Blurred Reflection(Completed)

24: Taking Off A Mask

I was about to open my mouth but he shushed me silent. "Don't speak. Just listen." His glare felt like piercing through my soul. His eyes were filled with anger that you'd think it was burning. His hair was messy that it was everywhere on his face. "I should have drowned you. I should have kil-" He suddenly stopped talking when he heard someone clear his or her throat.

We scanned our surroundings to find nobody. I opened my mouth to speak when Wade suddenly covered my mouth with his hand and said, "Shh! I sense a presence near us." Wade then urged me to go inside the castle as he started yelling. "Whoever you are, please show yourself! I know you're here so there's no point of hiding it! Come out!" I went inside, not knowing that this is the last time that I'll ever see him again.

Then, there was silence. I waited for a couple of minutes but there was only silence. What if something bad happened to him? What if- I gathered enough courage to go out. I didn't want to let someone be hurt for something that can be stopped.

As soon as I got out, I was greeted with a smiling Wade. I was confused. He didn't seem to be in danger at all. He was looking at a merman who was bleeding severely on the sand. Wade was laughing menacingly. His eyes were glued to the injured merman who was pleading for mercy.

"Please don't kill me. I was only trying to obey orders from the Lore-" Wade interrupted his pleas by grabbing his throat and choking him. The merman tried to struggle under his grasp. Wade was a total different person. I can't help but gasp in shock.

His gaze suddenly turned to me and his smile went even wider. His once purple eyes suddenly were no longer purple but red. There was an evil glint in his eyes and for some reason I felt drawn to him. I tried to look away but I remained frozen in place. The more I stare into his eyes, the more I lost control of myself.

"Why, hello there? What's your name again?" When he spoke, his voice wasn't as it used to be. It sounded as if his voice box is has been breaking. It was like he was out of breath. The glowing sea shell that he was holding a while ago was on the sand. His voice were the opposite of what it used to be. "It's Leyla, right? A stupid name for a stupid human."

He let go of the merman that he was choking and glared at him as he raised his hands. A burst of magic went out of his palms, aiming towards the pleading merman. I tried to yell at him to stop him but I was no longer be able to control myself.

The merman was circled by Wade's magic and he was lifted above the sand. He started screaming as if in pain. The merman's amber eyes started turning into a pair of red ones just like Wade's. He screamed and pleaded but his pleas were left unanswered. His skin turned paler and paler until it resembled a skin of the dead. He was suddenly dropped onto the sand and the magic vanished, leaving him lying on the sand.

Wade turned to me with a smile. His eyes glistening as he looked at me. I tried to keep my distance from him as he swam closer to me but I wasn't able to move. "Wade. What on earth happened to you?" He grinned and said, "Who's Wade? I don't think I know anyone named Wade." What? As I stared at his pair of red eyes, I felt shivers running down my spine.

"Are you scared, my little human? I'm not going to kill you but I cannot promise anything." For some reason, I was able to gain control of myself. It was like another presence suddenly joined in. I swam away from him but he caught a hold of my arm and pulled me back.

"Where are you going? Afraid that I'm gonna eat you?" I struggled to get his hold off of my arm and replied, "I-I just. L-Let go of me." He grabbed  my chin and forced me to stare at his eyes. No. I closed my eyes, not wanting to look at him.

"Let me think about it. How about...no?"He continued intimidating me and giving threats. What is happening to him? "Humans are such fragile creatures on the inside and they are such a nuisance to think they can overpower others. They may be at the top of the food chain but one thing for sure is that a day will come to end that them."

"You see creatures like me cannot be able to overpower humans but mixing with humans gives creatures like me an opportunity for the next generation to destroy the human race." What is he saying? I struggled to get him away from me but he kept tightening his grip on me.

"You must be confused. I'll enlighten you. Do you want to know why Wade decided to bring you here? Odd, isn't it?" I remained quiet once he said that. I never thought about that. "Don't worry. Wade doesn't know either. He can't do anything about it. Only I can."

"Wade is such a useless counterpart of this body that I'm in. Why is he the one who's going to control everything? He's useless. Powerless. I, on the other hand have a lot to live up to. You, my little human is my chance to change everything. Father will definitely see my true potential as the heir!"

"What are you saying? If your not Wade, then who are you?" I said a bit confused as to where this is going. He let out a menacing laugh and said, "My real name is Declan. I'm not Wade. Wade is just a mask that I wore but for some reason the mask decided to take control of my body. Now, are you certain that you want to know the reason why you're here?"

"What do you want from me?!" I yelled at him as I struggled to get out of his tight grasp. A smirk replaced his smile. "Everything. But you're just a stupid human so there's no need for you to know what I need you for."

"Lorelei is so stupid. I fooled her easily. Maybe, it's because of her old age that she can no longer be able to find out about me. My parents, on the other hand will not hesitate to let me do whatever I want. They will do what I say as long as it will benefit them."

"Lorelei's power is such a waste as it remains hers. I hate her. I never did like her once. It's a good thing that the stone of Existy is no longer in this realm for I need a human to fulfil my plans." I didn't know what to do. It feels like I've been lied to the whole time I've been here. It seems like nobody can be trusted. "Why so silent? Have you finally gave up?"

I heard a groan behind him. I looked behind him to find the merman gaining strength, enough for him to get up. His eyes were just like Declan's. Red. Wad-..Declan's gaze turned to the merman. The merman smiled and bowed while saying, "Your highness, It seems like another presence is here with us."

"What?! Who?! Find whoever that prick is." The merman immediately nodded and started obeying his orders. A familiar voice suddenly came into my aid. "Prick? Oh, Declan. You know who the prick is. It is you who is one." Lorelei then appeared in front of us with a warm smile as she glanced at me. Her smile turned into a glare as her gaze went towards Wa-..Declan.

"Why are you here?! How-" Declan was interrupted when Lorelei blasted magic on him, pushing him away from me and towards the exterior wall of the castle.Lorelei swam towards me and grabbed my hand. I was about to speak when she shushed me. "Don't speak. We'll deal with that later." And so she led me out of the castle grounds.

As she swam while dragging me, I cannot help but feel betrayed. The Wade I know wasn't real. I glanced back at the castle until it vanished in my sight. I trusted him enough to let him bring me here. But that trust was a mistake. On the way to Lorelei's cave, she was quiet. Her expression was of guilt and regret. "Leyla. I apologize for this. It was all my fault. I started this." What?

Author's Note:
It's freaking hurts. I just got my teeth expander on my lower teeth and it hurts. It is worse than braces. When it was being placed, I was freaking out in my mind because of the pain.