My sleep was interrupted by a scream.

I almost jumped out of bed when I heard it.

It didn't take me long to come to my senses and run in the direction the scream was coming from.

It was Lyssa.

"Killian!" She screamed my name as if someone was cutting her.

I burst into her room, ready to face whoever was in there.

But my gaze fell on Lyssa in bed, who was constantly moving. Sweat was running down her face and she looked like she was in pain.

"No. No. Stop it." She was writhing in bed.

"Lyssa." I carefully walked over to her and grabbed her face. She was burning. "Lyssa, it's me." I said quietly but it was enough for her to hear me.

She snapped out of her sleep and sat up as if shocked. Her hand fell on her chest and she breathed deeply.

"Lyssa?" She was startled when I grabbed her shoulder. I don't think she was aware I was even here.

"Christ. You scared me." She breathed heavily. "Don't ever do that again."

"I scared you?" I snorted. "You were screaming all the way down the hall a few seconds ago. I heard you in my room."

"What?" She frowned. "I'm not..." She stopped. "Just go back to sleep. I'm okay."

"You screamed my name, it doesn't sound like you're okay."

"Shouldn't you be somewhere else? If you want to play knight in shining armor, you're in the wrong room. Now get out of this one." She reached for the duvet and pulled it up when she noticed he was only wearing a large t-shirt.

"You do realize that I already saw...."

"Don't you dare finish that sentence Killian James Acker." She interrupted me and pointed her finger at me. "Go to sleep. Now." She ordered me and I just smiled stupidly.

This is how I felt with her a year ago. I missed it.

*****

"Of course I understand. I'll be there in a minute to talk to Lucy." I said into the phone.

"And maybe take her back home? Is that an option?" Kai spoke from the other side.

"We'll talk about it when I get there." I stopped in front of the main entrance with my hand on the doorknob. "Just don't promise her anything." I opened the door and before I could say anything else or step forward, Charles was standing in front of me. "Change of plans. I'll call you later." Before he could react, I ended the call.

"Where is she?" He slipped past me into the villa.

"Sure Charles, come in." I snorted. "Where's Nyx?"

"How should I know?" He frowned. "Where is Eris?"

"What do you mean you don't know where she is. She went looking for you since you couldn't be reached." I slammed the door.

"I didn't see her."

"So how the hell do you know Lyssa is alive? And think about how you answer. Because if you knew all along, your welcome gift will be a bullet to the head." I said between my teeth.

"I don't have time to argue with you. I'll find her myself." He turned on the spot but stopped after taking two steps.

"Bad timing, isn't it?" Luna's gaze darted between Lyssa, who looked like she wanted to paint the walls red, and Charles, who had a neutral expression on his face.

"Let me guess, you want to kill me." Charles spoke.

"Trust me, that's not the only thing I would do." Lyssa said between her teeth.

"Not in the hallway. Why don't we sit down?" Luna slipped past Lyssa and headed into the study.

I walked over to Lyssa and grabbed her fisted hand. "I get it, but not now."

She didn't even look up at me. She looked at Charles who turned his back and started walking into the study.

"Try not to kill him. For me?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I promise nothing." She walked past me and I immediately turned behind her.

In the study, Luna was already sitting on the sofa, while Charles was standing by the bookcase, looking at something there.

I leaned against the table and crossed my arms over my chest. Lyssa stopped in the middle of the room and kept her eyes on Charles.

"If Nyx didn't find you..."

"I don't have time for your questions." He cut me off. "Because someone's after my head." He put the book in his hand back to its place and turned to us. "Your boss." He pointed at Lyssa.

"Are you surprised?" She snorted. "You destroyed everything she cared about."

"So Jocelyne put that in your head. That I ruined her life? Funny. Mainly because it wasn't me, but you."

"Me? That's funny."

"You killed Frederik. A man she loved even though she wasn't supposed to. You only live so she could see you suffer."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Murphy.

"Of course you don't know. How could you? She erased everything from your mind and left what she wanted there."

"And how exactly do you know that?" I jumped into their conversation. "If I remember correctly, and I do, you said Nyx didn't find you so she couldn't tell you what happened. How do you even know what's going on?"

"Isn't it clear?" Luna snorted. "He knew it all along. Of course he did. It wouldn't be him if he wasn't a few steps ahead."

"You two obviously don't like him so why can't I just..." She ran her finger down her throat. "Easy."

"Because then you wouldn't know what I know."

"And that's supposed to be what?" I pushed myself away from the table.

"How to get her memories back."

Silence. Everyone suddenly fell silent.

Luna stood up and walked over to me and Lyssa.

"How?" I spoke first.

"You're already doing it. You're keeping her here."

"And how is that supposed to help her?" Luna frowned.

"When is your monthly inspection due Eris?"

"How do you know that..." She didn't finish, just looked at him in confusion.

"It's impossible to erase someone's memories and thus modify a person to do what they want. They don't even have such advanced technology to do it. So they did it the faster and easier way. Every month you voluntarily return to them and they clear your head as a gift. A few injections and you're a new person. A person according to their ideas."

"But why would they do that?" She looked at him in disbelief.

"Like I said, you killed her love. She wants revenge. Death would be too easy an escape for you. She can't have Frederik, so you won't have anyone." He looked at me.

"So she'll remember everything. We just have to wait, whatever they put in her system wears off?" Charles nodded at Luna's question.

"Lyssa?" I grabbed her shoulder, but the moment I touched her, she pulled away from me and started walking away. "Lyssa!" I shouted after her, but in vain.

"She needs time." Charles stopped me when I wanted to go to her.

"No, she needs someone to be there for her." I broke free from his hand and ran after Lyssa. I found her in the living room pacing up and down.

"Is he really right?" She said without looking at me.

"He has no reason to lie." I breathed heavily.

"So everything I see happened?"

"See?" I frowned. "What are you talking about? Lyssa!" I stopped her when she was just walking and not saying anything.

"I see things. Everyday there are more of them and more clear."

"What things?"

"A life that's not mine. At least that's what I thought. I don't know what's real and what's not anymore, Killian." There was pain in her eyes.

"I'm sorry you have to go through this, but I'm here for you. Whatever you need." I put my hand on her cheek and ran my finger over it.

"Kill me."

"What?" I looked at her breathlessly and pulled away from her.

"Please." She caught my hand and removed my gun from my belt and placed it in my palm. "Kill me." She pointed the gun at her chest. "It hurts. Every memory that comes back hurts, Killian." She said in a shaky voice.

"I..." I looked at her in disbelief.

She can't be serious, can she?

"I see fire everywhere. Dead bodies. And I feel guilty. So much guilt. Please make it stop." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Please."

"Don't ask me to hurt you. I'd rather hurt myself than you." I tore my hand from hers and returned the gun to my belt.

"You don't understand."

"Maybe not, but I won't let anything happen to you."

"Why?" She shook her head. "Wouldn't it be easier? If I were gone?"

"Easier? I was losing my mind without you. If it wasn't for Lucy, who knows where I'd be now."

"I'm not in the right place, Killian. My head is at war with itself. I could be dangerous. I could be anything because I don't even know who I am anymore."

"You're Lyssa." I ran my hand over her cheek. "My Lyssa."

She lowered her head and hit my chest. She wrapped her arms around me and held me tightly.

I buried my head in her hair and hugged her tightly. "You're safe, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you. Not again."

I plan to keep that promise. Whatever it takes.

We just stood there for a while. It was a good feeling. As if everything is returning to its old ways.

We were torn from this moment by the ringing of a mobile phone. We slowly pulled away and I took it out of my pocket. Kai's name flashed on the screen.

"Yes?" I picked up smiling at Lyssa.

"Killian." He said almost out of breath.

"Yes, I'm here, what's up?"

"Mattias is dead." My smile dropped. "I tried to stop them but I couldn't. I'm sorry Killian, I really tried. They took Lucy."

At that moment, my whole world stopped.

*****

A slightly shorter chapter, because I don't have much time lately, but I try to write as much as possible.

Hope you enjoyed. <3