The silence that followed Malik's departure was heavy, punctuated only by the faint hum of the half-lit neon sign. Melody drifted lower, her form brushing against the jagged remains of the alley floor. Her thoughts spun in a tangled web of questions, each more unsettling than the last. Reaper remained still, his hand raised as if he were tempted to disobey Malik and eliminate the unseen threat. His tattoos dimmed but continued to pulse faintly, the ruby glows flickering like embers on the edge of dying. He stared toward the alley's far end, where Malik had vanished, and for the first time, Melody caught something unexpected in his expression—hesitation. No doubt, but the weight of a decision. "You feel it, don't you?" His voice cut through the quiet, deep, and resonant, carrying the weight of centuries spent guarding a fragile boundary. Melody recoiled instinctively, unsure if he was speaking to her or the empty air. "I hope you figure out what you're doing. For everyone's sake," he added, his tone hardening. Melody froze. Her incorporeal heart, if it still existed, seemed to pound in a rhythm she no longer understood. Fragments of memory clawed their way to the surface—Henry's voice, so clear it was as though he stood beside her.They had been standing in the dimly lit bookstore she loved, its aisles cramped with old myths, legends, and forgotten stories. Henry handed her a worn leather-bound book, its spine barely holding together."This one's my favorite," he said. Melody glanced at the book's title: "The Veil."She laughed, flipping through the brittle pages. "More of your ghost stories?""It's not a ghost story," he corrected, his voice taking on a rare seriousness. "It's about the space between worlds—the Veil makes sure the supernatural stays supernatural. Some say it's alive. It reacts to emotions, and to energy." His voice trailed off, his expression darkening.She nudged him playfully. "So, what happens if there wasn't a Veil?"Henry's gaze shifted, growing distant. "I don't know," he said simply, before walking away, leaving her with more questions than answers.The memory dissolved like smoke."I can't believe Malik planned this far ahead." Reaper's voice snapped her thoughts back to her present situation, its sharp edge startling her."What does he mean by that?" she murmured aloud, more to herself than to him.Reaper's head tilted slightly as if listening to something only he could hear. "You'd better figure out how to control yourself," he said, his voice calm but tinged with an undercurrent of warning.Reaper lowered his hand, his tattoos dimming completely. He began to walk out of the alley, the weight of his words settling over her. "If the Veil breaks, indescribable horrors will be unleashed on this world. And Malik…" His voice grew heavy with regret. "He's counting on that."The question struck her like a blow. Is he talking to me? Her mind spun. What am I? The thought twisted relentlessly through her, unsettling and inescapable. She wasn't a ghost—that much she knew. But the whispers, the city's strange reactions to her presence, and the way the Veil itself seemed to ripple in her wake suggested something far stranger. Something she couldn't yet define.Reaper's voice grew softer, almost as if he were thinking aloud. "You're a beacon," he murmured. His words sent a ripple through her, like the surface of a disturbed pond. She couldn't deny it—the way the air around her shimmered and bent. The way the shadows twisted unnaturally when she moved."It's already begun," he murmured, his voice quieter now almost resigned.Panic surged through her. "I didn't ask for this!" she cried. "I don't even know what's happening!"His final words cut through the thickening air like a blade. "He's the closest thing I have to family," he said, his voice low and raw with emotion. "But he needs to be stopped before it's too late."Reaper's loyalty to Malik warred with his knowledge of what needed to be done, leaving him fractured but resolute.Before Melody process everything, a sharp crack echoed through the alley, like glass splintering under unbearable pressure. The air grew colder, and the shadows thickened unnaturally. Reaper vanished, dissolving into the darkness, but his words lingered."You've almost run out of time."Melody watched in horror as realization dawned: her existence wasn't an accident. She was connected to this—to the Veil, to the nightmares seeping into the world. She might even be the cause.But fear wasn't the only thing growing within her. A flicker of defiance ignited in her chest. If she was a beacon, she would use it to bring mayhem to Malik. As soon as she understood the havoc she could bring she reached inward, grasping for control she didn't yet understand, and felt a surge of power ripple outward. The shadows hesitated, their unnatural movements faltering."Not yet," she whispered to the encroaching darkness, her voice steady now. "Do whatever after I will get revenge"