chapter 3

Jacob stared at his trembling hands, the sensation still coursing through his veins like electricity. It was as if something deep within him had awakened, responding to the storm raging both outside and within.

“What’s happening to me?” he whispered, eyes wide with fear and confusion.

The wind howled louder, the rain now a blinding sheet. Jacob’s grip on the railing tightened as the strange sensation grew stronger, pulsing through him in waves. His heart pounded in his chest, and his breath came in short, ragged gasps.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminated the sky, followed by a deafening crack of thunder. In that split second, Jacob felt a surge of energy unlike anything he had ever experienced. It was as if the storm itself was alive, feeding into him, filling him with a power he couldn’t comprehend.

“No… this isn’t real… I’m just… I’m just imagining things,” Jacob muttered, shaking his head as if to clear it. But the sensation wouldn’t go away. If anything, it intensified, making his entire body vibrate with its force.

His mind raced with thoughts he couldn’t grasp, memories flashing before his eyes like a film on fast-forward—moments of his life with Lena, with Victor, with his parents. Their voices echoed in his ears, overlapping, becoming a cacophony of blame, regret, and bitterness.

“You’re worthless, Jacob.”

“You’ve always been weak.”

“You’re not enough.”

“No!” Jacob cried out, clutching his head as the voices grew louder, more insistent. “Stop it! Get out of my head!”

He stumbled back from the railing, nearly losing his footing on the slick pavement. The world around him seemed to blur and distort, the storm swirling into a vortex of sound and fury. He felt as though he were being pulled into a maelstrom of emotion and power, the storm outside mirroring the chaos within him.

And then, just as suddenly as it began, everything went silent.

Jacob stood there, panting, his mind reeling. The rain had stopped, the wind had died down, and the world was eerily still. He looked around in bewilderment, trying to make sense of what had just happened. The storm had left the night air crisp and almost unnervingly calm, as if it had been a mere illusion.

“Was that… Was that all in my head?” he asked himself, his voice shaking. “Or… Or did I… am I just hallucinating?”

Before he could finish the thought, a cold, familiar voice interrupted his daze.

“Well, well, well. Look who decided to crawl back from the brink.”

Jacob’s blood ran cold as he turned to see Victor standing a few feet away, a smug smile playing on his lips. He was dry, untouched by the storm that had drenched Jacob to the bone.

“What…? How…?” Jacob stammered, backing away instinctively. His mind raced to comprehend how Victor could be here, appearing so composed amidst the chaos.

“Oh, come on, little brother,” Victor said, taking a step closer. “Did you really think you could get away from me? That I wouldn’t be watching?”

Jacob’s heart pounded in his chest as Victor’s words sank in. He didn’t understand how Victor could be here, how he could have known where to find him. But none of that mattered now. What mattered was the look in Victor’s eyes—a look that made Jacob’s skin crawl. The same cold, calculating gaze that had always made Jacob feel small and insignificant.

“What do you want, Victor?” Jacob demanded, trying to sound braver than he felt. His voice wavered, but he clenched his fists, bracing himself for what was to come.

Victor’s smile widened, but there was a darkness behind his eyes, a cold fury that sent a chill down Jacob’s spine. “Oh, Jacob. You still don’t get it, do you? This has never been about what I want. It’s about what you can’t have. What you’ll never have.”

Jacob’s anger flared up inside him again. “You took everything from me! Lena… the company… our parents’ respect… What more could you possibly take?”

Victor’s smile faltered for just a moment, his eyes narrowing as he noticed something different about Jacob. The weakness he was accustomed to seeing in his brother wasn’t there anymore. Instead, he was met with a gaze that was strong, determined. It infuriated him.

“You’ve changed,” Victor hissed, taking another step closer. “But don’t think for a second that it matters. You’ve always been beneath me, Jacob. Do you think this newfound courage will make a difference? You’re still the same pathetic creature you’ve always been.”

Jacob met Victor’s gaze head-on, refusing to back down. “You’re wrong, Victor. I’m not the same. And you… you’re not as invincible as you think.”

Victor’s eyes blazed with anger, his smile now a twisted sneer. “You’re getting bolder, little brother. But boldness doesn’t suit you. It’s almost… laughable.”

“I’m done being your victim,” Jacob shot back, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him. “You can’t control me anymore.”

Victor’s expression darkened, his patience wearing thin. “Control you? Jacob, you’re not even worth controlling. You’re a nuisance, a blemish on my perfect life. But don’t worry,” he added, his voice dripping with venom. “I’ll take care of that.”

Before Jacob could react, Victor stepped forward, his hand reaching out to grasp Jacob’s shoulder with a grip that was both firm and unnervingly cold. The pressure was almost unbearable, sending jolts of pain through Jacob’s arm.

“You see, little brother,” Victor whispered, leaning in close, “you’ve always been nothing. But now… now you’re about to become something much, much worse.”

Jacob’s heart skipped a beat, fear and confusion warring within him. “What…" What are you talking about?”

Victor’s smile faded, replaced by a look of pure, unadulterated contempt. “You’ll find out soon enough. And when you do, you’ll understand everything.”

Jacob tried to pull away, but Victor’s grip tightened, his fingers digging into Jacob’s flesh like ice-cold talons.

“Victor, stop,” Jacob gasped, struggling to free himself. “What are you doing to me? What do you mean?”

Victor leaned in even closer, his voice barely more than a hiss. “You never understood, Jacob. You never saw the bigger picture. You’ve always been a pawn, a weak link in a chain of events you couldn’t begin to comprehend.”

“Comprehend what?” Jacob spat, his fear giving way to desperation. “You can’t just destroy people’s lives because you think you’re better than them!”

Victor’s eyes flashed with a dangerous light. “As expected from my dumb brother. This isn’t about being better, Jacob. This is about survival. Evolution. The strong rise, the weak fall. And you… you’ve always been the weakest.”

Jacob’s blood boiled at Victor’s words, but the fear was still there, gnawing at him. “If I’m so weak, why are you even bothering me? Why not just let me go?”

Victor’s smile was cold, devoid of any warmth. “Because, dear brother, you’re more useful to me broken. You’re more valuable to me when you’re on your knees, begging for mercy that will never come.”

Jacob’s breath caught in his throat, a sense of dread settling over him. “What are you going to do to me?”

Victor’s grip on Jacob’s shoulder tightened, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. “I’m going to make you disappear, Jacob. I’m going to erase you from this world, from everyone’s memories, including that of your beloved Lena. And when I’m done, no one will even remember you existed.”

Panic surged through Jacob as he struggled against Victor’s hold. The weight of Victor’s words, the icy grip, and the darkness in his eyes made his heart race uncontrollably. “You’re insane! You can’t do this!”

Victor’s smile widened, cruel and merciless. “Watch me.”