Samuel didn't stop running until they reached the far end of town, where the houses thinned, replaced by towering trees and overgrown roads. The air smelled of damp earth, the scent thick in Amelia's lungs as she struggled to keep up.
Finally, they reached a small, isolated house nestled between twisted oak trees. The windows were dark. The porch light flickered.
Samuel pounded on the door. "Evelyn! Open up!"
For a moment, nothing. Then, slow, deliberate footsteps creaked from inside.
The door swung open, revealing Evelyn.
Her sharp eyes swept over Amelia, unreadable and cold. "You shouldn't have come here."
Amelia's chest tightened. "I need answers."
Evelyn didn't move. "Answers come with a price."
Samuel stepped forward. "Something's after her. We were followed."
At that, Evelyn's gaze darkened. She stepped aside. "Inside. Now."
Amelia hesitated. Something about this place felt… wrong. But she had no choice. She stepped in.
The house smelled of dried herbs and old paper. Shelves lined the walls, filled with dusty books and glass jars containing things she didn't recognize. Candles flickered, their flames dancing in a breeze that wasn't there.
Evelyn shut the door. "You remember, don't you?"
Amelia's stomach twisted. "I remember dying."
Evelyn nodded. "And?"
Amelia's voice wavered. "And someone… brought me back."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Evelyn turned away, pulling a worn book from the shelf. "There's a reason you don't belong here, Amelia." She flipped through the pages. "You weren't just brought back." Her fingers stopped on a page, tracing old, faded text.
"You were stolen from death."
A chill shot through Amelia's spine. "What do you mean, stolen?"
Evelyn looked up, her expression grim.
"There are rules. When a soul crosses over, it's meant to stay. But yours… was pulled back."
Amelia's throat tightened. "By who?"
Evelyn closed the book. "That's the real question, isn't it?"
Samuel clenched his jaw. "Someone didn't just bring her back. They had a reason."
Evelyn exhaled. "Yes. And if she was stolen from death… then death will come to take her back."
A shiver ran through Amelia. "You mean—"
Evelyn's gaze sharpened.
"The thing following you? It's not just a shadow."
She stepped closer, lowering her voice.
"It's Death itself. And it won't stop until it gets what it's owed."
The candles flickered violently.
A sudden, cold knock echoed through the house.
Amelia's heart stopped.
They weren't alone.
To be continued…