Elara didn't remember walking back home. Only the feeling stayed with her. Cold. Heavy. Wrong. Like something had followed her and never left. You are shaking. Noah's voice was softer now. Closer. They stood just outside her house, the fading light stretching shadows across the ground. I'm fine, Elara said. Not a question. Elara looked away. If she told him...if she said she saw him dead, would it change anything? Or worse, would it make it make it real? I just got dizzy, she lied. A pause. Noah studied her, like he was trying to solve something, you don't have to pretend with me, he said quietly. For a second, she almost believed him.
That night, the house felt different. Again. The silence wasn't empty anymore. It was waiting. Elara sat on her bed, staring at her hands. They were still shaking. I saw him die. No, worse. I saw myself kill him. Her breath caught. That's not real, she whispered. It can't be. But deep down, something inside her disagreed. A sound. Soft. From the hallway. Elara froze. Not again. Step. Slow. Dragging. Step. Closer. Her heart pounded as she stood up, every instinct screaming at her to stay still, but she moved anyway. One step. Then another. Toward the door. Her hand reached for the handle. It was cold. Too cold. Don't open it. That voice again. Sharp. Urgent. Not hers. Elara chenched her jaw. I'm not running anymore. And she opened the door. The hallway was empty. Dark. Silent. Hello? No answer. Of course. She stepped out slowly. The floor creaked under her weight. Each sound too loud. Too clear. At the end of the hallway, something moved. Just slightly. A shadow slipping into the corner. Wait,Elara followed. Faster now. Her pulse rising. Something inside her pulling her forward. Not fear. Something else. She turned the corner,and stopped. The mirror. Old. Tall. Creaked down the center. Her reflection stared back at her. But, it didn't move. Elara's breath hitched. No. Slowly, the reflection smiled. Ice shot through her veins. That's not me. The reflection tilted its head. Eyes darker. Deeper. Like something was looking out from inside her face. Then, it spoke. Without sound. Lips moving silently. Elara stepped closer without thinking. What are you saying? And suddenly, the world shifted. Flash. A room. This room. But broken. Destroyed. Blood on the walls. The mirror, shattered completely. And Elara, standing in front of it. Crying. Begging. Please don't make me forget. Another voice. Behind her. Cold. Familiar. You asked for this, Elara. Back to reality. Elara stumbled back, gasping. Her heart felt like it was going to explode. No...no, I didn't, the mirror cracked. A new line splitting across the glass. And this time, the reflection spoke out loud. One word. A name. Kael. Elara froze. Who?
The lights flickered violently. The house groaned. Like it was alive, and angry. And then, a scream. Outside. Elara ran to the window. Her breath caught.
In the street, someone was being dragged. Into the darkness. No one else moved. No one helped. Like this was normal. No ,she turned and ran.
As she burst out of the house, a single thought echoed in her mind: she didn't know who Kael was...but her heart, was already breaking for him.