Chapter 52 Trigger warning: This chapter contains Violence.

Lillian

My eyes widened in horror as I locked gazes with them. They were wearing a faceless mask, each unmoving as they stood some feet away from me and Zayden.

Zayden pushed me behind him protectively, and I clutched his shirt, my whole body trembling.

The one holding the battle axe raised his weapon, pointing it at Noah on the floor partially covered in stage smoke.

" He was too noisy, so I shut him up." His menacing voice pierced through the air.

My mind reeled, consumed by a maelstrom of terrifying thoughts and memories.

Zayden sighed as if he found the situation boring. His aura suddenly changed, the presence emanating from him was like darkness, making goosebumps crawl on my skin.

" What do you want?" His voice was like that of ice.

The one with the gun curled his weapon in his hand, taking steps forward.

My eyes darted desperately, searching for an escape route.

" We don't want trouble. Just hand the girl over, and we'll be on our way." He raised both hands in the air, displaying his pistol.

I clutched Zaydens shirt tighter. My breathing shallow." Let's run!" I whispered, tugging at him.

He chucked darkly." Run? Cherry, that'll make me look weak."

I gazed up at him, to find him looking at the men like they were meat. Like he was the predator and they were the prey. His eyes gleamed with raw intensity. The air around him was heavy with menace.

He was now a few feet away from us." You have five seconds to walk over to me and we'll be on our merry way. No one gets hurt."

" You have five seconds to leave." Zayden countered.

The man chuckled." One, two...."

" Three, four and five." Zayden finished and the next second, his hand came up behind him where his gun was tucked in his pants.

The man noticed but before he could stop his gun from swirling in his palm, a loud bang echoed, deafening my ears.

I closed my eyes tight, both hands over my ear as I shook like a puppy drenched in cold water.

When I opened my eyes again. The man's gun was on the floor, a hole in his forehead, and blood leaking through his neck underneath his mask. He collapsed on the floor with a thud, blood slowly slipping from his head.

It happened so suddenly that the two men were taken back.

" You choose violence, eh?" The bulky one with the axe snarled, aiming at Zayden.

A cold sweat broke out on my forehead, my chest hammering like a jackhammer.

That was a battleaxe, and he was aiming it carefully at Zayden.

Zayden remained still as if daring him.

The next second, everything slowed down as he flung the axe directly at Zayden.

As the battle axe hurtled towards him. The sharp blade glistens dangerously towards Zayden's head.

His eyes narrowed, his gaze locked onto the axe, tracking its movements with extreme focus.

"No!" I screamed, horror ripping through my ribcage. If that blade touched him, he would die in an instant.

And then, in a movement that seemed so lethargic, Zayden lifted his hand. His massive palm facing the axe.

The axe collided with his hand in a resounding crash, its blade digging deep in the air inches away from his face.

He didn't flinch. Instead, he clutched his fingers around the wooden handle, an eerie smile on his face.

He just caught a fucking flying axe like it was a ping-pong ball. Even ping pongs were hard to catch if they were moving at that speed.

Zayden took a step forward, his eyes were darker. His movements were smooth, like that of a pro.

He lifted the axe, now aiming it at the same man.

I gasped in horror as I stared at him.

He projected the wooden handle with a woosh and the axe left his hand in seconds. Slicing through the air in full blast till it landed on the man's skull.

I screamed, collapsing on the floor as I threw up.

The axe was buried deep in his skull, splitting his head into two. His brain matter splattered on the floor.

I looked at Zayden. I wasn't sure that was him anymore. I could feel the bloodlust emanating from him.

His movements were precise and skilled. Someone can't just wake up overnight and throw an axe at someone so effortlessly.

Aiden's words suddenly echoed in my head.

Zayden closed the distance between the last man standing who didn't back down.

The man swung his dagger at Zayden, aiming to slice through his skin. But Zayden effortlessly avoided each stroke and then landed a punch on his face.

He had a gun but he didn't use it. I then realized that he wanted this one alive.

Their fight was fierce, with the man collecting a lot of blows from Zayden.

I never knew till now that Zayden knew how to fight. It was like he was boxing.

The man's voice erupted in a scream as Zayden slammed in roughly on the wall, knocking the dagger from him.

He banged his head on the wall and he let him slide down to the floor.

Picking up the dagger, he walked over to him and cut through his mask, revealing his face.

It was a man with blonde hair, probably in his thirties.

Zayden took a deep breath, staring at the man like a piece of trash.

"I'll ask the questions, you'll do the talking." He growled.

The man didn't respond. He was breathing heavily, his eyes trained on Zayden.

" It's just as he said. You're just like him!" He spat and raised his head. His eyes blazing at Zayden.

I couldn't stand up from the floor, my legs were too weak from the gruesome sight I had just witnessed.

Zayden punched the man, spluttering blood across his mouth and nose.

" I'll ask the questions, you'll do the talking." He repeated.

The man spat out a tooth, his eyes bloodshot.

" Tyrell sent you. Where is he?" Zayden asked cooly.

The man grasped, lifting himself from the floor and resting his back on the wall.

When he remained silent, Zayden picked up his dagger and jammed it into his side.

Bile rose to my throat and I threw up again. The sight of so much blood made my head spin.

The man's horrifying scream filled my ears, blood gushing out of the wound.

" I'll ask the questions, you'll do the talking." Zayden snarled.

He nodded desperately, his hands hovering over the bloody wound.

" Where is Tyrell?"

He shook his head, tears streaming down his face." I don't know. He only hired us. He gave us a picture of her and told us to bring her unharmed."He cried desperately.

" Yet you came with weapons?" Zayden chuckled.

"He said you'll fight back, we had to get you out of the way." He continued, tears running down his face.

Zayden's face darkened." She's mine. If he tries anything stupid like this again. I'll kill him. Tell him that."

The man nodded, his eyes filled with hope that Zayden would let him go. But he didn't.

" Any other important information you'd like to share?" Zayden raises a brow, playing with the dagger.

The man's desperate breaths filled the room." He....he said you shouldn't get involved or you'll be out of the picture. He'll let the whole world know what you did."

I saw Zayden tensed and then he sighed.

He searched the man and brought out a phone that was tucked in his pocket." Now I want you to send him a message."

Zayden put the phone on record and held it close to the man's mouth.

" Say the words," Zayden said, his eyes blazing in anger.

The man gasped and spoke." If you try something stupid like this again. He'll kill you. Zayden will kill you."

Zayden nodded in satisfaction." Now, I'll leave a souvenir. I need him to know the gravity of this message."

The man's eyes widened in horror." Please, please I beg you. Spare me."

I was expecting that Zayden would let him go and hand him over to the police because he had done enough but no.

He grinned and then drove the dagger into his abdomen.

He pulled it out slowly and then drove it in again and again till the man's intestines were spluttered on the tile.

More tears slid down my cheeks as my body quivered. I will never be able to get this scene out of my head.

Zayden stood to his feet, wiping the blood on the dagger on the man's shirt.

He then turned to face me, stepping towards me. Instinctively I crawled backwards, my heart hammering against my chest. I suddenly wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

He paused, staring at me with a blank expression. His face and body were partially covered in blood. Blood that he drew.

" Lillian." He called.

I shuddered, horror and fear written all over my face.

Aiden was right, everything he showed me was true.

Zayden just murdered three men in front of my face and he did so effortlessly. It was three against one, I had thought we were at a disadvantage but he took them down.

He split one's head in two with an axe.

He put a bullet through the second's head within seconds.

And he just stabbed a man to death with a smile on his face.

A human can't do that.

Even the military couldn't pull the moves he just did without proper training.

The man standing before me was no man. For him to carry out this gruesome act without flinching or so much as an expression on his face meant that he had done it before.

He was no human, he was a monster.