<h4>Chapter 128: Chapter ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY EIGHT: Losing Control</h4>


    Christy’s POV


    We continued waiting for his uncle to return but after more than twenty minutes, he still had not returned and I started panicking.


    "Will you just chill, what’s wrong with you? It’s not like he is going to beat you up or something when he can’t find you at the hospital" Dexter said with an annoyed voice and his expression didn’t look good either.


    His words made me have a sudden realization which made me question why I was even scared in the first ce.


    Why was I scared of them finding out?


    I am not a kid anymore!


    "I don’t even know why I am panicking" I replied to him with a slight smile.


    "It is how you have allowed them to treat you for so long, they make you stay where they can see you because that’s what they think is best for you and you have neverined either.


    Your mind and body has now gotten used to being controlled by them, so that’s why you are reacting so strongly" He exined calmly and I must admit that what he said makes sense.


    I didn’t respond and just continued staring at the wall of the room, which was filled with numerous swords. Each one had a name written at the bottom and they looked well preserved.


    "My uncle has been collecting them ever since I could remember. He has one from different parts of the world and their value is astronomical" Dexter said with a calm voice and I smiled.


    I liked how he never dwells too long on an issue and always drops the topic as soon as he notices that I am notfortable talking about it.


    His uncle returned back to the room and noticed that I was staring at the swords.


    "Do you like swords?" he suddenly asked, his voice had a hint of gentleness in itpared to when we first arrived.


    "Yes, they look amazing," I replied with a smile.


    He walked forward and took one down, it wasn’t really a long sword but looked more like an elongated dagger.


    He stretched it towards me and I looked at Dexter, who nodded for me to collect it.


    "Consider it our meeting gift, this boy doesn’t have many friends. I am d he is finally fitting in slowly" the man said with a smile.


    I could easily tell that he really cares about Dexter. I held the sword gently, almost like it might crumble if I applied too much pressure.


    It was light... lighter than I expected, but the de carried a coldness that crawled into my palm and slid up my arm like a whisper. The metal gleamed even under the dim lights, it looked sharp enough to slice through a strand of hair without effort.


    "This one is from northern Wynth," Dexter’s uncle said, watching me with a satisfied smile. "Forged by a man who spent half his life mastering steel and the other half breaking every rule that existed. Good weapon... and a good warning." He winked. "Sometimes, trouble finds you even when you are minding your business."


    I forced a small smile. "Thank you, I will take care of it."


    "You better, that de listens to its owner. If you treat it right, it will never fail you."


    Dexter huffed. "Don’t start with your ghost stories, Uncle."


    His uncle raised a brow. "It’s not a ghost story if the de actually screams when it cuts someone."


    I blinked, unsure if he was joking. Dexter just tugged my sleeve.


    "Don’t think about it too much," he muttered. "He likes to scare people."


    But the more I looked at the sword, the more I felt... pulled to it. Like an old memory I couldn’t quite reach was trying to resurface.


    Before I could dwell on it, Dexter’s uncle cleared his throat and leaned against the table.


    "I will give you news in three days," he said. "Celeste and the others can’t just vanish... I will find them, dead or alive."


    A weight lifted off my chest, not fully, but enough for me to breathe.


    "Thank you," I said with a deep bow. "I really appreciate.... "


    "Save it," he cut in. "Help the boy stop getting into trouble, that’s thanks enough."


    Dexter rolled his eyes. "I won’t get into trouble."


    "You are trouble."


    I stifled augh as Dexter dragged me toward the back exit. The moment we stepped out, the cold night air pped me in the face.


    "Come on," he said, climbing onto his bike. "If we don’t hurry, Kendrick’s gonna flip the entire hospital upside down."


    I climbed behind him and held on as he sped through the streets, he carefully helped me to keep the sword.


    Guilt gnawed in my stomach, not because I went behind Kendrick’s back... but because a part of me feared that he would be right to worry. This world was darker than I expected, and every step I took toward finding Celeste felt like stepping deeper into quicksand.


    By the time we reached the hospital, my heartbeat was hammering. Not from the ride Dexter drove like he had nine lives but from the fear of being caught before I could even step a foot inside.


    But when I arrived no one was waiting. No angry Mason or a disappointed Kendrick.


    The hallway lights buzzed softly as I walked toward my mother’s ward. Dexter remained by the door, arms crossed and expression nk, like he was trying to blend into the shadows.


    Inside the room, my mother slept peacefully. Her chest rose and fell in slow, steady motions. The sight soothed some part of me I didn’t realize was tense. I sat beside her and pulled the nket closer over her body.


    For a moment... Everything was quiet.


    Half an hourter, the door opened quietly. I didn’t react at first, not until the heaviness in the air shifted.


    Kendrick stepped in and he looked drained...Not tired but just drained.


    Like someone had scooped out everything inside him and left only the outline behind. His shoulders sagged, his eyes were darker than usual and his steps were slow.


    But the calm on his face terrified me more than any anger could.


    "Kendrick..." I whispered.


    He didn’t say anything, just walked straight to me and pulled me into his arms.


    I melted into him without thinking. His warmth shed with the icy stillness in his body, like he was barely holding himself together. His breath trembled against my neck.


    I didn’t ask questions and I didn’t push, I just held him.


    Minutes passed silent, before he finally pulled back just enough for me to see his face. His jaw tightened, fingers trembling slightly as he brushed a stray hair from my cheek.


    "Are you okay?" I whispered but he didn’t answer. Instead, he sat down, and I handed him a bottle of water. He drank a little, then kept holding my hand even after he set the bottle aside.


    I squeezed his fingers gently and he squeezed mine back.


    Then his phone suddenly buzzed. He ignored it at first, but when it didn’t stop, he answered it sharply.


    "Yes?"


    I listened, my heart slowly sinking at the tone of the voice from the other end, urgent, hurried and nervous.


    "Sir," the man said loudly enough for me to hear clearly. "We... We tracked Miss Christy’s location earlier. She seemed to have left the hospital. After investigating we found out that she went with Dexter to the underground tavern."


    Every muscle in Kendrick’s body froze and my stomach dropped.


    He ended the call slowly... almost too slowly. Like he was giving himself time to stay calm but It clearly didn’t work.


    He turned to me and his expression was unreadable. "Christy."


    My mouth went dry. "Kendrick, listen.. "


    "Why were you there?"


    "It’s not.. "


    "Why," he repeated, voice low, "were you there?"


    "I was just.. "


    "Answer me."


    His voice cracked at the end, and my heart tightened sharply.


    "I am not a child," I shot back.


    That seemed to hit him like a p and tension snapped between us instantly.


    "You think this is about treating you like a child?" he demanded and stood up abruptly. "Christy, that ce... "


    "It is not your decision!" I cut him off, standing too. "I don’t need permission to breathe, Kendrick!"


    His jaw clenched. "You shouldn’t have gone."


    "You don’t get to decide!"


    He inhaled sharply as if forcing air into lungs that refused to work. "I’m trying to keep you safe."


    "And I’m trying to help find Celeste and the others!"


    "That is not your job."


    "Well, it’s clearly not yours either because they are still missing!"


    The second the words left my mouth, I regretted them.


    Kendrick seemed to flinch and before he could respond, Dexter opened the door.


    "That’s enough," he said tly. "Let her talk."


    Kendrick’s re snapped to him instantly. "Stay out of this."


    "No." Dexter leaned on the doorframe. "She gets to live her life.... Stop strangling her with your rules."


    Kendrick stepped toward him. "You think I


    will let a bad influence like you.... "


    "Bad influence?" Dexter scoffed. "At least I don’t control her."


    "Control... ?" Kendrick let out a bitterugh. "You? Talking about control?"


    Dexter smirked. "Christy deserves a better man than you."


    The room froze, then Kendrick lost it and punched him really hard.


    Dexter staggered back, blood already forming on his lip.


    "Kendrick, stop!" I yelled, grabbing his arm.


    He turned toward me and I pped him before I could process what I was doing.