The knock at her door was sharp, impatient. Aurelia's heart thudded in her chest as she glanced around her dimly lit room. She had only just slipped back inside; surely no one could have seen her. But her mother's voice cut through the wood again, firm and commanding.
"Aurelia, come out."
Her fingers curled into the sheets of her bed. The unease in her mother's tone made her pulse quicken. Slowly, she rose, smoothing her dress with trembling hands, and cracked the door open.
Her mother stood in the narrow hallway, her lips pressed into a tight line. Her elder sister, Liora, leaned against the wall with arms crossed, eyes glinting with smug satisfaction.
"You weren't in your room," Liora said before Aurelia could even open her mouth. "I have a witness."
Aurelia's vision swam for a moment. The air thickened in her lungs. A witness? Someone followed me? Her heart dropped like a stone. She hadn't been as careful as she thought.
Her mother's gaze darkened. "Liora," she said slowly, "bring this witness forward."
From behind Liora, a figure stepped into the hallway. Aurelia's breath caught. Nicholas.
He looked disheveled, one hand clutching his wrist as though it still pained him. His eyes darted nervously between the three women before he dropped into a bow.
"Tell us, Nicholas," Liora said, her tone sharpened with expectation. "Did you see my sister outside tonight? Tell the truth."
For a breathless second, Aurelia thought her world would unravel. Nicholas had followed her. He had seen her. He could destroy her with a single word.
But when Nicholas lifted his head, his voice came out steady, though his knuckles whitened against his wrist.
"I haven't seen Lady Aurelia outside this evening at all."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Aurelia's eyes widened. What?
Her mind scrambled to catch up. Why—why would he lie? He had every reason to expose her. Yet he stood there, bowing low, his words cutting directly against Liora's claim.
Her mother's brows furrowed, confusion pulling at her stern features. "You didn't see her?"
"No, madam," Nicholas said quickly. "I was near the house for most of the evening. I saw nothing of Lady Aurelia."
Aurelia swallowed hard. Her heart pounded so loudly she worried they could hear it. Whatever Nicholas's reason, his lie favored her. She would not question it now. She would take the lifeline. I owe him for this, she thought grimly.
Liora's face twisted, her certainty crumbling into disbelief. "That's a lie!" she snapped. "I saw her myself leaving the house! Nicholas—why are you saying otherwise?"
Her mother raised a hand, silencing her. "It seems there has been a misunderstanding," she said slowly. She turned to Aurelia, her eyes still sharp with suspicion, but her voice softer. "Go back to your room. I'll be watching you closely from now on."
Aurelia nodded quickly, relief flooding her body like warm water. She stepped back toward her room, her legs unsteady, but she kept her expression calm.
Her mother, meanwhile, shifted her attention to Liora, her expression hardening. "And you.....what is the meaning of this?"
Liora bristled, spinning toward Nicholas with fury. She stalked toward him, her heels clicking against the wooden floor. Before anyone could stop her, her palm struck his cheek with a sharp slap.
Nicholas staggered, clutching his face in shock. Liora's eyes burned with accusation. "Are you hiding something with my sister? Is that why you're covering for her? You've clearly lied tonight!"
Nicholas bowed his head, his voice trembling but firm. "I only said what I saw, my lady. Nothing more."
"You saw nothing?" she hissed, her voice cracking with anger. "When I saw it with my own eyes?"
Her hand lifted again, but her mother's voice snapped through the tension. "Enough, Liora."
Her elder sister froze mid-motion.
"Leave Nicholas be. He has spoken. This matter is finished."
"But Mother—!"
"Enough," her mother said again, her tone final.
Nicholas bowed quickly, his movements sharp, desperate to escape the suffocating tension. He turned, stepping toward the door. But as he passed, he muttered under his breath, just loud enough for himself to hear:
"This slap is a hundred times better than dying. That man… he was terrifying."
He glanced at his wrist, flexing the aching tendons as though remembering Malion's grip. His throat worked, and he hurried into the night.
Inside, Aurelia stood frozen in her doorway, the exchange rattling her. She hadn't expected Nicholas to shield her. The weight of his lie pressed against her chest like a secret debt. Why would he…?
Her mother rubbed her temple, turning to Liora. "Go get some sleep. Enough trouble has been stirred tonight."
Liora's eyes burned with unshed frustration, but she bit her tongue. With a sharp exhale, she turned on her heel and stormed down the hallway, the echo of her footsteps harsh against the quiet.
Aurelia slipped back into her room, closing the door softly. Her heart was still racing, her hands trembling as she pressed them to her chest. She leaned against the wood, listening to the muffled silence outside. Tonight could have ended in ruin. Instead, Nicholas's lie had spared her. She sank to her bed, staring at the ceiling. This is not over. I can feel it.
Meanwhile, Nicholas hadn't gone far. His footsteps echoed faintly down the road, the quiet of the night pressing against his ears. He rubbed his wrist again, wincing at the memory of Malion's impossible strength. His heart still hadn't calmed from that confrontation.
As he walked, the air around him shifted. A heaviness settled over the path, unnatural and cold. His breath hitched. The lanterns hanging on the nearby houses flickered, shadows stretching unnaturally long across the ground.
Nicholas slowed, his instincts screaming. His eyes darted around, searching for movement. The street was empty. Too empty.
Then, just ahead, the darkness thickened. From the edge of the alley, a shadow peeled itself from the wall. At first Nicholas thought it was a trick of the light, but no—its shape rose, forming into something like a man. But it wasn't human. It couldn't be. A shadow shouldn't stand on its own.
Nicholas's mouth opened on a breathless gasp, his throat straining for a scream.
The creature hissed, the sound low and venomous. Then, almost mockingly, it lifted one long, formless finger to its lips.
"Shhh…"
Nicholas's entire body went cold. His mind reeled. The memory of Malion's deadly grip flashed across him. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe, as the shadow loomed closer.
In a whisper of terror, the words slipped from his lips:
"Not again."