Zoya’s P.O.V
My heart was racing, and my hands trembled as I dropped the picture frame, the glass shattering into pieces on the floor.
Cam rushed to my side, concern etched all over her face as she looked at me from head to toe, moving me away from the glass shards. “Zoya? What happened?”
I couldn't find the words to explain the fear that had gripped me, so I shook my head, trying to process what I saw in the mirror.
"C-Cam, did you see that?" I stammered, my voice shaky as I tried to keep my composure.
Cam looked over, concern etched on his face. "See what, Zoya?"
I glanced back at the mirror, but the shadow had disappeared. "I-I thought I saw something, like a black shadow behind me," I explained, my heart still pounding in my ears. "I-I must have hallucinated or something. Maybe it was just a trick of the light. But I swear… I swear…"
Even as I tried to convince myself that it was all in my mind, I couldn't shake off the feeling that someone or something was watching me.
Cam remained on high alert, and I could see the worry in her eyes. She knew that something was bothering me, even if I was trying to brush it off.
"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, her voice gentle but concerned.
I forced a smile, not wanting to burden her with my irrational fears. "Yes, I'm fine," I assure her, trying to sound convincing.
Cam didn't seem entirely convinced. “Let’s check together if there is something in the house, okay? Maybe that will make you feel better, once you see that there’s nothing here.”
“Okay.” I nodded, but I didn’t tell her that it wasn’t that easy. That I’ve had this feeling before.
Maybe looking around will help me calm down? And it’ll also help me make sure that no intruder was making this house their own while Ezra stayed away.
Cam helped me clean up the broken glass from the floor and set the picture frame aside. The image of Lily and Ezra stared back at me, a haunting reminder of the past.
I couldn't help but think that the broken picture frame was some sort of ill omen or something, some kind of evil foreshadowing.
Another shiver ran down my spine at the thought.
As we continued to move around the house, Cam taking me with her as she inspected each room, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that lingered.
I tried to distract myself with other tasks, but my mind kept going back to that moment in front of the mirror.
Did I really see something, or was it just my imagination playing tricks on me? Just like when I had seen that shadow in the forest?
In the back of my mind, I couldn't help but wonder if Silas was somehow behind all of this.
His anger and resentment towards Ezra were well-known, and I feared that he might be trying to harm me to get back at Ezra.
The thought sent a chill down my spine, and I found myself glancing over my shoulder, half-expecting to see that shadow again.
Cam noticed my unease and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "If something's bothering you, you can talk to me, you know," she said softly. “Or we can leave immediately. You don’t have to force yourself to do this.”
“No!” I appreciated her concern, but I was not ready to leave this place just yet. "It's nothing, really," I replied, forcing a smile once more. "Just some jitters from all the wedding drama, I guess."
Cam didn't push further, but I could tell that she would still be keeping a watchful eye on me.
As Cam and I moved through the house, inspecting each room, my nerves started to settle slightly. Having her by my side is comforting, and I felt safer with her protective presence.
We checked every nook and cranny, making sure everything was in order. The house felt empty, but echoes of memories lingered in every corner, and not once did we see the shadow that seemed to have haunted me earlier.
As we exited one of the rooms in the house, my eyes caught something unusual — a lampshade in the hallway that seemed out of place.
It was on one of the shelves that lined the hall. Some levels were decorated with little ornaments and vases, but this lampshade was… odd.
It must have been a beautiful color back then, but now it seemed to have turned a dark shade of pure black. It looked eerie, almost as if it had been tainted by something sinister.
I pointed it out to Cam, suggesting that we should arrange for cleaners to fix it, and she came over to take a look at what I was talking about.
Cam glanced at the lampshade, then back at me with a smile. It seemed to be tight around the corners, but I understood that she was trying to keep my anxiety levels low.
"It's alright, Zoya," she assured me. "The lampshade was probably pure silver, and over time, it has oxidized, which is why it turned black. It happens to silver objects exposed to air."
Relieved that there's a logical explanation, I chuckled at my own overactive imagination. "I guess I'm just on edge today," I admitted, running a hand through my hair.
"It's understandable, given everything that's happened," Cam said empathetically. "Moving into a new place can be overwhelming, especially with everything that's going on."
I nod in agreement, grateful for her understanding.
Cam then turned back to her inspection of the other rooms, and I was supposed to follow her, but there was just something about that lamp that made me curious, drawing me in.
So as Cam kept going around, checking the other rooms, I approached the strange lampshade, and I couldn't help but feel a tinge of curiosity mixed with trepidation.
I tentatively reach out and touch it, only to have my fingers coated with a black tar-like substance.
The smell that accompanies it is overwhelming — a noxious stench of rotten cabbage, something akin to sulphur. It's the same foul odor that Ezra had described earlier, confirming my worst fears.
Crap. What did this mean?