickering streetlights.
Screech. The vehicle came to a sudden halt, and Devin emerged, the cool night air nipping at his face as he inhaled deeply.
"Darcey…" he whispered, his grip tightening around the capsule in his pocket.
As he crossed the lawn, the limo's engine roared back to life. The tires crunched against the gravel, rolling away and leaving Devin alone in the quiet night.
He fashioned his keys out of his other pocket, and entered the quiet living room, muttering. "That bastard's not home yet, good."
Stepping on the dusty floors and passing the messy kitchen, he creaked down the hallway.
Creak, creak, creak...
He stopped before his bedroom door, raising his hand, hesitant for a moment. Then, he grasped the warm silver handle. Twisting it with a click, Devin gently pushed the door open when—
"Devin!"
He heard Darcey's sweet voice just before being pushed back. Nestled against his chest, Darcey frantically asked, "Where have you been!? I've been worried sick about you!"
Looking down, he met her bright blue eyes as she continued, "How did you do it? That cold-hearted Ms. Simian said you'd be late and dropped me off herself! What did you do!?"
"Okay, okay, okay, can I come in first?" Devin chuckled, putting her at ease.
Letting him go, Devin walked in and closed the door behind him. They sat on her bed as Darcey looked into his brown eyes. There was something different about them, something missing. His smile looked so forced. 'What happened to you?' she wondered, waiting for him to speak.
"Darcey…" Devin paused, thinking about how much he could tell her. 'When I tried telling Emily everything, I ended up skipping through time. I have to be vague, but not too vague with her.' He sighed, gripping the capsule in his pocket.
"Darcey, you are sick. You don't know it yet, but it will affect you soon. Please believe me, I-"
"I believe you." Darcey's voice echoed in his ears. Gobsmacked, he turned to her with wide eyes as she smiled at him.
She thought back to two weeks ago when Devin broke down, and she had to carry his heavy ass off to bed.
"You, you believe me?" Devin shuddered in dismay, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Why wouldn't I, Dev?" Darcey chuckled at his dismay before she asked, "So is that why you were late?"
"Yes," Devin answered before retrieving the capsule for Darcey to see. "This is compound D, and it should be able to help you."
Darcey gazed at the round blue pill resting on the velvet padding and couldn't help but wonder, "How did you get it?"
Devin's heartbeat echoed in his ears as he looked into her bright blue eyes.
"Oh dear me, Devin. A single capsule of compound D is worth two million dollars, or around thirty-three million rand for you." Devin gulped down, recalling what the man in black said a few hours ago. Lying through his teeth, he said, "I've been saving money for us, and I used it all to get a single capsule. I'm sorry, Darce."
Darcey grabbed the capsule and asked, "So this will help me?"
"Yes…" Devin watched on in a daze as Darcey unsealed the capsule and grabbed the blue pill.
With compound D between her thumb and index finger, Darcey turned to Devin and asked, "You didn't do anything crazy to get this pill, did you, Dev?"
Devin blinked as today's events ran through his mind—Evans being shot right in front of him, his warm blood splattering on his face; the man in the pod's ear-piercing screams as his own arm squashed him to death; the man in black's proposition, and his further initiation…
"No," Devin answered, keeping her in his eyes.
Darcey smiled, her eyes glossy. "Thank you, Dev, for everything." She put the compound in her mouth and swallowed hard.
…
"Fuck you!"
"Go to hell!"
Devin heard his parents arguing in the kitchen once again. Sitting in the dark, he watched Darcey sleep peacefully, before turning to the blade in his hand. This wasn't the greasy butcher knife he used to threaten Evans' life, but an exquisite dagger.
Its handle was smooth, finely carved from dark ebony wood. The blade gleamed under the moonlight from the window, sharp enough to cut skin on contact. Devin thought back to how he got his hands on it…
Back in the facility, Devin had completed his initiation. Buttoning up a new shirt from his bag, he sighed in relief at his ordeal being over. 'I can't believe I've joined these people.' He shuddered as his eyes drifted to the bloody strapped bed the shadows were cleaning up.
"Let me be the first to congratulate you for joining us, Devin." The man in black walked up to him. Devin looked up to find him digging in his dark suit, as he said, "Now to make it official." He took out an exquisite dark dagger and proclaimed while handing it to him, "With this, you are part of the future…"
Devin sighed once more in his room, putting the dagger away.
'Darcey's not stupid,' he thought as he went through their conversation earlier. He knew his bone-faced lies wouldn't get past her; Darcey was too smart for that. At the very least, he was grateful that she trusted him.
"You deserve better, you deserve the truth, Darce. I promise you that this will all be over soon, and I'll tell you everything. Till then, goodnight, Darce." He made his promise as a wave of exhaustion washed over him. Having seen so much and losing quite a bit of blood, he thudded onto the mattress. Drifting off to sleep, he pinned all his hope on the compound…
Dev…
Dev…
"Devin!"
'No…' Devin dreaded, opening his crimson eyes as he heard Darcey's cry. The blood drained from his face as he sat upright, his covers peeling off. Instinctively, he looked down and realized that something felt off. 'Why am I in my pajama's?' he wondered.
He distinctly remembered collapsing onto his bed, too exhausted to bother with blankets or changing. So how did he end up like this?
"Devin, Devin…" Darcey's voice trembled, cutting through his thoughts. Every fibre of his being screamed at him to rush to her side, but something was off, holding him back.
He blinked, realizing he wasn't wearing his contacts. Pushing himself out of bed, he made his way to the foot of Darcey's bed. Her hand was outstretched, seemingly clutching someone's hand—his hand. But how could that be when he wasn't beside her?
''It's all the same, all of it. If nothing ever changes and it's all the same, then, then…'' Devin muttered, as the gears turned in his mind.
"D-Dev, I don't feel so—Nngh!" Darcey's wince of agony and gritted teeth shattered the silence…
End of Chapter 14