( I've just realised I've been switching between first and third perspective. I don't care lol deal with it hahaha )

Chapter Ninety: Caged Ghosts

[T E S S] Tess barely managed to keep herself standing as the handler finally slowed to a stop. Her small frame heaved with exhaustion, her breath coming in quick, sharp pants as she bent forward, resting her hands on her knees. The handler's massive boots stood like pillars beside her, towering and indifferent to her struggle. He had barely acknowledged her the entire walk, his only concern being that she arrived—how she arrived didn't seem to matter to him.

The recreation room stretched out before her, vast and bustling with the quiet murmur of activity. At the far end of the room, Austin, Jace, and Cole sat at a giant table, their figures dwarfed by the towering presence of Lydia, who was currently explaining the day's bonding task.

Tess felt her knees wobble, her body protesting the forced march she'd endured just to get here. She swayed slightly, trying to steady herself, but before she could, a voice cut through the air.

"Did you make her walk all that way!?"

Austin's sharp voice carried across the room, laced with fury. Heads turned as he stood abruptly, his towering form moving with purpose toward the entrance where Tess still struggled to catch her breath. His eyes burned with barely restrained anger as he approached the handler, his broad shoulders squared with tension. His footsteps were loud, heavy and made her head hurt

The handler barely looked fazed. "I was given orders to escort her here," he replied flatly, as if that excused the fact that he had let her run herself ragged just trying to keep up with his giant strides.

Austin scoffed, his jaw tightening. "Escort? She's exhausted, you couldn't have carried her asshole?." He didn't wait for a response before he crouched down, his large hands reaching for Tess.

Tess barely had time to react before she was lifted off the ground, Austin's warm fingers curling protectively around her small form. Warmth surrounded her as she instinctively clung to his thumb, her breath still uneven as he cradled her against his chest. The steady rhythm of his breathing, the solid presence of his fingers curled protectively around her—it was grounding for a fleeting moment.

"You okay?" Jace's voice was the first thing she heard when Austin placed her gently on the table in front of them. His eyes were filled with concern as he leaned closer.

"I..." Tess swallowed hard, trying to shake the tremble from her voice. "I think so. Just... tired."

Jace frowned, glancing between her and Austin.

The recreation room was quieter than usual, the hum of the handlers' movements and the faint chatter of participants blending into the backdrop of clattering blocks and shuffled tools. Tess sat stiffly on the edge of the massive table, her arms wrapped around herself. Even with Austin sitting protectively nearby, she felt small, vulnerable, and out of place without Darrick.

Austin kept glancing toward the door, his sharp eyes narrowing toward the handler. If only looks could kill, she thought

"Where the hell is Darrick?" Austin finally muttered under his breath, the tension in his voice cutting through the still air.

"I don't know," Tess whispered, her voice trembling. "He usually picks me up" she was still out of breath, cheeks flushed a bright red " He's never late. He never just... doesn't come."

Before Austin could respond, the heavy doors creaked open, and the sound of squeaking wheels filled the room. Tess turned instinctively, her exhaustion momentarily forgotten as she watched a tall, unfamiliar giantess enter the room. Her hair pulled into a high ponytail made her ears stick out and she wore crisp uniform that did nothing to soften her large presence. But it wasn't her that made Tess's blood run cold.

It was what she was pushing.

A small trolley rolled forward, its wheels rattling against the floor, and strapped atop it was a metallic cage Inside the cage, a six-inch man paced like a caged animal, his dark eyes wild and his lips twisted in a cruel smirk. His movements were restless, like a caged predator waiting for an opening. His dark eyes gleamed under the fluorescent lights, filled with something Tess could only describe as twisted amusement. His lips curled into a cruel smirk, his expression one of sickening familiarity. His almost white, blonde hair sticking out wildly in every other direction.

No.

No, no, no.

Tess's entire body went rigid, her fingers digging into the fabric of her jumpsuit as the world around her seemed to close in.

The sight of him made Tess freeze, her breath catching in her throat. Memories of his threats, his actions, his presence—it all came flooding back in an instant. She instinctively inched closer to Austin, her hands gripping at her jumpsuit as her stomach churned with unease.

She knew that face. She knew that smirk. Flashes of the night she had spent trapped in that cage, staring up at him, terrified and helpless, wondering what he would do next.

Her breathing hitched, her body frozen in place, unable to move.

"Son of a bitch," Austin muttered, his entire frame going tense as he followed her gaze. His hands, still resting on the table either side of her, curled into fists.

Jace looked between them, confused at first—until he saw Tess's expression. "Wait... who—?"

Cole's easygoing demeanor vanished, his usual smirk fading as his eyes locked onto the man in the cage. "Oh, you've gotta be kidding me."

"Lenny," Austin muttered, his jaw tightening. His gaze darkened as he watched the cage rattle slightly with each movement of the man inside.

"Now, Lenny," Tara said firmly, her tone even but with an edge of exhaustion. "We're here to focus on the task, not to cause trouble. Let's try to work together today, alright?"

Lenny didn't respond immediately. Instead, he pressed his face against the bars of the cage, his teeth bared in a manic grin. Tess barely registered the way Austin's grip moved back around her, pulling her instinctively closer to his chest across the table. She barely heard Cole's muttered curse or Jace's sharp intake of breath.

All she could see was Lenny.

Lenny, the boy who had kidnapped her. Lenny, the one who had trapped her in a cage. Lenny, the monster from her nightmares.

And now, he was caged. He was her size.

But Tess wasn't sure if that made things better. Or worse.

His dark eyes scanned the room until they landed on Tess, Austin, Cole, and Jace sitting together at the table.

And then he erupted.

"You!" Lenny roared, his voice cracking with fury. He grabbed at the bars of his small cage, shaking them violently. "This is all your fault! You motherfuckers! I'll kill you! Do you hear me? I'll kill every last one of you!"

Tess recoiled, her heart racing as Lenny's voice echoed across the room. Everyone's attention turned to him. The venom in his tone sent a chill down her spine, and she couldn't help but shrink further into Austin.

"Lenny, enough!" Tara snapped, her voice sharp as she stepped closer to the cage. "Calm down, or I'm taking you out of here right now."

But Lenny didn't stop. His shouts grew louder, more vicious, as he spat out every curse and insult he could muster. His fists pounded against the bars, his small body trembling with rage.

"This is your fault!" he screamed, his gaze locking onto Austin. "You! Why don't you put him in a cage too! You think you're better than me? You think you can just—just get away with what you did?"

Austin stood abruptly, his fists clenched at his sides as his face twisted in anger. Tess stumbled backwards at the force of his body rocketing up "Shut the fuck up Lenny," he was almost shouting, "Everything that's happened to you—you've earned it."

Lenny let out a bitter, maniacal laugh, his voice echoing in the room like a fractured melody. "Earned it? Oh, that's rich, coming from you! You're all just as guilty as me! And you—" His gaze snapped to Tess, his grin widening in a way that made her stomach churn. "What's wrong, little doll? Where's Darrick, huh?!" He was screaming, so small but was somehow the loudest in the room "Does it hurt to be all alone? I hope it does. I hope it—"

"That's enough!" Tara barked, her patience finally snapping. She stepped forward and yanked open the cage door, grabbing Lenny with two fingers and holding him firmly in her grip. As if she'd dealt with him for too long, she seemed to snap and Lenny's face dropped at the sudden movement.

"You're done," she said, her voice low and furious. She shoved him back into the cage, his limbs flailing uselessly as he spat more curses. The door slammed shut with a metallic clang, and Tara locked it securely before turning the trolley around.

"Lenny, you've just earned yourself a one-way ticket back to isolation," she said, her tone cold. "Congratulations."

"I'll kill you too you bitch!" Lenny screamed, his voice muffled as Tara wheeled him toward the door. "I'll kill all of you! You'll see! You'll—"

The doors swung shut behind them, cutting off his tirade and leaving the room in an uneasy silence.

Tess exhaled shakily, her hands gripping her jumpsuit so tightly her knuckles were white. She felt Austin's presence as he sat back down, hand moving around her small body where he had left her so that he could yell at Lenny, cupping her body shaking like leaf, his hand steady and reassuring, she turned to look at him.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice softer now, his sharp eyes filled with concern.

Tess nodded weakly, though her chest still felt tight. "I just... I" she was at a loss for words. She glanced toward the door, half-expecting Lenny to burst back in, but it remained closed.

"Where's Darrick?" she whispered, her voice trembling. She nearly whimpered at the thought.

Austin exchanged a glance with Cole and Jace, his jaw tightening. Jace's face was equally as pale as she expected hers to be, his mouth open like a fish gasping for air.

Tess swallowed hard, her heart racing. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong—terribly wrong. And as much as she tried to calm herself after seeing Lenny, her thoughts drifted to Darrick, wondering where he was and if he was okay. She felt as if the world was falling away around her and Darrick wasn't here to help her.