Aurora’s P.O.V
I sat on my bed, hugging my knees to my chest as I watched Caleb, Caroline, and—much to my surprise—Damien settle themselves in various spots around the room. Caleb perched on the edge of the bed beside me, his expression serious, while Caroline leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, and Damien slouched casually in my desk chair. The room felt tense, as if they were all just waiting for me to snap, and if I was being honest, I was waiting for the same.
“Is this…really necessary?” I asked on a sigh, leaning back against my bed frame. “You guys should rest in your rooms, rather than be here and suffer even further because of me.”
“We’re staying,” Caleb said, his voice firm, yet soft. “All of us. We’re not suffering, Aura, we’re here to make sure that you’re safe.”
I nodded, my heart racing. “I’m so sorry for this. I just, I don’t know what’s happening, Caleb—” My voice cracked, and I grabbed his arm tightly, my fingers trembling.
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Caleb’s tone was reassuring, but even I could see the worry behind it all. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, Aurora. I promise you that.”
I nodded, but I wasn’t so sure anymore. “Ever since that shadowy figure tried to kill me...I just feel—”
Caroline’s eyes narrowed, and she straightened, pushing off the doorframe. “Wait, shadowy figure? What shadowy figure, Aurora?”
I turned to her, my voice shaking as I answered, “I told Caleb about it, the one that seemed to appear when my father dropped to the ground. It—it was like it knew me, like it was waiting for me. And then—” I hesitated, glancing between Caleb and Caroline before my gaze darted to Damien, who was watching silently.
“God, what’s happening to me?” I cried out, tears pricking my eyes. “I don’t even know what’s real anymore. My dad, the figure, the symbol—I’m losing it, aren’t I?”
Damien finally spoke, his voice calm but laced with an edge that made me shiver. “You’re not losing it, Aurora. Whatever this is, it’s real. We just want to make sure we have all the facts straight.”
Caroline exchanged a glance with Caleb, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Caleb, why didn’t you tell us about this before?”
“It slipped my mind. We were…discussing other things…about the pack, remember?” Caleb told Caroline almost suggestively before turning to face me.
I stared at him, barely able to process his words. Caleb’s hand tightened on mine as he said, “We’re going to figure this out. We’re not leaving you hanging, Aurora, but even we don’t know what’s going on.”
I nodded, my voice barely a whisper. “Okay. But promise me you’ll stay. All of you.”
Caleb gave me a small, reassuring smile. “We already said we would.”
Damien leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head. “Don’t worry, Aurora. With us here, that shadowy bastard won’t stand a chance.”
Caroline rolled her eyes while Caleb smirked, nodding. “For once, I agree with Damien. You’re not alone in this, Aurora. Not anymore.”
Their words offered a flicker of comfort, but the weight of the unknown still pressed heavily on my chest. Whatever was happening to me, it wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
“Can you tell us about your dream, Aurora?” Caroline asked softly, her eyes worried. “Do you remember what you dreamt of?”
I nodded. “I was surrounded by darkness, it felt almost suffocating.” I told them. “And then suddenly, the ground cracked open and I was being pulled into an abyss.” I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath to control my emotions before speaking again. “And at the bottom of the abyss was this…symbol. It was glowing with this eerie green light. And it felt like it was pulling me in, trying to envelop me…consume me.”
“Symbol?” Caleb’s brow furrowed deeply, and Caroline tilted her head, her expression a mixture of confusion and concern.
“What kind of symbol are you talking about?” Caleb pressed, his hand covering mine reassuringly, even though I could feel the tension in his grip. “Can you remember the details?”
I swallowed hard, trying to find the right words. “It’s hard to explain. It wasn’t just a shape—it felt... alive. Like it was calling me or warning me. I don’t know. It was a circle with a rectangle inside it," I said, my voice trembling as I gestured with my hands to outline the shape in the air.
"And there were vines crawling up the sides of the circle, like they were alive or something. It looked... familiar somehow, but I don’t know why. I don’t know what it means." I ran my fingers through my hair, the frustration bubbling up inside me.
But when I turned to the rest of them, I found them all looking at me wearily, as if they were worried about something. “What? What is it?”
Caleb leaned forward, his expression dark and serious. "Aurora, that’s not just any random symbol," he said, his voice low.
"It’s the same one that was found... on your dad’s chest." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle over me.
I stared at him, trying to process what he was saying. "On my dad’s chest?" I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. My mind raced with questions, each one more overwhelming than the last.
"Why—how did it get there? What does it even mean? Caleb, I need answers. I really need answers." My hands curled into fists at my sides as I fought to keep my emotions in check. "I have this gut feeling that something’s changed—something big. But I can’t figure out what it is, and it’s driving me insane."
"I know, Aurora," Caleb said, his tone softer now, almost soothing. "We all want answers. That’s why my dad sent an image of that symbol out to the witch, to find out if they know anything. We’re doing everything we can to figure this out." He reached out, placing a hand on my arm.
"But you’ve got to be patient, okay? These things take time."
"Patient?" I shot back, shaking my head. "How am I supposed to be patient when my dad’s involved? We all know he’s bad new Caleb, this isn’t just some random symbol from a dream. It’s connected to him. To me. I can feel it." My voice cracked, and I looked away, swallowing hard.
"I just... I need to know what’s happening. I need to know what’s changed with me. Because whatever it is, I don’t think it’s good."
Caleb stared at me with that probing intensity he always had when he wanted answers. His voice broke through the silence, sharp but laced with worry.
“What do you mean, something has changed? Aurora, can you feel something?”
I swallowed hard, avoiding his gaze. “I don’t know how to explain it, Caleb. I just… feel different.” My voice wavered, and I hated how small it sounded, but it was the truth.
“Like when he—when that person was crushing my skull, he did something. Left something inside me.”
His brows knit together, his concern deepening. “Left something? Aurora, what are you talking about? You’re not making any sense.”
“I’m trying to make sense!” I snapped, immediately regretting it when I saw the hurt flash across his face. I softened my tone, rubbing my temples as if that could somehow massage clarity into my words.
“Hey, hey…” Caleb was next to me in an instant, his arms wrapping around me in a comforting embrace. “Relax, Aurora. Just…breathe. We’re here for you.”
But I shook my head, urgency coloring my voice as I tried to explain what was happening. My insides felt heavy, as if a giant weight was pressing down on my shoulders and I needed to let this out.
“I don’t know how to explain it,” I said again, my voice cracking. “I just feel it. It’s like… like something inside me shifted. Like I’m not me anymore. Or at least, not the me I used to be.” I hesitated, the weight of unspoken fears pressing down on me. “Everything is just… off.”
One moment, I feel like I’m on the verge of a breakdown, nothing makes sense, but then suddenly, I was being pulled into Caleb’s embrace, his arms coming around me firmly, holding me to him.
“Aurora, we’ll figure this out. Whatever happened, whatever’s inside you, we’ll find a way to fix it.”
I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that this was something that could be fixed. But deep down, in the pit of my soul where that strange, alien sensation pulsed like a second heartbeat, I knew he couldn’t.
Some things, once changed, could never go back and even though I couldn’t say it out loud, I felt it in every fiber of my being. I wasn’t just different—I was something else entirely.