Whispers in the Dark
The silence after the attack was suffocating. The air still buzzed with energy, like an aftershock of something unnatural. The hallway, once filled with flickering shadows and eerie whispers, now seemed too still.
Leila sat frozen against the cold stone wall, her pulse hammering in her ears. The pressure of unseen hands had faded, but the ghost of their grip lingered on her skin, leaving her shaken and breathless.
Adrian stood in the middle of the corridor, his broad shoulders rising and falling in controlled breaths. His fingers remained curled, as though still ready to strike, but the golden glow that had erupted from him moments ago was now dimmed, pulsing faintly beneath his skin.
Leila pressed a trembling hand to her forehead, trying to steady her breathing. "What… was that?"
Adrian didn't answer immediately. His gaze remained fixed on the spot where the entity had vanished, his jaw tight, his posture coiled with restrained energy. His golden eyes flickered, reflecting the dying candlelight, before he finally spoke.
"I don't know."
Leila swallowed hard. Those words unsettled her more than anything else. Adrian always seemed to know what was coming—what he was facing. But this time, he didn't.
And that meant something worse was happening.
Adrian turned to her then, stepping closer. His movements were stiff, controlled, as if he were forcing himself to stay calm. "Did it say anything to you?"
Leila hesitated. The whispers still echoed in her mind, slithering beneath her thoughts like an infection. She shuddered, gripping her arms as if that would stop the lingering sensation.
"I… I couldn't understand the words," she admitted. "But I felt them. Like they were crawling inside my head."
Adrian's expression darkened. "That's not normal."
She let out a breathless, bitter laugh. "None of this is normal."
Adrian reached for her, his fingers brushing against her wrist. The contact was warm, grounding. He searched her face, his golden eyes filled with something she couldn't quite place—concern? Frustration?
"Come on," he said quietly. "We need to get out of here."
Leila frowned. "Out of here? Where—"
A crash sounded from the far end of the hallway.
Both of them turned sharply, their bodies tensing. The shadows at the edge of the corridor seemed to ripple, as if something unseen had just passed through them.
Leila's stomach twisted. "There's more of them."
Adrian cursed under his breath. He helped her to her feet in one swift motion. "We need to move. Now."
They barely made it two steps before the temperature in the hallway dropped. The walls groaned, as if under immense pressure, and the candle sconces flickered again—this time, not from an attack, but from something even more insidious.
A presence.
Adrian's grip on her tightened. "Stay close to me."
Leila barely had time to nod before the darkness surged forward again.
But this time, it spoke.
"You should not have interfered."
The voice wasn't whispered this time. It was deep, layered with something ancient, something filled with malice. It came from nowhere and everywhere at once, seeping into the stone walls, the floor beneath them, the very air they breathed.
Leila flinched, pressing closer to Adrian's side.
He was rigid, his eyes scanning the corridor, his body humming with restrained power. "Who are you?"
A low chuckle. "You already know."
Adrian's fingers twitched.
Leila looked up at him. His expression had shifted—not just into wariness, but something sharper. Recognition.
Her stomach knotted. "Adrian… what is it?"
He didn't answer her. His gaze remained locked on the darkness, on the unseen entity watching them from beyond the veil of shadows.
Adrian took a slow breath. "You don't belong here."
The air grew colder. "Neither does she."
Leila barely had time to react before a wave of force slammed into her, knocking the air from her lungs.
She flew back, her body colliding against the stone wall with a sickening crack. Pain flared through her side, but before she could even gasp, the shadows wrapped around her.
No.
No, no, no—
The darkness pulled at her, curling around her limbs, slipping across her skin like living tendrils. It was suffocating, pressing against her chest, trying to worm its way inside her mind.
"Come, little human," the voice whispered. "Let us see what lies beneath."
Leila struggled, twisting against the invisible binds. She could barely move—her body felt paralyzed, frozen in place as the shadows slithered around her.
Then—
Heat.
A bright, searing warmth burned through the darkness, cutting through the cold like a blade.
Leila gasped as the pressure vanished, her body dropping to the floor.
When she looked up, Adrian was standing over her, his entire being radiating with power.
Golden energy pulsed from his hands, his eyes glowing with an intensity she had never seen before. He looked almost… feral.
And he was angry.
The shadows recoiled. The presence in the air twisted, like it was laughing at him. "Ah… so you do care."
Adrian didn't hesitate. He lashed out.
A burst of golden light exploded through the hallway, sending the shadows screeching into the walls. The entire corridor shook from the force, dust and stone crumbling from the ceiling.
Then, just like that—
The presence was gone.
Silence fell, heavy and thick.
Leila gasped for breath, pressing a shaking hand against her chest. Her entire body ached.
Adrian stood still, his breathing ragged, his hands clenched into fists. His golden glow dimmed, his power retracting back inside him.
Leila swallowed hard, her throat dry.
"…What was that?"
Adrian exhaled, closing his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again. The glow in his irises had faded, but his expression remained unreadable.
"Trouble."
That single word sent a shiver down her spine.
He reached for her again, helping her stand. His touch was gentle despite the tension radiating off of him.
Leila looked up at him. "You recognized it."
Adrian hesitated. Just for a second.
Then he said, "Yes."
She wanted to ask more, wanted to demand answers, but the exhaustion in his face made her pause.
Instead, she took a shaky breath. "What do we do now?"
Adrian's gaze flickered back down the hallway, his expression darkening. "We get ready."
"For what?"
His lips pressed into a thin line.
"For the war that's coming."
Leila felt her blood run cold.
Something bigger was at play. Something ancient. And now, it knew exactly who she was.
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