The next morning, sunlight streamed faintly through my window, though it did nothing to shake the unease settling in my chest. I sat at the kitchen table, pushing my breakfast around on the plate, my appetite long gone. Across from me, Elias perched on the edge of the counter, his gaze fixed on the window. His form was steady now—solid—but his expression was dark.
"We need to figure out who this guy is," I said, breaking the silence.
Elias's eyes flicked to me, his jaw tight. "I know. But it's dangerous, Rose. He's already watching us. He could be closer than we think."
I shivered, the memory of the cryptic message from last night lingering in my mind. I'm watching you. My phone had been silent since then, but that was almost worse—like the calm before a storm.
"We can't just sit here and do nothing," I argued. "He killed you, Elias. And now he's coming for me too. I need answers."
Elias ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. "I don't like this. Whoever he is… he's been watching for a while. He knew when we started digging. He knew the moment you saw me."
I froze, realization slamming into me. "How? How could he have known?"
Elias's dark eyes met mine, his expression grim. "Some spirits stay close to their killers. They're tethered to them the same way I'm tethered to you. If he's been haunted by his crimes… he might know when someone stirs up the past."
The air in the room turned cold.
"So… it's not just me helping you," I whispered. "He's been aware of us the whole time."
Elias nodded slowly. "It's possible."
I pushed my chair back abruptly, the screech of wood against the floor cutting through the silence. "Then we need to confront this. We need to go back to the park. Maybe there's something we missed—something that can lead us to him."
Elias stood quickly, his figure flickering faintly in his agitation. "Rose, no. It's too dangerous. You don't know what you're walking into."
"I don't care!" I snapped, spinning to face him. "I can't just keep hiding while he lurks in the shadows! I'm not going to sit around and wait for him to come to me."
Elias stepped closer, his dark eyes searching mine, filled with a mix of fear and frustration. "And what if he's waiting for you there? What if this is exactly what he wants?"
"Then I'll be ready." I crossed my arms, my voice steady despite the fear clawing at my chest. "I'm not afraid of him."
Elias stared at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he sighed, his shoulders slumping. "You should be."
I frowned. "Why?"
"Because he's more dangerous than you know," Elias murmured, his voice quiet and haunted. "He's not just a man, Rose. There's something darker about him… something not entirely human."
My stomach dropped. "What do you mean?"
Elias looked out the window, his jaw tight. "When he killed me, I saw something in him. Something wrong. His eyes… they weren't normal. It was like he enjoyed it—like he thrived on it. And whatever he did to trap me here, it wasn't just murder. There was something else… something dark and twisted."
A chill ran down my spine. "You think he's using magic?"
Elias nodded slowly. "I don't know what kind, but it's powerful. He's not just a killer. He's something worse."
For a moment, the weight of it all hit me like a truck. I wasn't just dealing with some psychotic murderer. I was dealing with someone—or something—that had power. Power strong enough to trap Elias's soul and keep him tethered to this world.
But I couldn't back down now.
"Then we'll fight him with everything we've got," I said firmly, squaring my shoulders. "I don't care what he is. I'm not letting him win."
Elias looked at me, his dark gaze softening with something close to admiration. "You're brave, Rose. Braver than you should be."
"Someone has to be," I murmured.
---
Later that afternoon, we found ourselves back at the park. It looked normal—too normal. The wind rustled the leaves, and children's laughter echoed faintly in the distance. But beneath that ordinary surface, the air felt heavy, almost suffocating.
Elias hovered close to me, his form solid but tense. "Stay close, Rose. If anything happens, you run."
I rolled my eyes. "Not happening."
We moved toward the old bench where I'd first seen the doll. The wood was splintered and weathered, the perfect place for something—or someone—to hide in plain sight. My heart pounded as I scanned the area.
"Do you see anything?" I asked, my voice low.
Elias shook his head. "Not yet. But I feel something. He's been here."
I swallowed hard, stepping closer to the bench. My fingers brushed against the wood, and suddenly, a sharp chill ran up my spine.
"Rose," Elias said sharply. "Don't—"
The world shifted.
The sounds of the park dimmed, replaced by an eerie silence. The air grew cold—colder than anything I'd felt before. I stumbled back, my vision blurring as shadows twisted at the edge of my sight.
"Where are you?" a voice hissed, low and raspy.
I spun around, my breath catching in my throat. The figure of a man stood across the park, half-shrouded in darkness. His silhouette was tall and thin, his movements unnatural, like a puppet on broken strings.
His eyes glowed faintly red.
Elias materialized beside me, his expression hard and furious. "Rose, get back!"
The figure tilted its head, those glowing eyes locking onto me. "You shouldn't have come here."
My blood ran cold. The voice was deep, wrong, like it was layered with something else—something inhuman.
"What do you want?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady.
The figure stepped closer, shadows swirling around his feet. "You don't belong here. You're meddling in things you don't understand."
Elias moved in front of me protectively, his form crackling with energy I hadn't seen before. "Leave her alone!"
The figure paused, almost amused. "Ah, Elias. Still clinging to the living, I see."
Elias tensed, his hands curling into fists. "You'll pay for what you did."
The figure let out a low, chilling laugh that echoed across the park. "You can't stop me. She can't stop me. And soon, you'll both see why."
Before I could react, the shadows surged toward us. I stumbled back, gasping as cold tendrils wrapped around my legs.
"Rose, run!" Elias shouted.
I turned and bolted, my heart hammering in my chest. I didn't stop until I reached the edge of the park, my breath ragged. When I looked back, the figure was gone, and Elias stood alone in the clearing, his form flickering.
He appeared next to me seconds later, his expression grim.
"Now do you see?" he said quietly.
I nodded, my hands trembling. "Yeah. I see."
This wasn't just a killer. This was something much worse.
And we were running out of time.
---
End of chapter