The Last Day: The Shadow of the Knight | 05
Chapter 5: Shadows of the Arcade
The safe house was small and bare, with nothing more than a cot, a single window, and walls that echoed every sound. Silas lay on the cot, staring up at the cracked ceiling. He could feel exhaustion tugging at him, but the visions from the arcade refused to leave his mind. He couldn’t shake the images of that surreal, twisted world—something deeper than a simple virtual reality simulation. It was as if those distorted figures and cold, calculating glances had embedded themselves in his memory.
He closed his eyes, finally succumbing to the heavy pull of sleep. But peace didn’t come.
Silas found himself standing in an endless white void. Around him, shadows moved, darting in and out of his vision, just beyond his reach. They whispered, low and indistinct, their voices weaving through the air like threads of silk. He turned, trying to follow one of the figures, but every time he got close, it vanished, leaving nothing but an echo.
The white void shifted, melting away into the familiar lights of the VR arcade. The glowing screens flickered, casting neon colors across the dark room. Silas was back in the pod, unable to move, staring out as faceless figures walked by, their eyes empty, their expressions hollow. He tried to lift his hands, to scream, but his body wouldn’t obey.
Then he saw her—the figure he’d sensed watching him in the simulation. She was faint at first, a dark shape barely visible through the neon glow. But as she drew closer, her face took form: a woman with piercing, unnaturally sharp eyes and a wide, twisted grin that seemed both mocking and knowing. Allison. Her name formed in his mind unbidden, a name he knew without knowing why.
Allison leaned in closer, her expression hungry as her grin stretched unnaturally, contorting her face into something monstrous. “You’re right where I want you,” she whispered, her voice smooth and eerie, cutting through the silence.
Silas felt panic rise in his chest, but his body remained frozen, trapped in her gaze. Suddenly, the room shifted again. He was no longer in the arcade but back in Rivers, high above the city’s skyline. He was at the edge of a skyscraper, the cold wind whipping around him, and the streets below stretched into darkness.
He looked over his shoulder and saw Allison standing behind him, her grin wider, more menacing. Her eyes burned with a sinister glow, something inhuman, and she raised a hand toward him, her fingers twisting like claws.
“Falling is easy,” she murmured, her voice echoing around him, louder and louder until it filled the night air. “It’s staying afloat that’s impossible.”
Before he could react, she gave him a slight push, and he stumbled backward, his feet slipping off the edge. He flailed, reaching out, but there was nothing to hold onto. The world blurred around him as he fell, the city’s lights spinning, Allison’s grin still haunting his vision.
He was plunging downward, faster and faster, the wind tearing past him. He could see the ground rushing up to meet him, but just as he was about to hit, a figure appeared below, silver and strong, standing like a beacon in the darkness.
Iron Knight.
Silas reached out, stretching his hand toward the figure, desperate, and Iron Knight looked up, his gaze steady, unwavering. But then, just as their hands were about to touch, the ground vanished, and Silas was falling again, endlessly.
He awoke with a gasp, his body drenched in sweat, his heart pounding as though he were still in freefall. The room was dim, the pale morning light creeping through the single window, casting long shadows on the walls. It took him a moment to remember where he was, to shake off the lingering traces of the nightmare.
The room was small and bare, sunlight filtering weakly through the blinds. It wasn’t home. And that realization sent a fresh wave of dread through him. He rubbed his eyes, trying to steady his breath. The visions had felt so real. Too real.
A creak at the door made him tense. He turned quickly, expecting… he wasn’t sure what. But when the door opened, it was Steve Gallagher standing there, his face lined with worry and exhaustion. Silas stared, caught between relief and confusion.
“Silas?” Steve’s voice was soft, but there was a note of urgency in it. He stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind him. “You okay?”
Silas nodded slowly, his body still trembling. “I think so.” He swallowed hard, trying to make sense of everything. “Steve… how are you here?”
Steve hesitated, taking a step closer. “I got a call. An anonymous tip. They said you were in danger and gave me this address. I came as soon as I could.” He crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. “What happened to you?”
Silas’s mind raced. He remembered being in the VR pod, the visions, the Iron Knight fighting off Doyle’s thugs. But now Steve was here, claiming he’d been tipped off. It didn’t add up. “I don’t know,” Silas said, his voice low. “It’s… a blur.” He looked up, meeting Steve’s gaze. “The Iron Knight saved me.”
Steve’s expression remained carefully neutral, but he moved closer, pulling up a chair and sitting across from Silas. “The Iron Knight?” he asked, as if trying to piece it together. “He was there?”
Silas nodded, a mix of awe and confusion on his face. “He cut me loose. Fought off the guys who grabbed me.”
Steve exhaled, his eyes softening with what seemed to be genuine relief. “Good. I’m glad he was there.” He leaned forward, his voice low and earnest. “But Silas, I need to know everything you can remember. No matter how small. What happened in that arcade? What did they do to you?”
Silas pressed his hands to his temples, trying to steady the swirling memories. “It started when we went to the arcade, remember?” He looked at Steve, eyes pleading for understanding. “When you snuck me in. We were just having fun, right?”
Steve’s jaw clenched, guilt flickering across his face. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “We were just cutting loose. This is my fault.”
Silas’s anger softened at the raw guilt in Steve’s voice. “You couldn’t have known,” he said, though the words felt hollow. “I didn’t know.” He paused, his voice trembling. “Steve, it was more than just a game. I saw… things. Felt things I can’t explain.”
Steve’s eyes narrowed, concern deepening. “What did you see?”
Silas hesitated, the memories of the faceless figure, the light, and Allison’s malevolent grin flashing through his mind. “I don’t know how to describe it. There was a light. A figure. And then… shadows. Her.” He didn’t say Allison’s name, but the fear in his eyes said enough.
Steve leaned back, absorbing Silas’s words. “Whatever it was, it’s left a mark,” he said softly. “You’re not imagining it.”
Silas stared at the floor, the weight of it all pressing down on him. “Steve… I don’t even know who I am anymore. Or what I am.”
Steve’s expression hardened with determination. “You’re Silas. And whatever’s happening, we’ll get to the bottom of it. Together.”
Silas looked up, the suspicion still lingering but tempered by a glimmer of hope. “Promise?”
“Promise,” Steve said, his voice steady.
Silas nodded, feeling a little more grounded. “I met the Iron Knight,” he said, a hint of awe returning to his voice. “He was right there.”
Steve forced a smile, hiding the pain behind his eyes. “Yeah? What was he like?”
“Strong. Focused. Like he knew exactly what to do,” Silas said. He paused, his voice dropping. “I wish I was like that.”
Steve leaned forward, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “You will be,” he said quietly. “Just give it time.”
Silas nodded, the weight of the past few days pressing down on him. He didn’t have all the answers, but for the first time, he felt like he wasn’t facing this alone.
The conversation left him with more questions than answers, but it also gave him something he desperately needed—a glimmer of hope. Silas nodded, feeling slightly more grounded. But as the adrenaline ebbed away, a new wave of anxiety crashed over him. “Steve… I haven’t been home. My mom… she must be losing it. She’ll think I’m—” His voice cracked. “I need to let her know I’m okay.”
Steve paused, his expression softening. “Of course. Here.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a sleek comm device, and handed it to Silas. “Call her.”
Silas took it with trembling hands, punching in his mom’s number. Each ring felt like an eternity, his heart pounding with every second that passed. Finally, the call went to voicemail. Silas swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice steady.
“Hey, Mom. It’s me, Silas. I’m… I’m okay. I know I should’ve been home by now, but something came up.” He glanced at Steve, who gave him a reassuring nod. “I’ll explain everything when I can. I promise. Just… please don’t worry. I’ll be home soon.” He ended the call, his shoulders slumping as he handed the comm back to Steve.
“Voicemail,” Silas muttered, a mix of relief and guilt in his eyes. “She’s probably so mad at me.”
Steve nodded, his expression serious but understanding. “She’ll be worried, yeah. But you did what you could.” He paused, placing a reassuring hand on Silas’s shoulder. “We’ll get you home. Just… we need to make sure it’s safe first.”
Silas nodded again, the weight of everything pressing down on him. “Yeah… I know.” He glanced back at the phone, feeling the ache of being cut off from the life he knew. “Thanks, Steve.”
“Anytime, kid,” Steve said softly. “We’ll figure this out. Together.”
Silas looked down, trying to hold back his anxiety. The jumbled fragments of memory from the arcade—the visions of an eerie, faceless figure guiding people, the confusion and almost hypnotic allure—stayed vivid in his mind.
Steve gave him a steady look. “Come on.” He said waving toward the door, “I’ve got equipment in my lab that should help us understand what happened. We need to find out what Kisonic is really doing with that technology.”
Nice origin story for Silas.