The house felt unnervingly still. Every footstep echoed too loudly in the quiet, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling that Caleb was always close, watching. He was getting suspicious, and I knew it. I could feel it every time he glanced my way.
But it wasn't just Caleb I had to worry about. Thorne was different now. He wasn't just around; he was always there, like some shadow I couldn't shake off. His eyes followed my every move, waiting, watching. What did he know? What was he planning?
I walked through the halls of the estate, trying to keep my thoughts straight. But then, out of nowhere, Lilith appeared in the doorway. She didn't knock, didn't announce herself—she just was there.
"You're going to get yourself killed," she said, her voice low but sharp, like a knife hidden beneath calm.
I looked up, trying not to show how rattled I was. "What do you mean?"
Her eyes bored into mine, serious, unflinching. "Resurrection magic. You're playing with something dangerous. You can't control it. You don't even understand what you're dealing with."
I felt a flicker of irritation. "I know what I'm doing. You don't need to worry."
She stepped into the room, her movements slow but deliberate. "I'm not worried," she said quietly. "I'm telling you. It's not a game, Asher. It never was."
Her words hit harder than I expected, making the air feel thicker, heavier. "What do you want me to do, just stop? Let people suffer?"
Lilith's face softened for a moment, but her voice remained steady, firm. "Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is let go. You can't fix everything, Asher. Some things are beyond saving."
I stood there, unable to answer, unable to process. She turned to leave, her presence leaving a chill behind.
But her words stayed with me. They wouldn't let go. Maybe she was right. Maybe I was in over my head.
I couldn't stay in the room much longer. I had to keep moving, keep searching. Caleb was still out there, digging into things I couldn't afford for him to uncover. And Thorne… there was something off about him. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on.
I didn't know how much time had passed, but I knew Caleb was growing more suspicious by the day. His eyes followed me around the estate like a hawk, and I could feel the weight of his gaze on my back every time I turned a corner. The longer I kept hiding the truth from him, the more it seemed like a ticking clock, counting down to when he'd figure it all out.
And then there were the dreams.
Every time I closed my eyes, it was like stepping into another world. I saw faces I didn't know, standing in places I didn't recognize. I tried to hold onto them, but the harder I focused, the blurrier they became.
In one, I was in a grand hall, mirrors all around me, stretching up to the ceiling. I heard a voice, but it was muffled, distant. I couldn't make out the words, but it felt important.
In another, I was running—running through trees, fast, heart racing. But every time I turned to look behind me, nothing was there. The fear was real, though. The panic was suffocating. But I couldn't stop.
When I woke up, I was soaked in sweat, my heart pounding in my chest. The dreams were too real to ignore, but I couldn't understand them. I couldn't make sense of the images, the feeling of something missing.
I tried to push all of it away. I couldn't let Caleb or Thorne, or even my own damn mind, distract me. I had to focus. I had to find the answers before everything came crashing down.
But the more I tried to focus, the more it felt like the walls were closing in. Caleb's suspicions were growing, and Lilith's warning still echoed in my ears. And the dreams… I couldn't shake them.
I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep running from it all.
That night, as I paced through the halls of the estate, trying to clear my head, I saw him. Thorne. He was standing at the far end of the hall, barely visible in the dim light.
"You're avoiding me," his voice drifted toward me, smooth and almost teasing.
I paused, unsure what to do. Thorne wasn't someone you just trusted. He always had his own agenda, and his games were dangerous. But right now, with Caleb getting closer to the truth and Lilith's warning fresh in my mind, I couldn't ignore him.
"I don't trust you," I said, my voice steady despite the knot in my stomach.
Thorne smiled, unfazed. "That's fine. Trust isn't something you give away easily. I understand."
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. "Then what do you want from me?"
Thorne moved closer, his eyes glinting in the darkness. "I want you to see the bigger picture, Asher. There's more to all of this than the magic you're so focused on."
I felt a rush of anxiety. I didn't know if I was ready to hear what he had to say, but I knew I had to. I had to understand what I was up against.