Chapter 413

Nina

When Enzo and I finally pulled away from each other, his gaze fell onto the pile of vials and talismans that were sitting next to me on the bed. He frowned, furrowing his brow as he sat up.

“What’s all that for?” he asked.

I took a deep breath and began to recount everything the witch, Elara, had told me. Enzo listened intently, his expression shifting from curiosity to concern as I spoke.

“The good news is that the baby and I are both healthy, and there’s no curse that she can find,” I said. “So either the fortune teller in the city was wrong, or she was a phony.”

Enzo nodded slowly, listening quietly.

“Anyway,” I continued, “the shadow entity… it’s not just a hallucination.”

I continued to speak, telling Enzo every little detail. I told him all about the dark spirit that had somehow attached itself to me. There was no knowing if it was the same spirit that plagued my biological mother or if it was just a mere coincidence, but what mattered was that it seemed to have a ‘cure’, for lack of a better word.

“So, this entity is like a… vengeful spirit?” he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

I nodded, my eyes still fixed on the potions in my hand. “It’s not necessarily a demon, but more like the spirit of someone who held deep resentment or hatred towards me,” I explained. “It could be connected to our family, or someone from my past.”

Enzo furrowed his brow in thought. “Someone from your past... Could it be someone you knew? Or is it linked to your biological mother and now somehow transferred to you?”

I shook my head, feeling a sense of unease settling over me. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “But the witch said that these visions, these hallucinations, are visitations from an evil spirit. It’s trying to make its presence known, and it could pose a serious threat to both me and our baby.”

Enzo reached out and gently took my hand, his touch reassuring. “Nina, we’ll get to the bottom of this,” he said quietly. “I won’t let some evil spirit harm you or our family. Okay?”

I squeezed his hand and nodded. “Thank you.”

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief wash over me, no matter how small. The thought that my baby was healthy and that there was a plan in place to deal with the dark spirit lifted a heavy burden from my shoulders.

Also, at least now I knew I wasn’t going mad. Or at least, that was how it seemed.

Enzo leaned in and gently kissed my forehead, his lips warm against my skin. “Let’s try those potions and talismans,” he suggested, his voice soothing as he spoke. “Maybe they’ll help put an end to those visions once and for all.”

I nodded in agreement and set the vials and talismans on the bedside table. Neither of us said it, but we were both thinking about it: the sleepwalking episodes. It had only happened a couple of times as far as either of us knew, but it was still terrifying.

But maybe, just maybe, the things that the witch gave me would finally put it all to an end.

Just then, there was a knock on my door. Enzo and I both perked up and shot each other a look before I called out.

“Come in.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, the door to my room swung open, and my parents entered, their faces filled with concern. My mother rushed over and pulled me in for a tight hug, while my father stood beside her, his eyes filled with worry.

“Nina, sweetheart, are you okay?” my mother asked, pulling away to look into my eyes. “What did she say after I left?”

I paused for a moment, unsure of how much to tell her. But a quick glance with Enzo made me think that, although it would be best to tell them the truth eventually, maybe right now wasn’t the most ideal time. I was tired of talking about it, and I was even more tired of worrying my parents.

“She just gave me some potions and talismans to keep me and the baby safe, just in case,” I said vaguely, not wanting to raise any red flags.

For a moment, it seemed as though my parents wouldn’t believe me. But then, relief washed over their faces, and my father let out a deep sigh.

“Thank the moon,” he said quietly. “We were so worried.”

My mother turned to Enzo, her expression softening. “Thank you for taking care of our daughter,” she said sincerely.

Enzo nodded, his gaze unwavering. “I’ll always take care of her, no matter what.”

My father cleared his throat, breaking the moment of emotion. “Well, in that case, how about we celebrate?” he suggested with a smile. “Family dinner tonight?”

I glanced over at Enzo, who met my gaze with a nod of approval. I smiled at my parents and nodded. “That sounds good, dad,” I said, then furrowed my brow. “Where’s Tyler?”

My mother chuckled. “He’s with his girlfriend,” she said, rolling her eyes teasingly. “I swear, we can’t tear them apart.”

“Be careful,” Enzo chimed in with a laugh. “They might end up like us.”

My mother gasped and smacked Enzo’s arm, but there was no real heat in it. We all took a moment to laugh, and it was that moment in particular that made me relax. I needed times like this; family dinners, friendly banter, and laughter.

Sometimes, the world felt too dark and gloomy for that. It was easy to forget just how important it was.

My mother clapped her hands together in excitement. “Okay, so it’s settled then,” she said. “Let’s have a family dinner tonight to celebrate good health and happiness.”

Enzo and I watched my mother and father leave. They were already discussing the menu and preparations for the night, and I could hear their voices bickering all the way down the hall. Enzo laughed to himself, shaking his head.

“What?” I asked, turning to face him.

“Oh, nothing,” he said with a shrug. “It’s just sweet, that’s all.”

Now, I was the one who laughed. “Oh, you mean the two of them?” I asked. “I kinda figured they’d wind up together. I’m glad they’re happy.”

For a moment, Enzo and I fell quiet, just listening to my parents’ fading voices. Then, out of nowhere, Enzo turned toward me and shot me a look that made his brown eyes seem as though they were holding the weight of the world in their depths.

“What is it?” I murmured.

He shook his head as he moved closer to me, closing the space between us once again. His soft lips pressed against mine, a gentle kiss that made my heart lurch ever so slightly. When we reluctantly pulled away, he lifted his hand to brush a strand of hair out of my face.

“I hope that’ll be us someday,” he murmured, nodding his head toward the door.

His words gave me pause. I bit my lower lip, glancing down at my belly, where my hand had inadvertently been resting this whole time.

For a moment, I let my mind wander away from all of the bad things, away from all of the darkness, and just rest on the newfound hope. I let myself imagine a beautiful life filled with laughter, children, and happiness.

And in that moment, nothing else mattered.

“You know what?” I finally said, lifting my gaze to meet his. “I hope so, too.”