The night had passed in eerie silence. No whispers. No shadows creeping in the corners. No doors opening or closing on their own. It was almost as if the house had been holding its breath, waiting for something.
And then, morning came.
The first rays of sunlight filtered through the dusty windows, casting a golden glow inside the small rented room. Emily stirred first, blinking as she adjusted to the dim light. Clay was already awake, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the floor with tired, hollow eyes.
He hadn't slept—not even for a moment.
Lily was still curled up on the other side of the bed, her small fingers gripping the blanket tightly. She looked so fragile, so innocent, and yet, she had been carrying the weight of something far beyond her years.
As if sensing her father's gaze, Lily slowly opened her eyes. For a brief moment, there was peace in them. Then, the memories of the night before came rushing back.
She sat up, rubbing her eyes. Then, in a quiet, almost hesitant voice, she said, "Daddy… Ben spoke to me again."
Clay's heart clenched. He turned to her, his expression tense. "What did he say, sweetheart?"
Lily hesitated, as if struggling to put the words together. Emily leaned closer, holding her daughter's tiny hands. "It's okay, baby. Tell us."
Lily took a deep breath. "Ben said… tomorrow morning, you won't be able to see."
The words hung in the air like a curse.
Clay's breath caught in his throat. Emily gasped, gripping Lily's hands tighter. "What do you mean, Lily? Who won't be able to see?"
Lily's lips trembled. "Daddy."
Emily's eyes widened in pure terror. "No… no, that's not possible." She turned to Clay, her voice desperate. "She's just scared, right? Just nightmares, Clay… tell her it's just nightmares!"
Clay didn't answer. He couldn't.
Because deep down, he knew—this wasn't just a nightmare.
It was a warning.
A warning from Ben.
Lily continued, her voice growing weaker. "Ben said I can't stop it. But he also said he'll try to fight for us."
Clay clenched his fists. "Fight? Against who?"
Lily looked down, her fingers tightening around the blanket. "Against that man."
A chill ran down Clay's spine. "The unknown man?"
Lily nodded. "Ben said… if he can fight him, he might be able to save me."
Emily was trembling now, tears streaming down her face. "No… I can't lose another child. I won't let this happen!" She turned to Clay, pleading. "We have to leave, Clay. We have to run—go somewhere far away where this thing can't find us!"
But Clay knew running wouldn't help.
Wherever they went, this thing—this unknown force—would follow. It wasn't tied to the house or the city. It was tied to them.
Clay exhaled shakily, turning back to Lily. "Did Ben say anything else?"
Lily hesitated before nodding. "He said… no matter what happens tonight, don't listen to the voices. Don't open the doors. And don't trust what you see."
Clay swallowed hard. The room felt colder now, as if something unseen was already creeping in.
Emily wiped her tears, her body shaking from fear and exhaustion. "Clay… what do we do?"
Clay looked at his wife, then at his daughter. His mind was a storm of emotions—fear, confusion, desperation. But amidst it all, one thought stood clear:
This was their last chance.
If what Lily said was true, by tomorrow morning, he wouldn't be able to see.
And if Ben was fighting this unknown man… then what did that mean for Lily?
Would she be next?
Would she disappear like Ben?
Clay gritted his teeth. No. He wouldn't let that happen. He had already lost his son. He wouldn't lose his daughter too.
"Tonight," he whispered, "we fight back."
Emily looked at him in horror. "Fight? How, Clay? We don't even know what we're up against!"
Clay stood up, his fists clenched. "I don't care. I won't just sit here and wait for this thing to take my daughter. I don't care if I can't see tomorrow—I'll fight it blind if I have to."
Emily sobbed, burying her face in her hands. "I can't do this, Clay. I can't lose you too."
Clay kneeled in front of her, gently lifting her chin. "You won't lose me. We're going to survive this. Together."
Emily's lips trembled, but she nodded.
Lily, still holding onto her blanket, whispered, "Daddy… I'm scared."
Clay pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. "I know, sweetheart. But we're going to be okay."
He didn't know if that was true.
But he needed to believe it.
For Lily.
For Emily.
For Ben.
Outside, the sun had fully risen, casting golden light through the window. But to Clay, it felt hollow.
Because he knew…
This would be the last sunrise he would ever see.
Clay tightened his grip on Lily's tiny hand, his heart pounding with fear and determination. He had made a decision—he wouldn't let go of her hand until the sun rose again. No matter what happened, no matter how terrifying the night became, he would hold onto her.
Emily sat beside them, her face pale and eyes swollen from crying. She was shaking, clutching her arms as if trying to hold herself together. The fear in her eyes was unbearable for Clay to see.
Lily, on the other hand, wasn't crying anymore. Instead, she was staring blankly at the wall, her small fingers squeezing Clay's hand gently.
Then, in a voice so soft it was almost a whisper, she said, "Ben is really angry with Mom."
Clay froze. His breath caught in his throat. Emily, who had been looking down, immediately snapped her head up.
"What?" she choked out.
Lily turned to her mother, her expression unreadable. "Ben is really angry with you, Mom. He feels bad for Daddy. He keeps saying that it's your fault."
Emily gasped, her hand flying to her chest. "No… no, that's not true." Tears welled up in her eyes. "Lily, what are you saying?"
Clay felt his grip on Lily's hand tighten. His pulse quickened. "Lily… how do you know that?"
Lily slowly turned to face her father, her innocent brown eyes darkening.
"Because I can see Ben."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Emily let out a strangled cry, covering her mouth. "No… no, Lily, baby, you're just imagining it. Ben is… Ben is gone."
Lily shook her head. "No, Mommy. He's here. He's standing right next to you."
Emily screamed, scooting away from where she sat as if something invisible was there.
Clay's blood ran cold. His entire body stiffened. He wanted to turn around, wanted to see for himself if anything was there. But he couldn't. He was too afraid.
Lily continued, her voice eerily calm. "Ben is sad for you, Daddy. He keeps telling me that tomorrow morning… you won't be able to see me anymore."
Clay swallowed hard, his throat dry as sand. He forced himself to speak, even though his voice was shaking. "Lily… is Ben telling you anything else?"
Lily nodded slowly.
"He says that tonight… we have to make a choice."
Emily was sobbing now, gripping the fabric of her dress. "No more, Lily. Please, no more…"
But Lily wasn't listening anymore.
She just kept staring at the empty space beside Emily, as if something—or someone—was standing there.
And then, she whispered in a trembling voice, "Ben says he doesn't want to be alone anymore."
Clay's entire body tensed.
Tonight, everything would end.
And for the first time…
He wasn't sure if any of them would survive.
Clay's grip on Lily's hand tightened as his breath grew shallow. The weight of her words crushed him like an invisible force pressing down on his chest. Ben doesn't want to be alone anymore. What did that mean? What choice were they supposed to make?
Emily was sobbing quietly, shaking her head in disbelief. "No... this isn't real. It can't be real," she whispered. But deep inside, she knew—it was real. Everything that had happened, everything that was still happening, was beyond their understanding, beyond reality itself.
Lily, still staring at the unseen presence of her brother, trembled. Her voice was small, almost fragile. "Ben says it's almost time."
Clay didn't respond. He couldn't. His heart was racing so fast it felt like it might burst. His hands were ice-cold, and his throat was so dry he could barely swallow.
He turned his gaze to the window.
Outside, the sun was beginning its descent, painting the sky with hues of orange and crimson. The light stretched long across the room, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
The sun was going down.
And with it… so was their time.
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