The Carvings' Secrets
The faint blue light emanating from the pillars was eerie, yet mesmerizing. Lara's pulse steadied as she looked closer at the intricate carvings, drawn to their strange beauty. The patterns twisted and flowed like water, shifting into shapes that felt almost familiar—faces, landscapes, symbols.
Margot moved to the nearest pillar, her sharp green eyes narrowing as she examined the carvings. "These aren't just decorations," she murmured. "They're… stories. Memories."
"Memories of what?" Lara asked, stepping closer to another pillar.
Margot's voice was quiet, almost reverent. "Of everyone the City has taken."
Lara ran her fingers along the carvings, the stone warm beneath her touch. The moment her skin made contact, an image flashed in her mind—a man running through a crumbling street, his breath ragged and his face streaked with blood. Shadows chased him, their jagged claws tearing at the air.
She gasped, pulling her hand away. "It's showing me something. A man… he was being chased, like we were."
Margot nodded grimly. "These pillars are archives. The City's way of preserving its victims. Their lives, their fears—it all gets trapped here."
Lara's gaze flicked between the pillars, unease curling in her stomach. "So, this is where they end up? After the reflections take them?"
"Not all of them," Margot said, her tone heavy. "Some are absorbed completely. Others… pieces of them linger, like echoes."
Lara swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around the journal. "We can't let this happen to us."
As they moved deeper into the chamber, the carvings became more erratic, the patterns sharper and more chaotic. The faint blue light began to shift, tinged with a soft golden glow that seemed to pulse like a heartbeat.
"There's something ahead," Lara said, pointing toward the source of the glow.
They approached cautiously, the glow intensifying with each step. At the center of the chamber stood a smaller pillar, distinct from the others. Its carvings were smoother, more refined, and the golden light emanated from a crystal embedded at its peak.
"What is this?" Margot whispered, her voice filled with wonder.
Lara reached out hesitantly, her hand hovering over the crystal. It pulsed faintly, responding to her presence.
The journal in her other hand grew warm, its pages fluttering open on their own. Words scrawled themselves across the blank parchment in bold, jagged letters:
"Touch it. The way home lies within."
Margot frowned, her posture tensing. "Be careful, Lara. It could be a trap."
"It could also be our only way out," Lara said softly.
Lara closed her eyes and pressed her palm against the crystal.
A rush of warmth surged through her body, and the world around her shifted. The chamber dissolved into golden light, the carvings and pillars vanishing as though they had never existed.
She felt weightless, suspended in a sea of warmth and light. Voices whispered around her, soft and indistinct, but not threatening. They seemed to guide her, pulling her forward.
When she opened her eyes, she was standing in her apartment.
The air was still, the familiar scent of lavender detergent filling her nostrils. The soft hum of the refrigerator buzzed in the background, and sunlight streamed through the blinds.
Margot appeared beside her, clutching her injured arm. She looked around, her expression both relieved and wary. "We're back," she said softly.
Lara's legs buckled, and she collapsed onto the couch, the journal still clutched tightly in her hands. "Did that really just happen?"
Margot sat down across from her, her face pale. "It did. And it's not over."
"What do you mean?" Lara asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Margot's eyes darkened. "The City doesn't just let you go. Not for long. It knows where you are now. It'll come for you again."
Lara shivered, her gaze drifting to the journal. "Then we need to figure out how to stop it. For good."
The night passed uneventfully, though Lara barely slept. Every creak of the building, every shadow outside her window, felt like a prelude to something terrible. When morning came, she sat by the window, sipping coffee and watching the world outside.
It looked normal again—people walking their dogs, cars honking in the distance. But she couldn't shake the feeling that the City was still watching, waiting for its moment to strike.
Margot emerged from the bathroom, her arm freshly bandaged. "We need to plan our next move," she said, sitting beside Lara.
"What's the next move?" Lara asked, her voice hollow.
Margot looked at the journal, its presence still radiating faint warmth. "That thing knows more than it's letting on. If we're going to survive, we need to understand it. Every word, every clue—it's the key to staying ahead of the City."
The morning light streaming through the window did little to ease Lara's nerves. She sat at the kitchen table, the journal spread open in front of her. Margot leaned against the counter, sipping coffee, her bandaged arm tucked close to her body.
"This thing is hiding something," Lara said, flipping through the pages. The words that appeared last night had faded, leaving the pages blank once more. "Why does it only show what it wants me to see?"
Margot sighed. "Because it's tied to the City. It doesn't want you to win—it wants you to play its game."
Lara frowned, her fingers brushing over the blank parchment. "Then we have to outsmart it. If this journal is connected to the City, it knows how to stop it."
Margot didn't reply. She was staring at the door, her eyes sharp and wary.
The knock at the door was sudden, shattering the quiet of the morning. Both women froze.
"Expecting anyone?" Margot asked, setting her coffee mug down.
"No," Lara said, her voice low.
Margot moved toward the door, pulling a knife from her jacket pocket. She glanced through the peephole, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "It's the new guy. Jack, from 206."
"Jack?" Lara repeated. She had seen him in passing—a tall, rugged man with dark hair and a quiet demeanor. He had moved in a few months ago but rarely spoke to anyone.
Margot opened the door cautiously. Jack stood on the other side, his expression tense. "Sorry to bother you," he said, his voice deep and steady. "But I saw something last night. Thought you should know."
Margot raised an eyebrow. "Saw what?"
Jack hesitated, glancing over his shoulder before stepping inside. "A shadow. Something… not human. It was near your apartment."
Lara's stomach churned. "You saw it?"
Jack nodded. "It wasn't like anything I've seen before. And I've seen some weird shit."
Margot crossed her arms. "And you decided to knock on our door because…?"
Jack's gaze flicked between them. "Because it seemed like you two know more about this than anyone else. Am I wrong?"
Margot smirked faintly. "Not wrong. Just bold."
Before they could respond further, another knock sounded at the door. This one was lighter, almost hesitant. Margot tensed immediately, her hand tightening around the knife.
"Who is it now?" Lara asked, her pulse quickening.
Margot peered through the peephole again. "It's that college girl, Becca. The one from 305."
"Becca?" Lara repeated. She barely knew the girl—just a young woman with bright eyes and a shy demeanor who always seemed to have headphones on.
Margot opened the door cautiously. Becca stood there, clutching a sketchpad to her chest. Her auburn hair was tied in a messy ponytail, and her expression was nervous.
"Hi," Becca said softly, glancing at Jack and then back at Lara. "I… um, I think something's wrong with the building."
"Get in," Margot said, pulling her inside and shutting the door.
Jack leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, as Becca sat on the couch. She fidgeted with the edges of her sketchpad, her gaze darting around the room.
"What do you mean, 'something's wrong'?" Lara asked.
Becca hesitated, then flipped open her sketchpad. She turned it toward them, revealing a charcoal drawing of a shadowy figure. Its jagged limbs and hollow eyes mirrored the creatures Lara and Margot had encountered.
"I've been seeing this," Becca said, her voice trembling. "In my dreams. And… sometimes when I'm awake."
Jack frowned. "You're saying it's following you?"
Becca nodded. "I don't know what it is, but it's always… watching."
Margot leaned forward, her expression dark. "It's not just following you. It's part of the City. And now that you've noticed it, it's going to come for you."
Becca's eyes widened in fear. "Come for me? Why?"
"Because noticing it makes you a threat," Margot said bluntly.
Jack's jaw tightened. "So what do we do? Just wait around for it to pick us off?"
"No," Lara said firmly. She closed the journal, standing up. "We figure out how to stop it. Together."
The room fell into a tense silence. Margot leaned against the wall, her gaze shifting between Jack and Becca.
"Strength in numbers isn't always a good thing," she said finally.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack asked, narrowing his eyes.
Margot's tone was sharp. "It means one of us could already be compromised. The City doesn't just send shadows—it sends reflections. And they look exactly like us."
Becca paled. "You think one of us is… not real?"
Margot shrugged. "It's possible. And if that's the case, sticking together could make us an easy target."
Lara stepped between them, her voice steady. "We don't have a choice. We need to trust each other if we're going to survive."
Jack nodded slowly. "She's right. We're stronger as a team."
Becca bit her lip, glancing nervously at the others. "Okay. But… what do we do now?"
Lara turned to Margot. "We need to fortify the apartment. If the City's coming for us, we can't make it easy."
Margot nodded, slipping the knife back into her pocket. "I'll block the windows. Jack, you help me with the doors."
Jack smirked faintly. "I can do that."
"What about me?" Becca asked, her voice small.
Lara handed her the journal. "Study this. If it shows anything—anything at all—tell me."
Becca took the journal hesitantly, holding it as though it might burn her.
As Margot and Jack moved to secure the apartment, Lara stood by the window, staring out at the city below. It looked normal, but she knew better now.
The City was alive, and it wouldn't stop until it consumed them all.