Analie sat cross-legged in the centre of the attic, the only light coming from the moon
pouring through the dusty window. Around her, candles flickered with soft blue flames
unnatural, untouched by wind. The air shimmered faintly, humming with the same energy
that had been growing inside her for weeks now.
Selene had asked her to come here. And she was ready.
The pendant at her neck grew warmer, pulsing like a heartbeat. Then, from the shadows
beyond the candlelight, Selene appeared.
She wasn't like other spirits Analie had seen in her dreams or visions. Selene's form was
composed of moonlight and mist, ever-shifting. Her eyes, glowing pale silver, held the
weight of centuries and yet when she looked at Analie, there was gentleness.
"You've grown stronger," Selene said, her voice like wind through leaves. "You're beginning to see through the veils."
Analie nodded, unsure whether to speak or simply listen. Her heart still raced from her encounter with Chris the night before. His lies had become clearer, but she still didn't have the final truth. She needed more and Selene had promised answers.
"You said Ethan's death was touched by something… unnatural," Analie began. "That it was betrayal, yes, but there's more, isn't there?"
Selene stepped closer, kneeling across from her. "Yes. Betrayal opened the door. But it was pain that called the darkness."
Analie frowned. "What kind of darkness?"
"Ethan's spirit was caught between worlds," Selene whispered. "Because the moment he died, he didn't understand why. There was confusion. Hurt. The betrayal from someone he called brother… it fractured him."
Analie's breath caught. "Chris."
Selene nodded slowly. "But it wasn't just Chris. There was something else. Something that used Chris' envy. Twisted it. Pushed it."
"A spirit?"
"A shadow," Selene said. "Old and hungry. It doesn't kill. It feeds. On grief. On guilt. On the unravelling of love."
Analie felt cold seep into her skin. "And it's still here?"
Selene looked at her carefully. "It's still tied to Chris. But now… it watches you."
The candles flickered violently.
Analie pressed her hands to her thighs, steadying herself. "So what do I do? How do I protect myself?"
"You learn who you are," Selene replied. "And you accept what you can do."
Selene reached out and placed a ghostly hand over Analie's chest, just above the pendant. The warmth inside it flared, sending a wave of heat through Analie's body. Her breath hitched as her vision swam and in an instant, she felt everything.
Every memory she'd ever had of Ethan his laughter, the brush of his fingers, the way his presence could quiet her storms flashed before her eyes. And then beyond that, she saw things she'd never known.
Ethan in pain. Ethan afraid. Ethan, after death, wandering a dark place with no name, calling her name in whispers. Her name had been the only light in that place. And something else had heard it too.
When she opened her eyes again, she was weeping.
"I have to bring him peace," Analie said softly. "He deserves to rest."
"You will," Selene said. "But the road forward is not without danger. The shadow is restless. And Chris… he is not lost to it yet, but his soul is caught in its grip. He may still believe what he did was justified."
Analie looked up. "Then I have to make him face the truth."
Selene rose, mist swirling around her. "And when he does, the shadow will fight back. That is when you'll need to decide what kind of power you will wield."
A wind rushed through the attic, snuffing out all but one candle. Selene's form began to fade.
"But remember, Analie your heart, even when it's broken, is your greatest weapon."
Then she was gone.
The attic was silent again.
But something had changed in Analie.
She stood slowly, wiping her cheeks, and walked to the mirror on the far side of the room. This time, she didn't see a grieving girl. She saw a woman who had stood at the edge of death, seen betrayal, and refused to be swallowed by it.
Her power wasn't rage.
It was clarity.
And she would use it to uncover everything every lie, every secret until Ethan had peace and the shadow had nowhere left to hide.