CHAPTER 84: SLEEPLESS WITHOUT YOU

After hours of tossing and turning and groaning, Zeke couldn’t take it anymore. He’s done everything he could think of to fall asleep, but it was impossible without Hellcat.

Hellcat was now an important part of his sleeping routine. It was like that blanket - the special one you can’t sleep without.

Finally, he stormed out of bed and out of the room. He didn’t want to care, but somehow, these raging emotions wouldn’t let him rest.

Hellcat had gone looking for Liam instead of coming to bed. That had angered him, and he had decided to ignore her and prove to himself that he could do without her. His stubborn, arrogant self didn’t want to care, didn’t want to give a fuck, but here he was... going to find her.

He thought her scent would lead him to Liam’s room, where she had probably decided to spend the night since she usually leaves him for Liam. But instead, the scent carried him out of the dorm.

The night was dark and cold, but his body heat protected him, and his wolf’s eyes had him seeing clearly, as if it were daytime. He didn’t care that he wasn’t supposed to be out here by this time - what bothered him was why Hellcat’s scent was taking him down a path that strung a bad feeling in his gut.

He could hear the night patrol coming his way. Being found outside by this time was something worthy of immediate expulsion - Zeke never cared about the rules.

He stopped in front of the Raven spire path, and his brows furrowed. Why on earth was Hellcat’s scent trailing down this path? Did she really head into the forbidden forest?

No, there’s no way.

But her scent said otherwise.

His heart raced. What made her go there? The Hallow was considered forbidden for a reason. He recalled when he had been a first-year, and some of his colleagues had ventured in here to ’test their courage’, they never came out.

They were found a day later along the Raven Spire path, almost looking like skeletons. It was as though something had sucked every bit of flesh off their bones.

The same fate met the last two boys who were announced dead weeks ago.

No one in history has ever walked into this path and stepped out alive. The Hallow would suck out your essence and spit out your remains.

*Kai* Moon called out.

*What?*

*You need to sleep, Kai. You’re weakening* Moon warned.

*I can’t* Zeke groaned, his vision beginning to blur, *I’ve tried. I can’t sleep without him*

*You know, if you don’t sleep for even one night, it’s going to speed up the process. You have to go back and try to fall asleep. Take all the pills you need, overdose if you have to*

*I can’t!* Zeke snapped, grabbing a hold of a nearby tree before he could fall, *Nothing works! Nothing! I need his touch!*

*We were doing well without it before he came along*

*Well, that’s changed. Something has changed. Moreover, I can’t just go to sleep knowing he might be trapped in there or something...* Zeke pushed off the tree and kept moving forward.

*You will die if you walk in there. Your body is too weak to move, right now. You know what’s happening to you. The longer you strain yourself, the worse it becomes. I can only do so much to help you, Zeke*

Zeke looked physically hurt. His face was pale, and he kept inhaling and exhaling like he’d just finished running. His wolf was right about everything, but he couldn’t turn his feet back.

He needed to see and know that Hellcat was alright. And that urge was powerful enough to pull him even forward.

But it cost him.

A wrenching pain had his whole being shuddering hard, and his insides felt like they were twisting. He quickly bent over by the bushes and blood came gurgling out of his mouth.

He coughed and choked as it came out, more and more crimson liquid running up his throat. His claws dug into the tree he was holding onto, and he gently wiped off his mouth once he was done.

The pain did not recede, though. His face was much paler, and he was still breathing hard.

*The more you force yourself to move, the harder it hits you*

The taste of blood filled his mouth, and he dug his claws deeper into the tree to keep himself standing. He couldn’t stop here. He needed to keep going.

Hellcat could be in trouble at this moment. There was no other reason why she shouldn’t be back at this time.

And knowing her, she would never abandon him on purpose to even think of spending the night at Liam’s. Damn it! This was his goddamn fault. He should have gone after her the moment the curfew bell rang and she wasn’t back.

Just then, Zeke caught the figure of something, or rather, someone lying along the path, not too far from him.

He squinted his blurry eyes to see better, wondering if it was just a log of wood or if someone was really there.

He forced himself to move closer for better inspection, groaning with every step. The moment he came close enough to satisfy his curiosity, his heart almost stopped.

Zeke paused, and for almost a minute, he just stared.

His eyes remained unreadable, a numb feeling in his mind like he was intentionally trying not to process what he was seeing.

There were four people lying by the Ravenspire path. Two of those figures had been turned into nothing but bones, and the other two...were people he recognised.

The first one with blonde hair had a crack in his head, his face smudged with dried blood.

The sight of the last person was what made Zeke’s heart stop and his mind emptying.

Then, his breath slowly began to increase again, deep panic settling in as the full effect of the sight slammed into him.

Slowly, he bent down and pressed his palm to the Redhead’s chest.

There was no heartbeat. There was no pulse.

There was only cold and stiffness, as if his body had just been brought out of the freezer.

It made no sense.

But one thing was awfully clear.

Thaddeus Douglas was dead. Hellcat was dead.