The streets of the town were silent, wrapped in the heavy stillness of midnight. Jake pulled his jacket tighter against the chill as he stood in the shadows of an alley, his eyes locked on Lisa's retreating figure. He knew something wasn't right. She had been acting strange—more secretive, more withdrawn—and now she was sneaking off alone in the dead of night.
Jake's jaw tightened. He didn't trust Liam, not for a second. And whatever Lisa was doing, he was sure it had something to do with him. He had to know the truth.
Keeping his distance, Jake followed her through the empty streets, his footsteps quiet against the cobblestones. She moved with purpose, glancing over her shoulder now and then, as if she knew she was being watched. Each time, Jake melted into the shadows, his heart pounding.
Lisa's path led her to the edge of town, where the streetlights gave way to the looming silhouettes of trees. Jake hesitated for a moment before pressing on, his breath visible in the cold night air.
The cemetery came into view, its wrought-iron gate slightly ajar. Lisa slipped inside, and Jake followed, careful to stay hidden. The place was eerie in the moonlight, rows of weathered headstones casting long, crooked shadows.
Jake crouched behind a crumbling mausoleum, peering out as Lisa made her way deeper into the cemetery. She carried a small satchel, her movements tense and hurried. When she reached the center of the graveyard, she knelt beside an old, moss-covered gravestone, pulling something from her bag.
Jake squinted, trying to make out what she was doing. She lit a small candle, its flickering flame casting strange, shifting patterns over her face. Then she removed a piece of parchment, covered in unfamiliar markings, and placed it on the ground in front of the grave.
Jake's stomach twisted. What the hell is she doing?
He watched as Lisa began to speak, her voice low and urgent. He couldn't make out the words, but they sounded strange—like a language he'd never heard before. The air around her seemed to change, growing heavier, colder.
Suddenly, a faint glow emanated from the parchment, the markings pulsing with an otherworldly light. Jake's breath caught in his throat. The candle flickered wildly, and an eerie whispering filled the air, as if unseen voices were murmuring all around them.
Lisa didn't flinch. She kept speaking, her focus unwavering. But Jake could see the strain in her expression, the tension in her body. Whatever she was doing, it wasn't easy—and it wasn't normal.
The whispers grew louder, the glow brighter, until the light seemed to coalesce into a shape above the grave. It was faint, barely more than a shimmer in the air, but Jake could see it—a figure, ghostly and indistinct, hovering in the moonlight.
He stumbled back, his heart racing. This isn't real. This can't be real.
But it was.
The figure seemed to look at Lisa, though it had no face, no features. The whispers grew more frantic, overlapping and echoing, until Jake thought he might go mad from the sound.
And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped.
The light vanished, the whispers silenced. Lisa sat back, her shoulders slumping with exhaustion. She reached out, brushing her fingers over the gravestone, her expression unreadable.
Jake's mind raced. He didn't understand what he had just seen, but one thing was clear: Lisa was involved in something dangerous. And Liam—he had to be connected to this.
As Lisa gathered her things and stood, Jake retreated further into the shadows. She paused, glancing around as if sensing his presence, but after a moment, she shook her head and walked away, disappearing into the night.
Jake waited until he was sure she was gone before stepping into the clearing. His eyes fell on the gravestone, the faint scorch marks on the ground where the parchment had been.
And then he saw it.
Lying in the dirt near the grave was a small object, partially covered by leaves. Jake bent down and picked it up, brushing off the dirt to reveal a strange artifact. It was small and intricately carved, its surface covered in cryptic markings that seemed to shift and shimmer in the moonlight.
A chill ran through him as he held it, a sense of unease settling in his chest. He didn't know what it was, but he could feel its power, dark and unsettling.
Jake's grip tightened around the artifact as a grim determination took hold.
Lisa's hiding something. And Liam—he's at the center of all of this. I'll prove it. I'll make her see what he really is.
Without another glance at the grave, Jake turned and walked away, the artifact clutched tightly in his hand. The shadows seemed to follow him as he left the cemetery, their whispers trailing behind him like a warning.