Chapter 439

Nina

The last thing I remembered was standing in the gardens out behind my father’s house. The party raged on behind me; I could still hear the sounds of the music and the lively chatter of the guests.

But I was alone where I stood.

Or maybe… Maybe I wasn’t alone.

I could see it up ahead—the shadow entity. It was standing just in front of the line of trees that led to the forest, and it was looking at me. I felt frozen to my spot, unable to move, like some sort of unwilling spectator.

And the shadow entity was beckoning to me.

I didn’t know why, but I followed. The glass slipped from my fingers, shattering on the stone pathway, and I walked off into the night like a wraith. The shadow entity always stayed just out of reach, but it never disappeared from sight; it was as if it was waiting for me.

I wasn’t sure how long I followed it for, or why. I felt as if I was in a trance. The woods muffled the distant sounds of the party, but in my state, I didn’t care how far I went or what risks I took.

When I finally came to my senses, I found myself standing in the quiet solitude of the forest.

“Hello?” I called out, whirling around in the darkness. “Anyone?”

Of course, there was no answer. The shadow entity that had led me here was gone now, and it was just me, standing in the middle of the woods, utterly confused and struggling to wrap my foggy brain around how I had even wound up here.

But I knew this place.

I was standing right next to Selena’s grave. I took a shaking step backwards as I peered down at her headstone, the moon casting eerie shadows on the scene from above.

It felt so much unlike the beautiful scene from the other day; instead of dappled sunlight and colorful wildflowers, everything was dark and terrifying. Every shadow seemed to move of its own accord, and even with my heightened sight as a werewolf, a mist had settled on the ground that made it difficult to see more than a few feet in front of me.

Something wasn’t right. I didn’t know why I was here, but I knew I needed to leave.

Confusion swirled inside of me as I turned to leave, convinced that I must have lost track of time or zoned out while wandering here.

But as I took my first step away, an icy grip wrapped around my wrist, sending a shiver down my spine. I froze in place and turned slowly, my heart racing.

In front of me stood the shadow entity, a formless darkness that seemed to twist and writhe like a living nightmare. It held my wrist in a vice-like grip, and its voice slithered into my mind, calling my name with a chilling, sinister tone.

“Nina.”

Fear tightened its grip on my chest, and I desperately wanted to scream, to break free from the entity’s grasp, but I found myself utterly helpless. I struggled against its hold, but it was as if an invisible force had bound me in place.

“Wh-Who are you?” I stammered, finally finding my voice. “How can you speak to me now?”

The shadow entity’s grin grew, its rows of sharp white teeth gleaming in the night. “You don’t recognize me?”

Then, a sensation washed over me—a presence that felt both familiar and foreign. For a brief moment, amid the overwhelming dread, I heard a voice, a voice that sounded…

An awful lot like my sister Selena.

I knew it couldn’t be true; she couldn’t be here. She was dead. And yet, somehow, I could feel her presence. The twin bond was strong, even in death. I could feel here, as if she was standing right behind me.

And I knew that she was here to help.

In my mind, I called out her name with desperation.

“S-Selena?”

My mental voice was only met with silence. For a moment, I thought that I had imagined my twin sister’s presence. I had to. The shadow entity still stood there, its icy grip unrelenting around my wrist, its teeth almost seeming to click together in an eerie cacophony of noise.

The shadow entity chuckled, a high-pitched and grating sound like nails running across chalkboard. It leaned closer, and for the first time, I could… smell it.

I could smell its fetid breath, its sulfurous stink. It reeked like a corpse that had been laying in the sun for three days, like the worms and the carrion had begun picking it clean but gave up halfway through.

I gagged, trying to pull away, but it was no use. The shadow entity’s grip remained firm, and its face was mere inches from mine now, mocking me, laughing that awful laugh.

“Nina, Nina,” it whispered, its voice sending a shiver down my spine. “She doesn’t recognize me. Her old friend. Friends from the beginning.”

Swallowing, I closed my eyes. I was unable to move, unable to even scream, but I could at least try to block out the image of it. The amulet around my neck felt useless now against whatever this creature was, but it didn’t matter anymore.

It was going to kill me. I was sure of it.

But then, something happened.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, the shadow entity let out an ear-piercing scream and released its grip on me. I opened my eyes out of shock to see it standing in front of me, clawing at its own face.

It seemed to convulse and recoil, as if in excruciating pain, and its form started to disintegrate right in front of my eyes. And then, I watched in shock as it seemed to be absorbed into me, vanishing into my belly.

My own scream pierced the stillness of the forest as darkness enveloped me, and everything faded to black.

…

“Nina? Nina!”

When I came to, I was not laying on the ground as a corpse like I had expected. Instead, I was still standing beside Selena’s grave, and I was no longer alone.

I turned to see Enzo approaching me with a concerned expression on his face. “Nina, what are you doing out here?” he asked as he approached. “I’ve been looking all over for you. You had me worried sick.”

I blinked at his question, feeling disoriented and utterly confused. The memories of how I had ended up here eluded me, like fragments of a fading dream. I couldn’t remember how I had wound up here, and panic began to flutter inside of me as I tried to piece together the events that had transpired.

But then I remembered.

I had come out here to look at the stars, and to visit my sister’s grave. It had been a decision I had made on a whim, to get away from the noise of the party.

That was all.

I smiled at Enzo, turning fully to face him. “I came to look at the stars,” I said, tilting my head back to look up at the vibrant canvas of constellations in the midnight blue sky. “I needed a break from the party, you know?”

Enzo’s brows knit together with concern. He took a step closer, taking my hand in his, and followed my gaze. “It is nice out tonight,” he said with a soft sigh. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer. “Just don’t run off without telling someone, okay?”

I nodded, not wanting to worry him. “I know. I’m sorry.”

For a few moments, Enzo and I just stood there, staring up at the starry sky. I leaned my head back against his chest, letting his arms encircle me from behind. Neither of us spoke.

But in those moments, I felt something. A soft breeze, like a whisper from beyond. My sister.

“Nina… I’m here…”