The Recall Trials
Chapter 82: When the Sirens Scream

Chapter 82: When the Sirens Scream

Theo stepped closer, shaking his head in disbelief. "Zaara. Tell me he’s lying."

Still nothing.

He scoffed, like the truth was a slap in his chest. "Fucking hell."

"Wow..." he muttered, then louder, "Wow."

He spun around and stormed out, shoving past two contestants who barely managed to step aside.

Zaara flinched, but she didn’t go after him.

She just stood there... frozen.

And that’s when it happened.

I didn’t even think.

I just... grabbed Dinesh by the collar and slammed him against the lockers so hard the metal shook.

Gasps rose behind me.

Dinesh choked on a laugh. "What, Vincent? Did I touch a nerve?"

I stared into his eyes.

"You think I won’t end you right now?" I said. "You think I give a single fuck about the rules?"

He smirked even through the pressure. "So this is you... defending your little plaything now?"

I tightened my grip. "Careful, Dinesh. You’re not funny. You’re just forgettable. Like everyone who dies too early in a game they don’t understand."

He gulped, smile faltering.

"You say another word about her," I whispered, "and I’ll remind you what a real monster looks like."

His eyes widened.

I meant every word.

Why did I suddenly feel this way?

Why did defending her feel so... right?

So necessary?

Maybe I hated myself for feeling anything.

Maybe I hated that I wanted to hurt anyone who made her flinch.

But I didn’t let go until.

"Vincent."

Zaara’s voice.

I looked over my shoulder.

She was crying. Her eyes... God, her eyes.

She shook her head slightly. "Don’t."

I let go of Dinesh like he was never even worth holding.

Dinesh stumbled back, gasping, clutching his chest.

"You two really deserve each other," he spat.

Then she turned and stormed out without a word, her hair flying behind her, her steps unsteady but full of fury.

I watched her go.

Then..

A hand touched my arm.

I turned.

It was Carter.

Limping. One arm still wrapped in gauze. He looked exhausted. Like the trauma from the lava trial still clung to him.

"Vin," he said quietly. "You need to calm down, man."

I didn’t respond.

"You’re already on their radar," he added. "Don’t give them more footage to use. That’s what they want. For you to lose it."

My breathing was still fast.

Not because I was tired...

But because I was short-circuiting.

My hands were still clenched. My heart was still racing.

I sat on the cold metal chair, elbows on my knees, trying to breathe past the tightness in my chest.

My pulse wouldn’t slow. My jaw was still clenched.

Then...

"Well, well..."

Jojo’s voice cut through the buzz.

"So glad to see you’re already getting your emotions back," she said, leaning against the wall with that maddening grin. "That right there? That was anger. And a little something else maybe the need to protect Zaara."

I couldn’t deny it.

A moment later, Carter limped over and pulled a chair beside me as he sat.

"You know," he said, "you weren’t always like this."

I stayed quiet.

He continued anyway. "When we first got here...you were the only guy who stood by me. Everyone else called me deadweight. But you? You helped me. Protested to leave. You even helped piper."

That part hit me.

He looked away, almost smiling at the memory. "But the moment they tagged you as the wildcard and those masked freaks took you? You came back...different. Hollow. Like someone hit delete on everything soft inside you."

Jojo stepped closer. "It wasn’t your fault, Vincent. I told him everything."

"Told him what?"

"That they took your memories. Your emotions. They rewired you."

I blinked.

"You saved me when I tried to leave and when I also got caught," Jojo added. "I would’ve died if you didn’t."

I was shaking my head slowly. "No. No, I didn’t..."

"You did," Carter said.

I glanced up.

He chuckled. "I remember when you said, if we ever got out of this hellhole, you’d wanna meet my daughter. You even joked that Starlight sounded like a superhero’s sidekick."

I stared at him. "...Starlight?"

"She’s eight. Bossy as hell. Smarter than me." His eyes turned soft. "You said she deserved to have her dad back."

Something twisted in my chest.

That’s when the pressure in my head returned.

The high-pitched frequency started again. A ringing. Screeching.

My hands flew to my ears.

"Vincent?" Jojo said. "What’s wrong?"

"I...I don’t know." My breath hitched. "It’s loud. It’s so fucking loud."

"Talk to me. What do you feel?"

"I think..." I clutched my head harder. "Anytime I’m trying to process something... something real... it starts."

Jojo reached for me, gentle fingers brushing my shoulder.

I jerked away like I’d been burned.

"Don’t touch me!"

She froze.

I pushed off the chair. "What are you doing?! What are both of you trying to do to me?"

Carter raised a hand calmly. "Vin—"

"Leave me the fuck alone!" I shouted, stumbling back.

They stared.

Everything...everything started to feel... off.

And that terrified me more than anything.

Voices around me warped and slowed. Like a tape being dragged backwards.

Jojo was saying something. Her lips were moving. But her voice was a blur.

The lights above flickered.

The ground didn’t feel stable.

Then I felt her hand on my arm again.

"Vincent, breathe—"

"No," I muttered. "No, no, no—get off—"

I shoved her.

Not hard.

But enough.

Jojo stumbled back. Coughed once. Then again.

And then...

Blood.

Red.

Spilling from her lips as she bent over her arm and hacked into it.

"Jojo!" Carter gasped, rushing forward.

My heart stopped.

"What the hell?" I breathed, staring at her.

Her hand was covered in blood now. She looked up at me, scared and still she tried to stand.

Still she tried to reach for me.

I took one step back.

One.

And then...

"You jerk!"

CRACK.

My head snapped to the side.

The taste of copper filled my mouth.

Theo stood in front of me, chest heaving, fist clenched.

"You son of a bitch," he growled.

I couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak.

The high-pitched sound screamed in my head now screamed...like a siren drilling through bone.

I staggered back, clutching my skull. My vision blurred. Black ink spilled into the corners of my eyes.

"Vincent!" someone yelled. Might’ve been Carter.

Might’ve been no one.

Everything was too loud.

Everything was too bright.

And then...7

Silence.

Like the world exhaled and went still.

I dropped to my knees.

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