Lisa stared at her phone, the message from Liam staring back at her with a haunting finality. Her fingers trembled as she typed a quick response, her mind racing, but she didn't even know what to say.
What's getting worse?
Liam, you have to talk to me. I'm here, just tell me what's happening.
But there was no reply. No immediate reassurance. Her thumb hovered over the screen for a moment before she placed the phone back in her pocket, the weight of the situation sinking in like a stone in water.
The air around her felt heavy, thick with an unspoken dread. She glanced up at the ocean, its waves now crashing louder against the shore, almost as though they were warning her, trying to break through the fog that had clouded her thoughts.
Something was happening to Liam—something that went beyond ordinary illness. And it wasn't just him. It was her too. Ever since she'd been drawn into this strange, supernatural mess with the necromancer, everything had shifted. She felt it in her bones, in the way the shadows seemed to whisper her name when no one was around. In the way the wind always seemed to carry a message for her, if only she'd listen.
A chill ran down her spine, and she shook her head, forcing herself to focus. There was no time for these thoughts to spiral. She had to find Liam. She had to do something. She wasn't sure exactly what she was going to do, but something had to change.
And then, just as quickly, she felt the cold touch of something far more sinister creeping into her thoughts. A voice, low and guttural, scratched at the edges of her mind. It wasn't her voice. It wasn't Liam's voice. It was something else entirely.
"Set things right."
Lisa froze, her breath catching in her throat. She'd heard that voice before, but it had never been so... insistent. So demanding.
Set things right? She clenched her fists, trying to shake the voice from her head, but it wouldn't go away. It pulsed in the background, like a constant hum she couldn't ignore.
The words felt like an order, and deep down, she knew what it meant. She had to fix what she had started. The necromancer's influence was growing stronger, and if she didn't stop it, it would consume them both.
But how?
The phone buzzed in her pocket again, and this time, it was a call from Liam. She answered it immediately.
"Liam?" Her voice cracked, barely able to hide the desperation in it. "What's going on? What's happening to you?"
There was a long pause on the other end. Then, his voice, weak and strained, came through the line.
"I don't know... I can't stop it, Lisa. It's like something is pulling me... like I can't control myself."
Lisa felt the blood drain from her face. "What do you mean? What's pulling you?"
"I don't know. It's like... I hear things. See things. It's like someone's in my head."
Lisa's breath caught in her throat, her thoughts spinning. She didn't want to say it, but she had to. "Liam, is it... could it be the necromancer?"
There was a silence on the other end, and for a moment, Lisa wondered if he'd hung up. But then, his voice returned, hoarse and distant. "I don't know. But it feels like it. It's like... it's making me do things. I can't fight it."
Lisa's mind raced. She had to get to him. She had to stop this before it got worse, but the nagging voice in her mind kept echoing those words: Set things right.
"Liam, listen to me," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. "I'm coming to you. Stay where you are, alright? I'll figure this out."
But there was something in his voice, a coldness that made her stomach twist. "I'm not sure you can stop it anymore. It feels like I'm losing myself."
"Liam—"
The call dropped.
Lisa stood there, the phone still pressed to her ear, her body rigid with fear and frustration. What the hell was happening to him?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, sharp pain at the back of her skull, like a migraine starting to bloom. She gasped, clutching her head. The voice was back.
"Set things right. You must. Only then will the power fade."
Her knees nearly buckled, but she forced herself to stand. The headache throbbed with every beat of her heart, but she knew she couldn't afford to collapse now. Not when Liam needed her. Not when everything was hanging by a thread.
"Shut up!" she shouted, slapping her hands over her ears. But the voice only grew louder, more insistent. It was everywhere, inside her mind, surrounding her like a storm.
Set things right... Set things right...
Lisa stumbled back, feeling dizzy. This wasn't just about Liam anymore. This was about her, too. She had made a decision to delve into this dark magic, and now she was being pulled into its depths.
With a final gasp of breath, she forced herself to move. She couldn't let this go on. She couldn't let Liam suffer like this. She had to do whatever it took to stop the necromancer's influence before it consumed them both.
The path to him was clear now, though still shrouded in uncertainty. She had to set things right.
---
Liam lay on the bed, his body covered in a cold sweat, his breathing erratic. His mind felt foggy, as if a thick veil had settled over it. The urge to get up, to run—he didn't know where, didn't know why—was almost unbearable.
But every time he tried to rise, his body betrayed him, as if some invisible force was pushing him back down.
He groaned, his fingers gripping the sheets, clenching them like lifelines. The words in his head grew louder, more urgent.
You cannot stop this... you are not in control.
His pulse quickened. The voice... it wasn't his. It wasn't Lisa's. It was the necromancer's. It had to be.
But why now? Why him?
The answer came swiftly. Because you are the key.
Liam's heart raced. He wanted to scream. He wanted to run, to escape, but he couldn't. He was trapped—by the magic, by the compulsion, by the force inside him that he couldn't understand or fight.
The door to his room creaked open, and he froze.
"Liam?" Lisa's voice was shaky, but determined.
He turned, his eyes wide and desperate, but all he could manage was a weak nod. "Lisa... I don't know how much longer I can hold on."
She rushed to his side, kneeling beside him. The intensity in her eyes matched his own fear. "I'm going to fix this," she said, her voice breaking as she reached for him. But there was something in her gaze—something uncertain.
"Lisa... it's already too late."
But she didn't listen. Instead, she took his hand, squeezing it tightly. "I'm not giving up on you, Liam."
And in that moment, as the voice in Liam's head whispered one last command, Lisa felt a chill run through her veins.
She wasn't sure how much time they had left. But she knew one thing—this was only the beginning.