Pamela’s Point of ViewThe room is quiet now. I lie next to Rowan, my body still tingling from the closeness we just shared. His arm rests over my waist, and I can feel his steady breathing, comforting yet heavy, like there’s something weighing on both of us. I should feel at ease, but I can’t shake the feeling that something is off.I glance over at him. Rowan’s asleep, his face relaxed, looking softer than usual. It’s strange seeing him like this—vulnerable. Normally, he’s so in control, so distant. Now, though, lying here next to me, he seems almost… human.But my mind won’t settle. It keeps racing, going over everything we’ve been through. Part of me wants to believe this is real—that whatever we have is true—but the other part, the cautious part, is whispering something isn’t right.My eyes drift to his phone, sitting on the nightstand. The screen lights up with a notification. I shouldn’t look. I know it’s wrong. But I can’t help it. I reach for the phone, carefully sliding it t
Pamela’s Point of View Joana’s living room is as cramped and cluttered as I remember, the walls covered in old photos of our family and shelves overflowing with books and trinkets. She sits on the couch, clutching a mug of tea I made her earlier, her brows furrowed in thought. “I don’t understand, Pamela,” she says, breaking the silence. “Why would you ask me how Mom got sick? You know as well as I do—she just did.” I perch on the edge of the chair across from her, gripping my knees tightly. “I know that’s what we were told, Joana. But I think there’s more to it. I need you to think back. Was there anything strange leading up to it? Anything Mom said or did that seemed… off?” She sighs, leaning back against the couch. “Pam, that was years ago. I don’t remember every little thing. You were a teenager, and I was even younger. What could I possibly know that you don’t?” I bite my lip, trying to figure out how to explain without making her panic. “I found something tonight. Some
Pamela’s Point of ViewI step through the villa’s front door, the soft click of the latch louder than usual in the silence of the house. The warm light from the chandelier in the foyer feels too bright, too revealing. I steady myself, drawing in a deep breath before I turn to see Rowan standing by the living room, his arms crossed. His sharp gaze locks onto me immediately.“Where have you been?” he asks, his voice calm but firm.I slip off my coat and avoid his eyes, hoping to keep my nerves from showing. “Joana wasn’t feeling well. She had a stomach ache, so I rushed over to check on her.”He studies me for a moment, his expression
Pamela’s Point of ViewThe next morning, the villa felt eerily quiet, despite the tension brewing under its roof. I woke early, the weight of yesterday’s events pressing on my chest like a boulder. Rowan had left the bedroom late last night after our conversation, but I hadn’t heard him return. I made my way downstairs, the cool marble floor sending shivers up my bare feet. The faint sound of clinking dishes drew me to the kitchen, where I found Rebecca sitting at the island, leisurely sipping her coffee, her phone in hand. “Good morning, Pamela,” she greeted, her tone laced with insincerity. “Sleep well?” “Good morning,” I replied curtly, not bothering to match her energy. She smirked, setting her cup down. “You missed quite the conversation after you stormed off last night. Mom was *not* happy about Rowan’s lack of answers. She’s convinced there’s something more to the Lyka story.” I ignored her bait, moving to pour myself a cup of coffee. My hands trembled slightly, but I
Pamela’s Point of ViewThe message haunted me all night. I barely slept, my thoughts tangled in a web of suspicion and fear. Who sent it? What did they know about my mother? And most importantly, why warn me to keep it from Rowan?The morning light streamed through the curtains as I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the message on my phone. My mind was a storm of possibilities. Rowan hadn’t come to bed, and I hadn’t gone looking for him. I couldn’t face him, not with this weighing on me.I took a deep breath, trying to focus. If I wanted answers, I needed to be smart about this. My first step was finding out who sent the message.The villa was unusually quie
Pamela’s Point of ViewRowan’s sudden appearance at the café sent a chill down my spine. His sharp gaze darted between Daniel, Joana, and me, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought he might snap.“I asked you a question,” Rowan said, his voice low but dangerous. “What are you doing here?”Joana tensed beside me, her protective instincts flaring. “She’s not obligated to explain herself,” she snapped.Rowan’s eyes flicked to her, narrowing. “This doesn’t concern you.”“Oh, it absolutely does,” Joana shot b
Pamela’s Point of ViewThe morning light streamed through the tall villa windows as I descended the stairs, my mind still tangled with the events of the previous night. I hadn’t slept much; Rowan’s cryptic words replayed over and over. “You might not like what you find.”The kitchen was already alive with the scent of freshly brewed coffee. Rowan was seated at the table, dressed in a crisp white shirt, his sleeves rolled up as he scrolled through his phone. He glanced up when he heard my footsteps, his expression guarded.“Good morning,” he said, setting his phone aside.“Morning,” I replied, moving to pour myself a cup of coff
Pamela’s Point of ViewThe crisp air brushed against my face as I walked, my feet taking me further from the villa and the chaos inside. Lyka’s words echoed in my mind, each syllable like a hammer driving deeper into the fragile foundation of my trust in Rowan. “Think carefully, Pamela. You might not want to hear the answers to the questions you’re asking.” What did she mean by that? Was there more to Rowan’s involvement in my life than he had let on? And if so, how much of it had been orchestrated by his family? I found myself at a small park on the edge of town, the kind of place where children played and couples strolled hand in hand. It was a sharp contrast to the storm raging inside me. I sat on a bench, pulling my jacket tighter around me as I tried to sort through my thoughts. My phone buzzed in my pocket, breaking my reverie. I pulled it out to see a message from Joana. Joana: “Are you okay? You seemed upset when you left.” I hesitated before replying. Me: “I’m f
The force of the vortex was unlike anything I had ever felt. It gripped me with an intensity that seemed to tear at my very soul, pulling me deeper and deeper into the unknown. My body twisted and spun, the world around me becoming a blur of colors and shapes. The weight of the power was crushing, suffocating, as if I were being sucked into the very heart of a storm.I tried to scream, to call out to Rowan, but the vortex swallowed my voice. The air was thick with a hum that reverberated through my bones, and the pressure in my chest increased, as though I were being squeezed into something too small. My eyes fought against the oncoming darkness, but no matter how hard I strained, I couldn’t focus on anything.It felt like hours passed, though I knew it had only been mere seconds. I was trapped in this swirling chaos, unsure of whether I was still in the
The chaos was deafening, an explosive clash of forces that vibrated through the very air. I could feel the heat of the energy swirling around me, my pulse racing as I stood frozen in the center of it all. Rowan’s voice cut through the noise, desperate and urgent.“Pamela, now! You have to leave—this is your chance!”But something held me in place. I wasn’t sure if it was fear, or if it was the crushing weight of the truth finally settling in. This was no longer just about survival. This was about discovering what I was truly up against—what I had unknowingly been dragged into.Victor’s power crackled through the room in sharp bursts, each one threatening to tear the walls down. It was terrifying—impossible even—but I knew deep down that we were running out of tim
I awoke with a start, my body frozen in place, heart pounding in my chest as though it were trying to escape. The world was still dark, but this time, it wasn’t the suffocating blackness of the arena. The air smelled different—cleaner, lighter—almost like I was in a different place altogether. Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.My hands trembled as I slowly lifted them, feeling the cool stone beneath me. I tried to move, but my body was too heavy, too lethargic. What had just happened? The creature—Rowan’s voice—everything was a blur.“Pamela,” a voice said softly from the shadows.I froze.It was Kiera. But she didn’t sound like herself. She didn’t sound cold or distant. T
I jolted awake, gasping for air. The air around me was thick with tension, my senses heightened as though I had just been pulled from the depths of a nightmare. My heart raced, but there was no sense of relief. No peace. Something had shifted—something dark and irrevocable.I sat up, the world around me blurry. A dim light flickered above, casting shadows across the cold stone walls. I blinked, struggling to make sense of where I was. The room was unfamiliar—no, this wasn’t the palace. It wasn’t the void either. This place was… different.I rose slowly, the weight of my limbs feeling heavier than usual. As my eyes adjusted to the low light, I saw an old wooden table in the corner of the room, covered with strange artifacts. The air was damp, like a forgotten underground hideaway, with the faint smell of earth and decay.A door creaked open, and I froze.“Pamela,” a voice called out softly. It was familiar, but not quite. A tinge of something I couldn't place lingered in the tone.I tu
The darkness enveloped me like a suffocating blanket, drowning out all sound, all movement. I felt weightless, as if I were floating in an endless void. My pulse thudded in my ears, but there was nothing else. No danger. No Rowan, no Zara, no Erin—just silence.I tried to move, but my limbs were heavy, as if shackled by invisible chains. My mouth opened to scream, but no sound escaped. Panic clawed at my chest, my breath coming in sharp gasps. What had happened? Why was I here?A sharp, cool breeze cut through the emptiness, and I realized that I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t in the void anymore. I was standing on solid ground—though it didn’t feel like the earth beneath my feet. It felt… wrong. An unnatural chill seeped into my bones, the air thick with the scent of decay.“Pamela.”I froze at the sound of the voice, so familiar yet so distant. It was Victor’s voice, smooth and mocking, like he was watching from the shadows.“You really didn’t think you could escape, did you?” His voice ech
The forest grew eerily quiet as we moved forward, every step dragging like lead. The earlier chaos had given way to a suffocating stillness, and even the wind seemed to hold its breath. Rowan walked ahead, his movements cautious, the tension in his shoulders visible. Zara stuck close to Erin, both of them exchanging wary glances. I trailed behind, my mind a storm of questions, fears, and Victor’s haunting words.“What does he mean, ‘I’m the key’?” I finally asked, breaking the silence.Rowan glanced over his shoulder but didn’t stop walking. “We’ll figure it out, but not here.”“That’s not an answer,” I pressed, my voice sharper than I intended. “If I’m putting all of you at risk, I need to know why.”
The roar reverberated through the air again, a primal sound that sent chills down my spine. It was neither human nor animal—something otherworldly that didn’t belong in the forest. Rowan’s grip on my arm tightened, his body tense as he scanned the surrounding shadows.“We need to move,” he said, his voice low but urgent.Zara, for once, looked rattled. “Move where? That thing doesn’t sound like it’s interested in taking prisoners.”“It’s driving them off,” Erin said, her rifle still trained on the darkness. “But for how long?”Victor and his men were retreating, their movements hurried and disorganized. Whatever was out there, even they didn’t want to face it. My heart raced as I re
The forest’s darkness was relentless, its towering trees and dense undergrowth threatening to swallow us whole. My lungs burned, my legs screamed in protest, but Zara’s iron grip on my arm gave me no choice but to keep moving. Behind us, the sounds of pursuit grew louder—Victor’s men crashing through the woods like a pack of wolves.“Don’t look back!” Zara barked, her voice sharp.But I couldn’t help myself. A quick glance over my shoulder revealed flickering beams of flashlights weaving through the trees. My heart clenched. They were gaining on us.Rowan ran ahead, his shoulders tense as he carved a path through the undergrowth. Erin was close behind him, her rifle clutched tightly in her hands.“We’re not losi
The forest was eerily silent now, the echoes of gunfire swallowed by the oppressive darkness. My breath came in shallow gasps as I clung to a tree for support, my legs trembling with exhaustion. Rowan appeared beside me moments later, his face a mixture of relief and fury.“Are you okay?” he asked, his hands gripping my shoulders tightly.I nodded, unable to speak. My mind was spinning from the encounter with Victor, his cold sneer still burned into my memory.Erin and Zara emerged from the shadows next, both bloodied but alive. Erin’s sharp gaze scanned the perimeter while Zara held her arm, blood seeping through her makeshift bandage.“We can’t stay here,” Zara said, her voice taut with urgency. “Victor won’t stop. He&rsq