The night was colder than usual, the wind whispering eerie secrets through the trees. Lily pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders as she followed Sarah through the dimly lit park. The streetlights flickered, casting long shadows across the cracked pavement. Despite the creeping unease in her chest, Lily forced a smile.
"Are you sure about this, Sarah? You've been acting... different lately," Lily said, her voice uncertain.
Sarah, walking a few steps ahead, didn't turn around. Instead, she let out a low chuckle. "You worry too much, Lily. I told you—I have something to show you. Something that will change everything."
Lily frowned. She and Sarah had been best friends since childhood, but lately, something had shifted between them. Sarah had become more distant, more secretive. There was a coldness in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Still, Lily followed. How could she not?
They reached a clearing in the park, where an old fountain stood, its water murky and still. The moonlight reflected off its surface, giving it an almost ghostly glow. Sarah finally turned around, and Lily's stomach clenched at the look on her face. There was no warmth, no trace of the friend she had grown up with—only something dark and unreadable.
"This is the perfect spot," Sarah murmured.
Lily's pulse quickened. "Perfect for what?"
Sarah smiled, but it wasn't the kind of smile Lily knew. It was cruel. Predatory.
"For your death."
The words didn't register at first. They sounded unreal, like a bad joke. But the moment Lily saw Sarah raise her hand, fingers curling as a strange energy crackled around them, the truth hit her like a wave of ice.
"Sarah—what are you talking about?" Lily stepped back, her heart hammering against her ribs.
"You were always so trusting, Lily. So naïve," Sarah said, tilting her head. "You never questioned why I suddenly stopped talking to you, why I changed. But I guess it doesn't matter now."
A dark mist began swirling around Sarah, pulsing with an unnatural energy. Lily's breath hitched as she took another step back. This wasn't just anger or some cruel prank. This was real.
"Why?" Lily's voice cracked. "We're best friends. I've always been there for you!"
Sarah scoffed. "Best friends? No, Lily. You were just a stepping stone. A distraction. And now, you're an obstacle."
Lily didn't have time to process the words before Sarah lunged. The dark energy in her hands solidified into jagged shards, launching toward Lily like knives. She barely had time to throw herself to the ground, the sharp projectiles slicing through the air where she had just stood.
Pain erupted in her arm as one of the shards grazed her, leaving a searing wound. She gasped, clutching at the injury. Blood seeped through her fingers.
"Sarah, stop!" Lily pleaded, scrambling backward.
Sarah didn't hesitate. She raised her hands again, the darkness swirling stronger. "Goodbye, Lily."
Lily tried to run, but it was too late. The force hit her square in the chest, cold and suffocating. A scream tore from her throat as she felt something inside her shatter. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the damp grass.
Everything blurred—her vision darkening, her limbs growing numb. The world around her faded, but the last thing she saw was Sarah standing over her, eyes gleaming with something twisted.
And then, as the cold fully consumed her, she heard Sarah's final words.
"You were never meant to stand in my way."
And with that, the darkness swallowed her whole.