The weight of Jake's question hung between them like a thick fog, pressing down on Lily's chest. She could feel his gaze boring into her, demanding answers she wasn't ready to give. How could she possibly explain the curse that defined her nights? The part of her that craved life, but was bound to death?
Her eyes darted to the window. The creatures were still there, clawing at the glass, their moans muffled but insistent. For now, the thin barrier of her home kept them at bay, but she knew it wouldn't last. They were relentless, drawn to the living like moths to a flame.
"Lily," Jake said, his voice steady but laced with fear. "Tell me what's going on. Please."
She swallowed hard, her throat dry. The truth was bubbling up inside her, but if she said it—if she revealed her secret—it would change everything. The warmth that had been growing between them, the connection she had so carefully guarded, would crumble.
But there was no turning back now.
She took a deep breath, her cold hands trembling at her sides. "I… I'm not like you, Jake."
He blinked, confusion flickering across his face. "What do you mean?"
"I mean…" Her voice cracked. "I'm not… human."
The words seemed to echo in the small room, filling the space between them. Jake's eyes widened, disbelief settling into his expression. He took a step back, as if the distance between them would somehow clarify what he had just heard.
"You're not human?" he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper.
Lily nodded slowly, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I… I change, at night. It's not something I can control. When the sun sets, I… I become something else."
Jake's breath hitched, and he glanced toward the window, where the creatures outside continued their assault. "Like… like them?"
"Not exactly," she said quickly, shaking her head. "I still have my mind. I still know who I am. But… my body changes. My instincts change."
Jake stared at her, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Lily, this doesn't make any sense."
She could feel his doubt, his confusion, but she didn't have time to explain it all—not here, not now. The night was slipping away, and with it, any chance of keeping him safe from the creatures clawing at the door. Her secret had been exposed, but Jake needed to understand the danger—understand her—before he could fully grasp what was happening.
"I know it doesn't make sense," she whispered, "but I'm telling you the truth. I change, Jake. And you… you need to stay away from me when I do."
The groaning of the creatures grew louder, and Jake's attention snapped back to the window. "Are they… like you?" he asked, his voice shaking.
Lily's heart sank. "No. They're worse. They don't think. They don't feel. They only hunt."
"Then why aren't they attacking you?"
Lily hesitated. "I don't know. Maybe they sense something different in me, but it doesn't matter. They'll attack anyone else without hesitation. That's why you can't go out there. That's why I—" She cut herself off, her voice faltering. She couldn't say it.
She couldn't tell him that she might hurt him, too.
Jake took a shaky step toward her, his hands trembling. "You… you're telling me you're like some kind of zombie?"
Lily winced at the word. Zombie. It felt too simple, too crude to describe what she was. She wasn't mindless, not like the others. She wasn't driven by pure instinct, not entirely. But at night, there was a hunger she couldn't deny—a pull that left her dangerously close to losing control.
"I'm still me," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "But there's a part of me that isn't."
Before Jake could respond, the glass at the window cracked under the pressure of the creatures outside. Their growls intensified, and Lily's body tensed, her instincts kicking in. They were getting closer.
Jake spun around, panic flashing in his eyes. "What do we do?"
Lily didn't hesitate. "We run."
"But—"
"There's no time!" she shouted, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the door. The creatures outside were relentless, their clawing growing more frantic. The fragile window wouldn't hold them for much longer.
Jake stumbled after her, his mind clearly reeling from everything he had just learned, but Lily couldn't afford to let him process it. Not yet. They needed to get out. Now.
As they reached the front door, she threw it open, her eyes scanning the dark street. The creatures were at the window, pounding on the glass with their rotting hands. But out in the open, there was a narrow path, just wide enough for them to escape before the undead noticed.
"Come on," she whispered, her voice tight with urgency.
Jake followed her, his footsteps hesitant but quick. They slipped into the darkness, moving as quietly as possible, keeping low as they passed through the shadows.
The streets of Greywater were eerily quiet, save for the distant groans of the undead behind them. The cold night air stung Lily's skin, but she pushed forward, dragging Jake along with her.
"Where are we going?" he whispered, his breath coming in short gasps.
"The old church," she replied, her voice barely audible. "It's safe there. They won't follow us inside."
Jake's brow furrowed, but he didn't question her. He was too shaken, too overwhelmed by everything that had just happened.
As they reached the edge of town, the ancient stone structure of the church loomed in the distance, its towering spire piercing the sky. Lily's pulse quickened. They were almost there. Just a little further, and they'd be safe—at least for the moment.
But as they approached the church's gates, something moved in the shadows.
Lily froze, her senses on high alert.
"Lily?" Jake whispered, his voice barely audible.
Her eyes darted to the dark figure that emerged from the shadows. It wasn't a zombie. It was something worse.
It was her.
The part of her that had fully given in to the curse. Nyx.
- JAPS