Chapter 4: The Pull of Shadows
The world was quiet, too quiet. Trees stretched above like skeletal fingers, blocking out even the gentlest hint of sunlight. Aria's boots squelched in the mud as she and the stranger moved deeper into the woods, their breath fogging in the sharp chill of the air. The thing—whatever it was—no longer chased them, but the threat clung to Aria's skin like damp fog.
"Who are you?" she finally asked (although she said the name not knowing how she just wanted to be sure ), stealing a sideways glance at the stranger beside her.
His hood was still up, shadowing most of his face, but his voice carried a calm, almost melodic cadence. "Cael."
Just one word, and yet something about it prickled against her memory. She didn't press him—she didn't have the strength—but his name echoed in her head like a half-forgotten dream.
He led her through winding deer trails that twisted in unnatural directions, as if the forest itself didn't want to be mapped. The trees grew denser. Gnarled roots rose like veins from the earth, tripping her every few steps. Still, Cael moved with the ease of someone who belonged here.
"Are we safe now?" she asked.
His hesitation was answer enough.
"Not quite."
Aria pulled her coat tighter around her. Her hand brushed against her necklace—the amethyst one she'd worn since she was a child—and she nearly stopped in her tracks. It was warm. Burning, almost. A pulse beat through it, mirroring the rhythm of her heart.
"What…" she whispered, tugging it free from beneath her shirt. The gem glowed faintly.
Cael turned, noticing. His eyes—sharp, silver, and strangely familiar—widened slightly. "That necklace," he said, "is why they're after you."
"They?" Aria repeated, but he didn't elaborate.
Suddenly, the air thickened, charged with tension. Leaves stopped rustling. Birds fell silent. The entire forest held its breath.
"Come on," Cael said, grabbing her wrist. "It's reacting. We're close."
"Close to what?" she asked, nearly tripping over a root as he pulled her forward.
But even before he answered, she knew. Or at least, some part of her did.
The trees broke apart ahead, forming a clearing, and in the middle of it stood… something.
A house.
It was crooked and dark, built of rotting wood and stone that shimmered faintly in the half-light. Moss clung to its sides like a second skin. It looked abandoned—no, more than that. Forgotten. Like it had been erased from memory, except theirs.
Aria slowed. Her necklace pulsed harder. Her breath caught.
"Why does it feel like I've been here before?" she whispered, fingers curling tightly around the stone.
Cael let go of her wrist. "Because you have. In dreams, maybe. In lives you don't remember."
That wasn't comforting.
A sudden gust of wind blew through the clearing, carrying with it the faint scent of lavender and ashes. The door to the house creaked open, just a few inches. No one stood behind it.
"I don't want to go in there," Aria admitted, her voice smaller than she intended.
"You don't have to," Cael replied. "But it'll call to you either way."
She looked up at him. The forest, the house, the glow of the necklace—it was all too much. She wanted to run again. But the ground beneath her feet felt rooted in place.
"Who are you really?" she asked again, her voice sharp.
He looked at her for a long moment, and this time, the corners of his mouth quirked in something like sadness. "You already know."
She did. And yet she didn't. The name Caius Blackthorn floated through her mind, uninvited. Her heart skipped a beat.
The house groaned, wind whipping through its broken windows. The trees bent as though bowing toward it.
Aria took a step forward.
"Wait," Cael said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Not tonight. It's not ready for you yet."
Her entire body tensed. "Then why show me this?"
"To remind you what's coming."
She didn't respond. She couldn't. Her fingers loosened around the necklace. The glow faded slightly, but not completely.
They stood together, watching the house like it might wake up and speak. Like it might swallow them whole.
The wind stilled.
And deep in the shadows of the porch, something moved.
Aria blinked, but it was gone.
She swallowed hard. "Let's go."
Cael nodded. As they turned back into the trees, the house disappeared behind them. One moment it was there, the next it was like it had never existed.
But
the pull of the necklace remained.
So did the name on her lips:
"Caius Blackthorn."