Aurora’s P.O.V
I walked slowly, my feet feeling like they were sinking into the ground with every step I took. My heart weighed heavily in my chest, almost as if it was begging me to turn around, to go back and confront him once and for all, to lay everything out. But what would I say to them without sounding like a jealous woman trying to destroy friendship?
Caleb and Caroline—just the thought of the two of them together twisted my stomach into knots.
They’d assured me, over and over, that there was nothing between them, that whatever they shared was purely platonic, but it was impossible to shake the feeling that something was there, lingering just below the surface, something I couldn’t see but felt in every look they shared, every moment I caught them laughing together.
My mind spun as I replayed those moments in my head, trying to convince myself that I was just being paranoid, that I was overthinking everything, and that Caleb was my mate, chosen by the Moon Goddess with a bond that could never be broken. But no matter how hard I tried, the doubt remained, clawing at me from the inside.
I kept my head down, forcing myself to just keep walking, letting my feet carry me toward the parking lot. I needed space, air, anything to clear my head. I could hear my own breathing, shallow and strained, and I clenched my fists, frustrated with myself.
"Why am I like this?" I muttered under my breath, feeling the heat of embarrassment wash over me. "They’ve told me so many times... why can’t I just believe them?"
As I finally reached the edge of the parking lot, I stopped, staring at the rows of empty cars glinting under the street lamps. I hugged my arms around myself, trying to find some comfort in the silence. But then, without warning, an eerie sensation prickled at the back of my neck.
It was subtle at first, just a faint, uncomfortable feeling, but it quickly grew, spreading down my spine like ice. I looked around, the hair on my arms standing on end as the silence suddenly felt too heavy, too thick.
I took a shaky breath, my heart pounded even harder, louder, as I scanned the lot, hoping to see something, anything that would make sense of the strange feeling creeping over me.
The parking lot was too quiet. Rows of cars sat silently under the streetlights, shadows dancing as the wind blew through the trees. It was strange, really, the way everything felt frozen in place, like a photograph from some forgotten memory. But I kept telling myself it was fine. Everyone was at the stadium, packed tight into the bleachers, cheering for the winners, waiting for the ceremony that would crown the Blue Hill High players the Kings of the field.
I squinted at the rows, picking out Caleb’s unmistakable car in the distance. My footsteps echoed louder than I expected, bouncing off the asphalt, and I forced a laugh under my breath, shaking my head. Just nerves, nothing more.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed someone by the school entrance, standing in a strange, still manner. I squinted, trying to make out the face, but the figure was hazy, like looking through a thick layer of smoke. Still, something about them tugged at me, something familiar that I couldn't quite place.
“Hey!” I called out, my voice breaking the silence like a pebble tossed into still water. “Are you lost?” My words echoed back to me, swallowed by the emptiness of the lot.
I waited, hoping they’d answer, maybe explain why they were out here alone, or maybe I was hoping they'd just turn out to be some random passerby, heading to the stadium. But there was nothing, just the silent figure standing there, watching—or maybe not even seeing me.
I took a few steps closer, hoping to catch a better glimpse. “Hello?” I tried again, my voice softening as if whispering would make the strange feeling go away.
“Do I know you?” The figure didn’t move, didn’t speak. They just stood there, unmoving, almost like a shadow cast in the wrong place.
I shook my head, willing myself to be rational, even as my legs moved forward, drawn to this person with a familiar yet unrecognizable face. Maybe it was someone from school, I reasoned, or one of Caleb’s friends messing with me.
But when I stepped close enough to look at the person…a sense of dread washed over me like a punch to the gut.
I stumbled back, gasping, my heart hammering wildly as I blinked, trying to believe it was some cruel trick of the mind. But no, it was real. He was standing there. My father—gaunt, decayed, like he’d crawled straight from his grave, the skin pulled so tight against his skull I could count every ridge and hollow.
He looked like a walking corpse, covered in dirt, bits of dried leaves clinging to his skin, his eyes vacant and dull. The smell hit me then, a sour, rotten stench that made bile rise in my throat.
“No… no… this can’t be…” I whispered, scrambling backward, the horror churning inside me like a storm.
As if in answer, his body jerked, twisting, and then he fell. The sound of his bones cracking as he hit the ground was so loud I flinched, covering my mouth with my hand to muffle a scream. His limbs lay bent at impossible angles, splayed out in such a grotesque way that I could hardly believe he’d ever been whole.
He didn’t look like he had bones anymore—just a pile of skin and old memories scattered across the ground. I could feel my chest tightening, the edges of my vision starting to darken, but I forced myself to keep looking, too horrified to tear my eyes away.
“No... what happened to you?” I choked, even though I knew he wasn’t going to answer.
And then I saw it—a shadow behind him, shifting, pulling me out of my shock like a sudden chill down my spine. I blinked, my vision focusing as I made out the shape of someone else, half-hidden in the darkness, yet those eyes were unmistakable, cutting through the gloom. They were glowing, a sickly green, burning with a strange, unnatural light. I froze, my voice caught in my throat, unable to call for help or even breathe.
The figure stepped forward, one slow, deliberate step after another, and I felt my entire body tense. Those eyes were locked on me, watching me with an intensity that made every instinct scream for me to run.
But I couldn’t move. “Who… who are you?” I managed, barely above a whisper.
Their hand shot out and gripped my head with a force so fierce it felt like steel pressing into my skull. I gasped, and the sharp pain coursed through me, robbing me of my breath.
“Let go!” I screamed, thrashing against their hold, but they only tightened their grasp, fingers digging deeper, sending bolts of agony down my neck.
It was as if they were trying to crush my skull between their fingers, and my mind went blank from the sheer intensity of it. Every instinct told me to fight, to push them away, but I could barely move, barely even think. Their hands began to burn with a strange, searing heat, and a soft glow started to emanate from their fingers.
“Stop!” I choked out, feeling the heat sink into my head, burrowing into my mind like fire. My body jerked against the invisible force that held me, every part of me straining to escape, but I was helpless, locked in place by whatever twisted power they held.
The glow brightened, and they began to chant in a language I couldn’t understand—harsh, foreign sounds that resonated deep in my bones, making my skin prickle with fear. The words felt ancient, and with each syllable, the pain intensified, reverberated in my head, mingling with the unbearable pressure.
“Please…stop…” I whispered, barely able to force the words out, but they didn’t stop, didn’t even hesitate, as if they couldn’t hear me at all. My vision blurred, my strength waning as the throbbing in my head grew unbearable, filling my entire body with the sensation of impending darkness.
It felt as though my head would split open, and the last thing I heard before I blacked out was the relentless rhythm of their chant, pounding in time with the pulsing ache in my mind, dragging me under as everything went black.