*******Harper
I couldn't sleep.
I sat alone in the dimly lit living room of Aliya's house, a cup of water growing warm in my hands, my gaze fixed on the shadows that stretched across the wooden floor. Every creak of the building felt amplified, every whisper of wind outside reminding me that peace was never permanent—not for me.
That was when I felt it.
A shift. A ripple, like the air had thickened.
Before I even turned my head, I knew who it was.
"Still awake."
The voice was low, smooth, carrying the kind of weight that could silence a room. My fingers tightened around the glass, and I slowly looked up. He was standing by the far corner of the room—no sound of footsteps, no warning of his approach, just there.
Kael.
Or rather, the Gamekeeper. The one man I had once thought of as two separate enigmas until the truth unraveled before me. His dark eyes caught mine, unreadable as always, though I swore there was something different about the way he looked at me tonight.
I didn't ask how he got in. That was pointless. He never used doors like normal people.
"You could have woken the others," I said softly, careful to keep my voice low so it wouldn't carry through the house. "Or do you prefer watching me sit here alone?"
A faint smirk curved his lips. "You're more perceptive than the rest, Harper. That's why I came."
I set the glass down on the table, my heart tightening in my chest. "Why? What do you want from me now?"
Instead of answering immediately, he moved closer, the shadows bending with him like they belonged to him. For a moment, I thought he might ignore my question, but then he stopped in front of me and studied my face as though measuring something invisible.
"You had a dream," he said simply.
I stiffened. My stomach churned at the memory. That wasn't just a dream—I knew it the second I opened my eyes. The darkness, the presence, the whisper of something pulling at me… and then Vaelthor's appearance earlier that night, sweeping in like a storm.
"You saw him," Kael added, lowering his voice. "Didn't you?"
I swallowed hard, forcing my words out. "Yes. Vaelthor." Even saying the name left a bitter taste in my mouth. "I saw him in my dream… "
"Go on."
I took a shaky breath and explained. I told him about the dream, about how it wasn't just a nightmare—it felt too real. The deaths of everyone I loved, the suffocating despair, and then… Vaelthor himself. How he appeared, calling me his other half. How he whispered that I should let go of everything else and let my inner energy consume me. How he claimed to understand me the most.
When I finished, Kael was silent. The way he looked at me made my chest tighten. Like he was putting together pieces I couldn't see.
"It's worse than I imagined," he finally said. "If he's reaching you in dreams, he's already trying to bind your soul to his. That kind of connection isn't easy to break."
"Bind my soul…?" My voice was barely a whisper.
Kael stepped closer, lowering his tone. "Harper, I can't fight this alone. If you want to stop him, if you want to survive this—you'll have to help me. We'll have to fight together."
I met his gaze. His words carried weight, but also something unspoken—fear, maybe. Or urgency. I wasn't sure.
Kael's expression didn't flicker, but I caught the slight narrowing of his eyes. He already knew. Of course he did. But he wanted to hear it from me.
"what else do you think it means?" he asked.
I pushed back against the unease, keeping my tone firm. "It means the darkness is moving. He's real. He's here. And I don't know why he's toying with us, but he is."
Silence stretched between us, heavy enough to suffocate. Then Kael tilted his head slightly, his gaze locking onto mine with unnerving intensity.
My heartbeat quickened, my thoughts racing. I should've said no. Every part of me screamed that trusting him was like dancing with fire—you'd always get burned eventually. But there was something in his eyes tonight, something that made me pause.
"You expect me to just… agree to that?" I muttered.
"Not expect," Kael corrected softly. "But you already know you don't have another choice."
Damn him. Damn him for being right.
My lips parted, but before I could reply, he tilted his head again, scanning the walls of the house as though he was listening to something beyond my reach. His jaw tensed.
"There's something else," he said quietly. "This house… it's not safe. I can feel it."
The words sent a cold shiver through me.
"What do you mean?"
"Dark energy," he replied, his tone clipped, precise. "Lingering here. Watching. Listening. If you care about the people inside this house, you'll follow me. We need to talk elsewhere."
I stared at him, searching his face for any trace of deception. Was this another manipulation? Another game? But his eyes were unwavering, and deep down, I could feel it too—that crawling sensation under my skin since I stepped foot here. Something about this house wasn't right.
"You're saying Aliya's house is compromised?"
Kael gave a single nod. "Yes."
I hesitated, my stomach twisting with unease. Leaving with him felt like willingly walking into the lion's den. But staying here… if what he said was true, then maybe none of us were safe anyway.
I drew in a slow breath and finally nodded. "…Fine. Let's go."
Something like satisfaction flickered in his expression, though he hid it quickly. He extended his hand—not toward me, but outward, and suddenly the space around us seemed to fold. The shadows bent inward, swallowing the room whole.
And before I could take another breath, the house vanished.
I was gone.
Taken with him.