When Lilly arrived at the edge of town, morning light was barely breaking through the clouds, and with small, misty puffs, the breath rose visibly as she waited for Silas. Unaware quite how long she'd been standing, at any rate, the ache in her bones settled into the all-too-familiar burn of exhaustion: the weight of what happened last night, the tension between herself and Layla, and the ever-present danger of the entity gnawing on her thoughts. The body was here, with the mind floating between two worlds: the world of living and the world she had been pulled into.
The rustling of leaves in the wind brought her gaze back down to the path ahead, and that was when she saw him. Silas materialized from behind the shadows, his form fluttering for half a second before solidifying, as if stepping between worlds had become second nature with him. His face was as unreadable as ever, but there was something different in him this time something more real, more earthly.
Lilly watched as Silas approached her, his features somber but not unkind. There was a weight in his eyes now that wasn't there before, a sense of purpose, as if his polished resolve reflected her own. He stood several feet in front of her and slipped his hands into his pockets, regarding her in silence.
"You came," he said, the softness in his tone carrying the weight of it all.
Lilly nodded; a moment passed before she found the words. She hadn't known if Silas was coming or if he would still be willing to help her through all that had taken place. But here he was, standing in front of her, his quiet intensity no different, and a wave of relief washed over her.
"I had to," Lilly said, barely above a whisper. "We don't have much time."
But Silas' face clouded somewhat, his eyes shifted to the far horizon, beyond which lay West Wood Cemetery. "No we don't," he said, and his voice had a much more serious timbre to it. "The entity is getting stronger. We're running out of chances to stop it.
Lilly bit her lip as the familiar tension tightened in her chest. "Then let's not waste any more time. We need to figure out how to complete the ritual.
Silas's eyes flickered with something she couldn't quite place- hesitation, maybe, or regret. His weight shifted, his form flickering for just a second before solidifying again.
There's something you need to know first," he said, his voice slow, his eyes locking onto hers. "I have been holding back. I haven't been entirely forthcoming with you.
Lilly's heart skipped a beat, her breath catching in her throat. She had known Silas wasn't telling her everything, sensed it in the evasive questions, the way he shied around his past. But to hear him admit it aloud was quite another story.
What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely steady.
For a moment, Silas looked away, his jaw flexing as if to find his words. His voice came softer then, more vulnerable than she'd ever heard it.
"I didn't tell you everything about the ritual," he said, his eyes returning to hers. "I didn't tell you how I was involved."
Lilly's heart was racing as she waited for him to continue, her mind already running wild with the possibilities. She had always known that there was more to the story about Silas and his connection with the Grey family and the failed binding ritual, but she had never pressed him for the full story. Now, it would seem, that truth was finally going to come to light.
Silas took a deep breath, his shoulders hunching slightly under the imagined weight of his past. "I wasn't merely a witness to the ritual," he said, his voice quieted. "I was to be the conduit, the one who would bind the entity.
Lilly's eyes widened in shock, her brain working to wrap itself around the revelation. "You were… the conduit?"
Silas nodded grimly. "The Grey family chose me. They thought I had the strength to complete the binding, but… something went wrong. The entity was too powerful. I wasn't strong enough to contain it.
The weight of his words hung heavy in the silence, and Lilly went dumb for a moment. She knew already that the ritual had failed, but she'd never in her craziest imagination thought that Silas had been at the center of the one chosen to bind the entity in. The guilt and regret lacing his voice still were alive, and this choked her chest tighter with immediate empathy.
What happened?" she asked so softly, full of compassion.
Silas's gaze fell to the ground as his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "I failed," he said, a bitter taste in his voice. "The ritual broke apart before we could finish it. The entity broke free, and I was. Left behind. Trapped between worlds, just like the entity. I am here now, bound to West Wood Cemetery, waiting for someone else to complete what I couldn't.
Lilly swallowed hard as a pang took her heart for him. She could hardly imagine what it must have been like for Silas, being trapped that long, burdened with knowing he'd failed to stop that entity. Now, all this time later, the responsibility of finishing the ritual was hers.
"I did not know," Lilly whispered thickly. "I am so sorry." Silas shook his head; his features relaxed a little. "It's not your fault," he said softly. "I should have told you sooner. I just. I didn't want you to look at me the way I look at myself. Like I'm a failure.
She took another step closer to him, her eyes steady and brimming with understanding. "You are not a failure, Silas," she said steadfastly. "You did what you could. And now, we can complete it. Together.
Silas looked up at her, his eyes searching hers for any sign of doubt, but all he found was determination. For the first time since they'd met, Lilly could see the vulnerability in him, the weight of his past, and the guilt he'd carried with him for so long. But she wasn't afraid of it. She wasn't afraid of him.
"We will finish the ritual," Lilly added this time, with firmness in her voice. "We'll stop the entity. I am not letting you go through that alone.
Silas's face softened, a flicker of something appreciation maybe even love-crossing his features. "Thank you," he whispered. "I have been so very alone for such a long time. I didn't realize just how much I needed someone to believe in me."
Lilly smiled faintly, the tension between them easing fractionally as they stood together, side by side, ready to face whatever lay ahead. It was different this ttimebond that had built over the past weeks was stronger-but now it was real, genuine For the first time, Lilly felt like she truly understood Silas, like they were partners in this fight and not just two people who were thrown together by circumstance.
As the wind around them began to pick up, carrying with it the chill of supernatural forces waiting at West Wood Cemetery, Lilly took a deep breath and nodded her head ahead down the path.
"Let's get going," she said. "We haven't any time to waste."
Silas nodded vigorously, his face set in determination. As one, they turned and started down the path to the cemetery, their unanimous footsteps soon falling into a unified rhythm, their sense of purpose more solid than it had ever been. For the first time in ages, Lilly felt a spark of hope. No longer was she entirely on her own in this fight. With Silas by her side, whatever lay ahead, she would welcome it.