The fog clung to Saltgrave's cliffs like a shroud, thick and suffocating. It felt as if the sea conspired to hide the truth. Marina Holt marched ahead, her boots crunching on the jagged rocks. Her coat flapped like a worn-out flag. The wind howled, carrying the smell of salt and decay. It felt like a funeral song for her dead husband. Behind her, Flick Marrow lagged, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. His grin was a brittle mask covering the fear gnawing at him. Evelyn Voss followed with her usual precision, scanning the mist like a predator, while Riley Quinn lagged behind, their knife catching the light as they muttered curses.
"Keep up," Marina snapped, her voice raw, cutting through the gloom. "Tom died here. If there's a clue, it's buried in this hellhole." Her eyes burned with a fury that could ignite the fog. Her grief felt like a blade she wielded against the world.
Flick forced a laugh, but it sounded empty."Buried, huh? Hope it's not under me when the tide comes. Last thing I need is a saltwater eulogy."His humor was a shield, but the cliffs brought memories of Lila—her laughter, then silence—and his hands trembled.
Evelyn's gaze flicked to him, cold and investigative."Save your jokes, Flick. This isn't a stage. If Marina's right, this place is a graveyard—and we could be the next headstones."Her words struck hard, each syllable heavy with the burden of her past.
Riley smirked, twirling their knife."Cheery bunch. If we're dying, I call dibs on the prettiest tombstone. Maybe one with my face on it."Their bravado was fake, a thin layer hiding the unease creeping up their spine. The Syndicate's warnings about the cliffs echoed in their mind—stay away, or face the consequences.
Marina stopped at a jagged outcrop, the spot where Tom's body had been found. His fall was ruled an accident that no one believed. She knelt, her fingers tracing the wet stone, searching for something—anything."He didn't slip," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Someone pushed him. I feel it in my bones, like a curse gnawing at me."Her head snapped up, eyes wild."You hear that? The sea… it's laughing."
Flick froze, his breath caught. The waves roared below, but beneath that, a faint whisper slithered—Lila's voice, soft and accusing."Felix… why didn't you save me?"His heart raced, paranoia gripping him."Shut up," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "You're not here. You're dead."
Evelyn stepped closer, her voice low and harsh."Talking to ghosts now? Your sister's death is a wound, Flick, and it's draining you. Face it, or it'll pull you down."Her words cut deep, her own guilt over lost patients echoing his pain.
"Enough!" Marina shouted, slamming her fist on the rock. A sharp crack echoed, and a chunk of stone shifted, revealing a carving—a spiral with an eye, identical to the symbol on Lila's photograph."There," she hissed, her voice trembling with triumph and fear. "The Order's mark. They killed him. They killed her."
Riley crouched beside her, their fingers brushing the carving."Pretty little death sigil. Looks like we stumbled into their playground."Their tone was flippant, but their eyes narrowed, calculating. The Syndicate had never mentioned this—had they been played?
Before anyone could react, the tide surged, a black wall of water roaring up the cliffs with unnatural speed. Marina stumbled, losing her footing, and the sea grabbed her, pulling her toward the edge."Tom!" she screamed, her voice a raw plea as the waves dragged her down.
Flick lunged, but Riley was faster, diving forward with a snarl. They grabbed Marina's arm, yanking her back with a strength born from desperation."Hold still, you lunatic!" Riley growled, their knife clattering to the ground as they pulled her to safety. The water receded just as rapidly, leaving them soaked and gasping.
Marina collapsed, coughing. Her eyes blazed."You… you saved me."Her voice was thick with disbelief, turning to gratitude, then rage."But it won't bring him back. Nothing will."
"Gratitude's overrated," Riley panted, retrieving their knife. "Next time, don't play hero on a death trap."Their grin returned but trembled, the near-loss shaking them more than they'd admit.
Evelyn knelt by the carving, her fingers tracing the spiral."This isn't just a mark. It's a seal. The Order's been feeding The Veil here for centuries."Her voice was a whisper, but it carried a heavy meaning."We're standing on its altar."
Flick staggered back, his paranoia spiking."An altar? Great. So we're sacrifices? Lila's voice—did it call me here to die?"His laugh was manic, a sound that could curdle blood."I should've stayed in the bar, cracking jokes for drunks."
"Pull yourself together," Evelyn snapped, her eyes flashing. "Your sister's dead, but you're not—yet. This mark means they're watching. We need to move."Her control felt fragile, her fear of the Order's reach gnawing at her.
Marina stood, her resolve hardening."Move where? Back to that cursed manor? I'll burn it down before I let them take another life."Her words were a vow, a dark promise that sent a chill through the group.
The fog thickened, pressing against them like a living thing. Flick's head snapped up, his breath hitching."Did you hear that?" he whispered, his voice barely audible over the wind."Lila… she's closer."The whisper came again, a chilling echo:"Run, Felix… or join me."
Riley's grip tightened on their knife, their bravado fading."This isn't natural. That tide, that voice—something's awake out here."Their eyes darted to the shadows, expecting something to emerge.
Evelyn's gaze hardened."The Veil. It's testing us. If we stay, it'll claim us."Her words felt like a grim warning, her mind racing to piece together the purpose of the ritual.
Suddenly, the fog parted, revealing a figure on a distant rock—a silhouette cloaked in black, its face hidden. Flick's heart stopped."Who the hell's that?" he rasped, stepping forward.The figure didn't move, its presence a silent threat.
Marina squinted, her voice a growl."One of them. Order scum. They're mocking us."She reached for a rock, ready to throw it, but Evelyn grabbed her arm.
"Don't," Evelyn warned, her tone cold. "You'll draw more. We're prey here, Marina. Act like it, and we're dead."
The figure tilted its head, as if listening, then raised a hand. The spiral on the rock pulsed, a faint red light seeping into the stone. Flick stumbled back, his fear escalating."It's her! Lila's killer! I know it!"His voice cracked, a desperate cry into the void.
Riley seized him, their grip firm."Snap out of it, clown! That's no ghost—it's a trap. Move!"Their words were a lifeline, but their own fear was evident, the Syndicate's warnings ringing true.
The tide surged again, weaker this time, but the figure vanished in an instant, leaving only the glowing spiral. Marina's breath hitched, her resolve faltering."Tom… was this your fate?" she murmured, her voice a lament deeper than any blade.
Evelyn stood, her face set with determination."We take the mark's location back. The Order knows we're here now. This is war."Her words rang out, but her eyes showed a flicker of fear—war against what?
Flick wiped his face, his grin returning, twisted and dark."War, huh? Guess I'll die laughing then. But if that thing comes back, I'm not going quietly."His humor felt like defiance, a challenge to the abyss.
The group turned to leave, the fog swallowing the cliffs behind them. But as they reached the path, Flick glanced back, his heart sinking. The figure was there again, closer now, its cloak billowing like wings. Its head tilted, and a voice—low, guttural, not Lila's—rasped:"The mask awaits you all."
He blinked, and it was gone, the spiral's glow fading into the mist. His blood ran cold, a shiver racing down his spine."Guys…" he whispered, turning to the others. "We're not alone."
The fog closed in, the sea's laughter rising, and the group froze, the weight of the unseen pressing down. Something was out there, watching, waiting, and it knew their names.