Chapter 23: Into the Past

Kai sat in silence, the noise of the club fading into the background as Sara’s words swirled in her mind. Six years ago. The night she left Beast. The night she thought she might not make it out of the hell she was living in.

Her breath caught in her throat as the memory replayed in fragments: the cold air outside, the panic clawing at her chest, the shame of being caught in a public beating. Her body shaking uncontrollably, not just from the pain, but from the terror of what would happen if she went back home with Beast.

Then, him.

The calmness in his voice, his firm but gentle hands. A steady presence amid the chaos of her mind. A stranger who somehow knew just what to do—what to say. He didn’t pressure her to speak; he didn’t force her to calm down. He simply held space for her, his quiet authority washing over her like a balm for her tortured soul.

But the details of that night? They were blurry. She remembered the strength of his grip on her arm, the softness in his voice, the way he led her away from Beast’s wrath without a single word of protest. She remembered how he took her to Sara—her safety, her sanctuary—but beyond that, there were gaps.

And now, sitting here in the club, all of a sudden it was like those gaps were narrowing.

Duke.

Her mind flitted back to him—that man in front of her. The man who had approached her in a way that made her skin burn. The intensity of his gaze hidden behind that red mask. That voice... low, steady, like it could wrap around her and swallow her whole. She had no idea why she felt such a pull, such an instant recognition of him. It wasn’t just the mask; it was something in the way he looked at her. Something familiar. Had he been looking for me? The question slipped into her mind, unbidden and unsettling. Had he been watching me?

She hadn’t really put it together until now, until this very moment when she stood face-to-face with him and felt the flicker of something strange within her. There was a flash of something... familiar. Like he’d been there, in the shadows, during every exhibition. Watching her. Watching for her. Every Friday. Every Saturday.

She blinked. A slow wave of realization hit her like a tidal surge. She had seen him at the club, at her shows with Preston. Always there, always silent, always watching. He hadn’t been playing—he had been observing. Never once had she thought much of it, never once had she wondered why he seemed to be in the background, a shadow who never stepped forward. But now, in the context of tonight, of him being so close, it all came flooding back.

Had he been watching me the whole time?

Kai swallowed hard, feeling a cold chill race down her spine. Had Duke been there for her all these years—silent, waiting for her to need him again?

It wasn’t a comforting thought. The more she tried to make sense of it, the more unsettled she became. Her mind screamed at her to remember something—anything—from that night. She needed to know more. She needed answers. But they were still out of reach.

Who was he really?

The question lingered in her mind like an open wound. She could almost hear him now, his voice still echoing in her ears. He wasn’t like the others. She knew that much. There was something about him that was different—dangerous, but not in the way she was used to. This was a different kind of power. A power that was quiet, insistent, and not to be ignored.

Her heart raced. She wasn’t sure if it was from the lingering remnants of that dangerous pull or the anxiety of finally putting it all together. But either way, the weight of her thoughts pressed heavily on her chest.

“Sara,” she whispered, her voice hoarse, “I think he’s been watching me.”

Sara’s eyes narrowed. She was silent for a long moment, her gaze fixed on Kai like she was weighing the words. Then, her lips parted.

“I don’t think you’re not wrong,” Sara said quietly.

The words were simple. Quiet. But they landed like a blow to the chest.

Kai’s thoughts spun out of control. Duke. Duke was there. He’d been there, watching from the shadows, just as he had done tonight.

But why?

The question remained unanswered, hanging in the air between them. And as Kai took another drink from her glass, she felt something inside her shift. A realization—one that terrified her more than anything else. She wasn’t just haunted by that night anymore. She was haunted by him. He was the shadow man that plagued her dreams.

The drive back to the house felt heavier than usual, the low hum of the engine filling the spaces between them. The flickering lights of the city streetlamps streamed through the windows as Sara navigated the winding roads, her eyes occasionally darting to Kai, who sat in the passenger seat, her gaze lost somewhere far away.

Kai’s thoughts were a storm, a blur of fragmented memories that seemed to slip through her fingers like grains of sand. Duke. The name echoed in her mind, yet it felt foreign, like a word she’d just learned but couldn’t fully understand. She kept thinking about his eyes, the way his voice had settled over her, his presence so commanding, so familiar.

But why? Why did he feel like someone she knew?

Her heart pounded in her chest, an uncomfortable mix of anxiety and curiosity churning inside her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she knew him—knew him in a way that went beyond this masked stranger in front of her. It was more than just the sense of recognition. It was the way he had been there, every exhibition. Every time she’d been vulnerable, exposed, and put herself on display, he had been there, watching.

But why?

She couldn’t make sense of it. And that gnawing sensation deep within her wouldn’t go away.

Sara noticed the change in Kai’s demeanor as they turned down the quiet street leading to their house. The tension in the air was palpable, and Sara could feel it, though she didn’t speak immediately. She knew better than to push too hard. Kai would talk when she was ready.

But when the car finally slowed to a stop in their driveway, Sara glanced over at her friend, who still had that far-off look in her eyes.

“Kai,” Sara said softly, her voice gentle but with the weight of concern, “you okay?”

Kai met her eyes, her expression distant and troubled. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again.

“I... I don’t know what’s happening,” she confessed quietly, her voice shaky. “It’s like... pieces of a puzzle are floating just out of my reach. I keep thinking about him. Duke. And I don’t understand why. I don’t remember enough... from that night. And yet i feel like i know him already.”

Sara’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, her gaze flickering to the rearview mirror for a split second before returning to the road. She exhaled slowly, the sound almost imperceptible. She had an inkling of what was going on in Kai’s mind, but she needed her to articulate it.

“Kai... I think you’ve been carrying a lot of those memories around for a while now,” Sara said, her tone softening. “That night. I know it’s hard. I know it’s messy, and it might always be. But that doesn’t mean you have to remember everything right away. Sometimes, the mind protects us from things we’re not ready for.”

Kai’s eyes glazed over for a moment, lost again in her thoughts. “I don’t know if I want to forget it anymore. I want to understand... why he’s so familiar. What if... what if I could remember more? What if I could make sense of it all?”

Sara tightened her grip on the wheel, her stomach tightening at the thought. She knew Kai had a habit of seeking answers she wasn’t always ready to hear. She also knew that the mind wasn’t something to take lightly, especially when you were still healing from a traumatic injury.

“You’re asking for a lot,” Sara said carefully, her voice even but with a hint of caution. “Remembering can bring things back to the surface, things that might make you feel worse. It’s not just about remembering a night... it’s about the trauma from the events of that night and aftermath. And it could make things more difficult for you right now. You’re still healing from your last injury, Kai.”

“I know,” Kai whispered. “But I think... I think I need to do it. I need to know. I’ve been wondering about it for so long. I think I want you to use hypnotherapy on me.”

Sara’s heart sank, her protective instincts kicking in. “Kai, I’m not sure it’s the right time for that. I want to help you, but this... it could trigger things in your mind that you aren’t prepared to handle.”

Kai’s hand twitched on the door handle, her fingers curling into a fist. “Please, Sara. I know you’re worried, but I need this. I can’t keep walking around with these gaps in my mind, these missing pieces. I need to know if I’m just imagining things. I need to remember.”

Sara took a deep breath, her eyes flickering to Kai’s face, where uncertainty and resolve collided. Kai had always been stubborn, always determined when it came to digging for the truth—even when it meant digging into the darkest corners of her past.

“Ok fine, I’ll do it,” Sara said quietly letting out a sigh, then her voice grew a little tighter than usual. “But not tonight. You’re not in a place for it. You’ve been through a lot tonight already. You need to process that first. Sunday. We’ll do it Sunday.”

Kai’s heart fluttered with relief, but a shadow still lingered over her thoughts. “Thank you, Sara,” she whispered. “I need this. I need to know.”

Sara gave her a small nod, though her worry didn’t fully dissipate. She knew how dangerous hypnotherapy could be, especially for someone who had already been through as much as Kai had. But if this was something Kai truly needed, then she would be there to support her—no matter how complicated or risky it was.

They sat in silence for a few moments before Sara shifted the car into park. “Let’s get inside,” she said gently, reaching for the door handle. “We’ll figure it out, okay?”

Kai nodded slowly, her mind still swirling with questions, with memories—both buried and emerging. She didn’t know what Sunday would bring, but she was determined to find the answers. The ones that had haunted her for so long.