Chapter 244: The Silence Before the Storm (1)

For a few seconds, no one made a sound. 

I could hear the sharp breath Vincent drew as soon as I showed myself. 

Erik blinked as he stared at me. His face was white as a sheet of paper. "What?" He mumbled, still holding his head. "No, wait." He stepped back and leaned on the column behind him for balance. "You're dead." He glanced at Asher, who had a smug smile on his face. "He's dead. You know he is. You were there when we found all that blood!"

Vincent slowly pushed himself up while Erik continued mumbling. "Is it really you?" He asked with a sheepish voice. "You –" He glanced at Asher. "He's not an illusion, is he? You're not tricking us, are you?" His voice trembled. I could hear his uneven breathing.

"It's really me, I'm not an illusion." I took a step towards him. The young man flinched and stepped back – he was very clearly scared. "It's really me, Vincent. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier. I couldn't take that chance."