Lisa watched Jake disappear into the distance, her mind a storm of confusion and guilt. She turned away from the cliff's edge, her thoughts spinning back to Liam. Whatever Jake's accusations, they couldn't shake the connection she felt with Liam. Still, the nagging doubts lingered—who exactly was Liam, and what secrets lay behind his dark, soulful eyes?
As night fell, Lisa found herself slipping through the shadows toward the abandoned library on the edge of town. She had made plans to meet Liam there, hoping they could dig further into the mystery of his past and the strange events that seemed to plague him. The last time they'd tried researching, a dark, unexplainable energy had swept through the room, knocking books from shelves and stirring a cold dread in Lisa's chest. Tonight, she needed answers, not more questions.
Liam was already waiting in a dim corner, surrounded by stacks of ancient books and yellowed maps. His expression was tense, his gaze distant, as if he sensed the darkness closing in on him. He looked up as she approached, his face softening with a sad smile.
"You came," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper.
"Of course," Lisa replied, settling beside him. "I just… I need to understand what happened to you, Liam. There's something more here, something we're missing."
They dove into the dusty tomes, piecing together fragments of legends and half-forgotten tales. Hours slipped by, and the dim glow of a single candle was the only light guiding them through the words of those long dead. As they read, a story began to emerge—a tale of an ancient necromancer who had once terrorized their town, a soul too twisted and dark to cross over after death. He had been sealed away, trapped between realms, awaiting a way to return.
Lisa's heart pounded as she made the connection. "This… this necromancer," she whispered, barely able to meet Liam's gaze. "What if he's not just a spirit anymore? What if he's… attached to you?"
Liam stiffened, a shadow passing over his face. "Attached?" he echoed, his voice hollow. "You mean… he's inside me?"
Lisa swallowed, dread coiling in her stomach. "When I brought you back… I thought I was only calling you. But maybe I opened a door, one I didn't realize. I think the necromancer's spirit found its way into this world through you. And now… he's using you as a vessel."
A heavy silence fell between them. Liam looked away, his face pale and drawn, as if the truth had robbed him of something vital. "So, I'm nothing more than a host," he murmured. "A puppet."
"No, it's not like that," Lisa said quickly, reaching for his hand. But the moment her fingers brushed his, a cold shiver ran up her spine, and she felt a strange, almost foreign presence in the air around them, like the lingering touch of a shadow.
Liam pulled his hand away, shaking his head. "You don't know what it feels like, Lisa," he whispered, his voice tight with a mix of fear and anger. "There are moments I can't tell where I end and… he begins. It's like he's waiting, lurking just beneath the surface."
Lisa's stomach twisted with guilt. She had meant to bring Liam back, to give him life again, not to invite some ancient evil to share his existence. But as she looked into his haunted eyes, she could see that she had unintentionally set a terrible chain of events into motion.
"Liam, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I never meant for any of this to happen."
He clenched his jaw, his eyes dark with anguish. "I know. But it doesn't change what I am now. Every day, I feel him pushing, trying to take control. Sometimes… I wonder if I'll just disappear."
"No, I won't let that happen." Lisa's voice was fierce, a spark of determination flaring within her. "We'll find a way to free you. There has to be a way to sever his connection to you."
A flicker of hope lit Liam's eyes, but it was quickly extinguished. "Even if we could, he's not going to just let go. If he's powerful enough to escape death, he'll stop at nothing to make sure he stays in this world—through me or through someone else."
Lisa swallowed, the weight of the danger pressing down on her. If they failed, it wasn't just Liam who was at risk—the entire town could fall under the necromancer's influence. They were up against something ancient and malevolent, something that had waited centuries to return.
"What about… exorcisms?" she asked, searching her mind for any hint of a solution.
"We'd need someone who understands dark magic better than either of us," Liam replied grimly. "Someone who knows the kind of rituals that trap and bind a soul like his."
"Then we find them," Lisa said, her tone resolute. "Whatever it takes, we'll find someone who can help. And until then, I'll stay by your side. I'm not letting him have you, Liam."
A small, grateful smile broke through Liam's fear. But before he could reply, the room went suddenly cold, and the candlelight flickered as a deep, menacing voice seemed to echo from nowhere.
"You think you can defy me, girl?" The voice was low, dark, and seething with ancient fury. "I was bound for centuries, waiting for the one foolish enough to bring me back. And now… here I am."
Lisa froze, her heart hammering as she realized they were no longer alone. This was the necromancer—the spirit she had unwittingly set free. He was here, in the room, using Liam as his mouthpiece.
"Leave him alone!" Lisa shouted, standing her ground even as her hands shook.
A cruel chuckle echoed from Liam's lips, though his eyes reflected only horror. "He is mine now, little witch," the voice sneered. "And soon, this town, this world… will be mine as well."
"No!" Lisa's voice cracked with desperation. "I brought Liam back because he deserved a second chance at life. You have no right to take that from him."
Liam's face twisted with pain as he fought against the spirit's control, his hands clawing at his temples. "Lisa… please… help me," he gasped, his voice his own for a fleeting moment.
Without thinking, Lisa grabbed his hands, willing every ounce of strength and love she had to flow into him. "Liam, stay with me. Don't let him win."
The dark presence wavered, as if struggling to hold its grip on Liam. For a moment, the air felt lighter, and Liam's face softened, his eyes clear.
But then, with a final, furious shriek, the presence surged back, casting a chill that made Lisa stumble backward. "You will regret this, girl," the voice hissed. "I will make sure of it."
And just like that, the presence was gone, leaving only the echo of its threat lingering in the cold air.
Liam slumped forward, exhausted and trembling, but he was himself again—at least for now. He looked up at Lisa, his expression a mix of fear and relief.
"I don't know how much longer I can keep fighting him," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But… thank you, Lisa. For everything."
Lisa took a shaky breath, her resolve hardening. "We're going to beat him, Liam. We're going to find a way to set you free."
But as they left the library that night, a heavy, foreboding silence hung over them, as if the shadows themselves were watching, waiting for their chance to strike. And Lisa knew, deep down, that their battle with the necromancer was only beginning.