The house was too quiet.
Not peaceful—just… waiting.
I sat on my bed, staring at my hands. No glow. No flicker. Just normal skin.
But that wasn't what bothered me.
It was getting harder to lie.
Every single day.
To them.
I exhaled slowly, rubbing my fingers together like something might spark.
Nothing. Normal wasn't really an option anymore.
The holidays were ending.
Christmas break had been my excuse—no school, no questions, no explanations.
Now?
Classes would start again.
Work.
Responsibility.
And on top of that—
this.
Training.
Shadows.
Lucien.
I leaned back slightly, staring at the ceiling. "How am I supposed to manage all this?"
Study. Work. Train. Pretend.
Because I had to.
We needed it.
I stood up slowly and walked toward the mirror.
The dim light fell softly across my room, catching on the white fabric of my nightgown. It draped lightly over me, simple, weightless, brushing past my knees.
I paused.
My reflection looked… different.
Not obvious.
But there.
A faint glow rested beneath my skin—soft, steady, like light was hiding there instead of bursting out. My hair fell loosely around my shoulders, slightly messy, but it only made the glow stand out more.
I didn't look tired.
I didn't look scared.
I looked—
calm.
Too calm.
"…Since when?" I whispered.
The last time they came—
I almost messed everything up.
The sound.
That was the problem.
The first shadow had cracked too loudly when I destroyed it, the echo nearly reaching the hallway. I had panicked, forcing the light to shrink, to dim, to stay quiet.
After that—
every movement had been careful.
Every strike controlled.
No flashes.
No noise.
Because if my sisters saw—
everything would fall apart.
A soft sound came from the hallway.
I froze.
Then—
the air shifted.
Cold. Sharp.
My chest tightened instantly.
"No," I whispered. "Not here…"
My eyes flicked toward their rooms.
Still closed.
Still quiet.
Good.
It had to stay that way.
The shadows formed quickly—stretching along the walls, slipping across the floor.
Too close.
Too loud.
I clenched my jaw. "Seriously?" I muttered softly. "Why are people entering my life like it's a water park or something? Like—welcome, come in, no ticket needed?"
One lunged.
I moved instantly, pulling the light—small, controlled, barely visible.
It cut through the shadow silently.
Gone.
Okay.
Another came.
Then another.
I moved faster, keeping everything tight, precise. No flashes. No sound.
My heart raced.
Not here.
Not like this.
Then—
everything stopped.
The shadows froze.
Not because of me.
I felt it before I saw it.
That presence.
I turned slowly.
It stood there.
Not a shadow.
Not human.
Something else.
Still. Watching.
I narrowed my eyes. "Great. Now what are you?"
"You don't need to know."
I blinked.
Then frowned. "Wow. That sounded exactly like someone I know."
A slight pause.
I tilted my head. "What, are you Lucien's mom or something?"
Silence.
Then—
everything changed.
"You know him?"
That wasn't calm anymore.
I straightened slightly. "Okay… that reaction was definitely not normal."
"How do you know him?" it asked.
I crossed my arms slightly. "He trains me. Bosses me around. Says 'again' like it's his life goal."
A long pause.
The shadows didn't move.
"They shouldn't be here," it said.
"Yeah, I noticed."
"They're drawn to you."
"I noticed that too."
"That's not the problem."
Before I could ask—
it stepped forward.
Just once.
That was enough.
The shadows recoiled instantly.
Fear.
Real fear.
"…You shouldn't be here," one whispered.
Not to me.
To it.
And then—
they disappeared.
All of them.
Gone.
Silence returned.
I exhaled slowly.
Then looked back at it.
"You still haven't answered my question."
A pause.
Then—
"You will understand later."
I sighed softly. "You and Lucien would get along. Same mysterious, annoying energy."
For a second—
nothing.
Then—
"I already do."
I froze. "What?"
But it was already fading.
Gone.
I stood there for a long moment before closing my door again.
My mind wasn't on the shadows anymore.
Not even close.
Because now—
there was something else.
Something that knew Lucien.
Something that reacted when I said his name.
I sat back on my bed, staring at my hands again.
"…This is getting out of hand," I muttered.
And for the first time—
I wasn't sure which was worse.
The things trying to kill me.
Or the ones that weren't.