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As I floated through the dimly lit corridors, a movement caught my eye. Kyne and Ali, sneaking into the very office where I'd been with Rowan. A surge of curiosity propelled me closer. Were they aware of what had transpired there? And Ali... was he really becoming a shifter?
From my invisible vantage point, I watched them. Kyne's expression was tense, worried. Ali's eyes, those striking eyes, flickered with an unnatural hue. It was a subtle change, but to my spectral senses, it was as clear as day.
"What the hell is happening to me, Kyne?" Ali's voice was a mix of fear and anger.
"I don't know, Ali. I swear, I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Kyne replied, his tone heavy with guilt.
Their exchange was cut short as I sensed another presence nearby. Delilah. Drawn by an instinct I couldn't explain, I drifted towards her office. The door was slightly ajar, and through the gap, the unmistakable sounds of passion reached my ears. Delilah and Mairia, lost in their own world. A world I was once a part of, but now merely an observer.
I turned away, leaving them to their privacy. The club's vibrant life now felt like a hollow echo of my own emptiness. I wandered aimlessly, a lost soul amidst the living, my thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and longing.
Hours passed, or maybe minutes. Time had little meaning in my existence. Then, unexpectedly, Rowan reappeared. Their presence was like a beacon, drawing me in despite the chasm that separated us.
"I'm on my way to work, but I just wanted to say hi, and it's not like you can text me..." Rowan's voice was a mix of humor and sadness.
"Hi, then," I managed to say, my voice a ghostly whisper in their mind. The irony of our situation wasn't lost on me.
We moved closer, attempting that ghostly kiss again. The frustration of not being able to truly touch them was a physical pain in my spectral heart. I could sense their warmth, their life, but I couldn't partake in it.
Rowan pulled back, a smile tinged with regret on their face. "I guess I should go. See you tonight?"
"Yeah, I'll be here," I said, a sense of futility washing over me.
As Rowan left, the cool morning air of the club felt even colder. I was alone again, truly alone. The brief connection with Rowan had been a cruel tease, a glimpse of a life I could never have.
I drifted back to my usual haunt, the remnants of the infamous Chicago "Murder Castle." My sanctuary, my prison. The walls, imbued with my own tragic history, seemed to close in on me.
What would tomorrow bring? More longing, more fleeting connections with a world I no longer belonged to? The uncertainty was a heavy weight, an anchor dragging me deeper into the abyss of my ghostly existence.
As the day unfolded, the club came to life again, but the vibrancy of its patrons, the laughter and music, it all felt like a distant dream.
A dream I could witness but never partake in.
Chapter Eight - Rowan
Waking up late was the least of my problems that day. After the night I'd spent with Rayze – or rather, his ghostly presence – everything else seemed trivial. I rushed to work, my mind still a whirlwind of emotions and unspoken desires.
Arriving at Red Cell Labs, the first thing I noticed was Bel's absence. Her desk was empty, her usual energy and bustle missing from the lab. I turned to Ali, who was hunched over his workstation, his expression grim.
"Hey, where's Bel?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
Ali didn't look up. "Told me to fuck off and die when I tried to talk to her this morning," he muttered, his voice tinged with frustration and hurt.
"Shit, that bad, huh?" I leaned against his desk, my mind still half on the events of last night.
"Yeah, she's not handling the whole... shifter thing well." Ali finally met my gaze, his eyes haunted.
I sighed, thinking about how complicated life had gotten since the supernatural crashed into our world. "How's it feel, though? The mating bond with Kyne?"
Ali shrugged, a wry smile playing on his lips. "It's intense. Like being connected to someone on a level I can't even explain. It's scary, but also... kind of amazing."
I nodded, understanding more than he knew. "I get that. More than you might think."
Ali looked at me, curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?"
I hesitated, then decided to spill. "I met someone... Rayze. He's... well, he's a ghost."
"A ghost?" Ali's eyebrows shot up. "You're shitting me."
