COVENANTS OF CHAOS

Chapter Four: Beneath the waters

Darkness swallowed everything.

Then appeared the sound—initially faint, resembling a whisper beneath water. It intensified, became more piercing, until it transformed into a voice.

"Hello!" Are you able to hear me? "Don't leave me, dude!"

Lucas moaned, his head throbbing. He opened one eye slightly, but everything around him was a hazy mix of rain and blinking streetlights. A face loomed over him, outlined by the broken pieces of the windshield—a young man in a hoodie, his look desperate.

“Oh, thank goodness,” the man exclaimed, relief pouring into his tone. "You exist." I was thinking—uh, forget it. "Simply stay still, alright?"

“What… what happened?” Lucas croaked. His throat felt raw, and every word burned.

“Dude, you got T-boned. Like, bad. Some psycho just plowed into you and took off. I called 911. They’ll be here in a sec.”

Lucas blinked, trying to focus. Pain radiated through his body in sharp, jagged waves. His hands trembled as he tried to push himself up, but the guy in the hoodie stopped him.

“Whoa, whoa! Don’t move, man! You could’ve broken something.”

"I'm okay," Lucas croaked, even though he clearly wasn't. His head spun, and his sight became hazy as he leaned back against the seat.

"Okay?" Man, your van resembles a soda can that got crushed. "You should consider yourself fortunate to be alive."

The rain kept falling, drenching Lucas' shirt. He gazed at the cracked windshield, attempting to reconstruct what had just occurred.

“Did you… happen to see the car that struck me?” he inquired, his voice faint.

The guy shook his head. “Nah, man. It was too fast. Some black sedan, I think? No plates. They just sped off like they didn’t even care.”

Lucas let out a bitter laugh, wincing at the pain it caused. “Of course. Just my luck.”

“Honestly, you need to remain still until the ambulance arrives,” the man said. “You could be experiencing a concussion or something similar.”

Lucas disregarded him, his thoughts racing. He lacked the time for this. The Morettis were already on his case, and now his sole source of income was destroyed.

“I just can’t… I can’t pay for this,” he whispered, mostly to himself rather than to the man.

"Man, don’t stress about that at the moment," the guy replied, scowling. “You exist.” "That’s what is important."

However, Lucas was not paying attention. His mind was racing, overwhelmed by the burden of all he couldn’t mend. The van was damaged. He made his deliveries late. Tony intended to let him go. The Morettis were set to pursue him. And his mother—what would occur for her if he was unable to cover her medication costs?

His breath became rapid, panic gripping his chest. The environment surrounding him appeared to distort and fade, the rain and illumination merging into a frenzied whirl.

Then it happened.

A flash of light exploded behind Lucas' eyes, and suddenly, he found himself no longer in the van. He remained in the middle of the street, the rain persistently pouring down around him. Nonetheless, there was a problem. Everything seemed… unusual.  

The world appeared clearer, more vibrant, as if someone had increased the contrast on existence. He turned his gaze, and his breath halted in his throat.

A vehicle was approaching him rapidly—a dark sedan, its headlights slicing through the night. However, this wasn't the accident. This was a different matter. He sensed it, deep within his core.

The vehicle halted abruptly just a short distance away, and a man stepped out. He stood upright, dressed in a black trench coat, his features hidden by the shade created by a broad-brimmed hat. He stayed quiet, but Lucas felt the force of his gaze, cold and unyielding.

“What on earth is this?” Lucas murmured, his voice shaking.

The man did not respond. Instead, he lifted one hand, pointing straight at Lucas. It seemed like a directive, an allegation, and a menace simultaneously.

Lucas tripped backward, yet just as he was about to speak again, reality came back into clarity. He was inside the van again, struggling to breathe.

“Hello!” "Hey, dude, are you alright?" the guy in the hoodie asked, nudging his shoulder. "You spaced out for a moment just now." "It seemed as if you encountered a ghost or something similar."

Lucas remained silent. His hands shook, and his heart raced, yet it wasn’t due to the crash. It was due to whatever the hell he had just witnessed.

“What… what is going on with me?” he murmured.

The man scowled. “What did you say?”

Lucas nodded his head, feeling dizzy. He was uncertain about what was going on, but one thing was apparent: this was not finished. Not even close.

In the distance, the wail of sirens intensified, piercing through the rain.