Page 38 of Knox
He returned to the living room to find Evelyn at the door’s intercom, her brow furrowed as she squinted at the small speaker.
"Who are you? I can’t quite understand what you’re saying." Her voice was tinged with frustration.
"That’s quite the crowd." Zev stood by the window, frowning. Adrian joined him and looked outside. His breath caught in his throat. A crowd of paparazzi had gathered on the sidewalk, cameras flashing and reporters shouting questions. They must have followed them back from the bridge.
"They’re here because of us," Adrian said, running a hand through his hair. "Or rather, because of you guys."
Evelyn shot them all a puzzled look. "There are a lot of reporters out there."
"Get away from the intercom. Don’t open the door. And stay away from the windows too!"
"But they are reporters." Lyrian approached the window in spite of Adrian’s warnings—and Zev hadn’t moved an inch either. "If we talk to them, we can tell them how dangerous the Shadow King really is. I could sing them a song about his crimes! Something catchy!" He seemed very enthusiastic about this idea.
Before Adrian could stop him, he opened the window and leaned out. The next moment, his voice cut through the chaos, drawing immediate attention from the reporters below.
"People of this world," Lyrian began, "listen carefully!"
Lyrian began to sing, his voice rich and melodious. The lyrics flowed smoothly, almost hypnotically:
"In shadows deep where darkness lies,
A king of fear with cruel disguise.
Beware his charm, his treacherous grin,
For evil lurks beneath his skin."
The reporters stood transfixed, their cameras still flashing but now capturing a different kind of spectacle.
"Deceitful savior, do not trust,
His heart is cold, his soul unjust.
He’ll turn your hope into despair,
Beware the darkness in his lair."
Adrian found himself captivated. He glanced at Zev, who stood motionless, his eyes locked on Lyrian as if entranced by his friend’s song.
Knox watched from a distance, his expression unreadable but tense.
Lyrian continued, his voice rising and falling with an almost hypnotic quality until his song was sung.
The reporters stared up at the windows, microphones and notepads forgotten. The magic in Lyrian’s voice seemed to hold them spellbound even after the last note had rung out.
Evelyn had moved closer to Adrian. "That boy has quite the gift," she whispered.
Adrian nodded absently and exhaled, realizing he’d been holding his breath.
Lyrian closed the window gently and turned back to face Adrian and the others. "Let’s see how that goes," he said with a small smile.
Evelyn grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. "Look at this," she said, motioning them all over.
Lyrian’s performance was being broadcast on every channel. The siren’s song echoed through the living room once more, captivating the news anchors just as it had the reporters outside. Each station replayed the footage, accompanied by excited commentary and scrolling text about the mysterious singer.
"They’re eating it up," Adrian muttered, both impressed and worried.
Lyrian smirked, leaning casually against the wall. "Of course. No matter the world, humans can never resist a good tune."
