Stop

The trek through the dense forest was arduous, the undergrowth clawing at their clothes and the humid air making their skin prickle with sweat. Carter trudged along behind Grace as she navigated the map, the silence stretched between them besides the birds chirping and the crickets only fueling the discomfort in her stomach, she never was one for silence, quite the opposite. Plus the image of the gun could never be erased from her mind nor the fact he went on a ramble about his invention.

"So, you're like a mad scientist, then?" she asked, dodging a low-hanging branch.

Grace glanced back, however his expression disinterested. "Uh-huh."

Grace pressed on. "And I suppose the reason you have that fancy mansion is because you sell your…inventions?"

"Yup."

Her brow furrowed. "Okay, so what else do you do? Mafia boss on the side?" She jabbed with a slight smile.

"As a matter of fact, yes."Carter said casually, "I'm the leader of a rather lucrative criminal organization."

Grace's steps faltered, "What? Huh?"

"Can I see that map Miss Grace?" He asked before she even ruminated, dumbfounded she simply handed him the piece of paper and let him take the lead in this one as he studied the map.

As they continued through the forest, the terrain grew more treacherous. The mist swirled around them, obscuring their vision and distorting the landscape. Grace could feel a growing sense of unease as she tried to navigate the winding paths.

"The map shows a fork up ahead," Carter said, his brow furrowed in concentration. "One way looks shorter but potentially more dangerous, while the other is longer but safer."

She glanced up at Carter, her eyes searching his face. "What do you think? Which way should we go?"

Carter considered the options, his expression thoughtful. "The shorter path, we're on a deadline here I want to get this over with as soon as possible."

Grace frowned, "Uh…are you sure about that? Didn't you just say the shorter one is more dangerous?""Potentially." He waved off, "Besides whatever creatures may appear I can handle just find." He then brought out his gun and flipped it, letting it spin around his finger before snapping it up with a deft grip."Alright alright." She grumbled, "Your way it is then oh great scientist."He smirked at that, and instantly Grace regretted giving him an ego boost. She breathed deeply as she followed along his path, sure they could get attacked like last time, but even then he seemed to carry it out just fine. A dry chuckle threatens to slip out, Carter says he needs her but it feels like he's just dragging her along like another tool in his satchel.

As they pressed on, the mist grew thicker, swirling around them in billowing clouds. Grace found herself squinting, straining to make out the path ahead. She glanced over at Carter, hoping to gauge his reaction, but to her surprise, he seemed unfazed, his gaze unwavering.

Suddenly, a movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Grace whirled around, her heart pounding, and this time, she was certain she had seen something - a shadowy figure, just out of reach.

"Did you see that?" she whispered, her hand instinctively reaching for Carter's arm.

Carter's brow furrowed, his gaze scanning the swirling fog. "See what?"

Without warning, a creature emerged from the mist, its form indistinct but undeniably menacing. Grace's breath caught in her throat as she caught a glimpse of gleaming fangs and razor-sharp claws.

Carter's arm snapped up, the gun in his hand barking out a series of rapid shots. The creature let out a spine-chilling howl and staggered back, disappearing into the mist once more.

"Run!" Carter yelled, his hand gripping Grace's arm as he pulled her forward.

They raced through the tangled undergrowth, the sounds of pursuit echoing all around them. Grace's lungs burned, and her legs felt like lead, but she pushed on, fueled by a primal fear.

Suddenly, they emerged into a small clearing, only to find themselves cornered. The creature, its form now visible in the dim light, prowled towards them, its eyes glinting with malice.

Carter pushed Grace behind him, his gun raised. "Stay back," he growled, his finger tightening on the trigger.

The creature lunged, and Grace watched in horror as Carter unloaded round after round into its body. But the creature seemed unfazed, its momentum carrying it forward even as it staggered under the hail of bullets.

Seeing an opportunity, Grace reached deep within herself, searching for that strange power she had manifested earlier. To her surprise, she felt a surge of energy coursing through her, and with a desperate effort, she thrust her hands outward, a shimmering barrier erupting between them and the creature.

The impact of the creature slamming against the barrier sent a shockwave through Grace's body, and she felt a searing pain lance through her head. Crying out, she stumbled, her concentration wavering.

As the barrier flickered and threatened to collapse, Carter acted quickly, drawing a small device from his pocket. With a deft flick of his wrist, he activated it, and a pulse of energy rippled through the clearing, causing the creature to howl in agony and retreat.

Grace watched in awe as the creature disappeared back into the mist, her head pounding. But just as she thought they were safe, the pain intensified, and she felt her knees buckle.

Suddenly, a memory flashed through her mind

Her eyes snapped open, and she found herself on the floor, crayons in hand, surrounded by multiple scraps of paper, each trying to resemble a house and three figures - a mother, father, and child. A picture-perfect family drawing, that was her sixth-grade project.

Grace looked around, and she was back again, in her old room in the mountains. The walls were adorned with posters of fictional characters and artwork of stories she had read.

The sound of raised voices drifted from the next room, getting louder with each passing second. Grace crept to the door, peeking into the room where her parents were arguing. The topic of their heated discussion? It was about her, about her missing assignments. Her teacher had called them, being oh so worried about her schoolwork.

Peeking out from her doorway, Grace saw them in the living room, a pile of unopened mail on the table and a half-empty bottle of whiskey standing sentinel. Her mother, her face etched with worry, was holding her phone.

"Look at all the missing assignments she has again, John! How many times do we have to go through this?" her mother's voice strained.

"Well, maybe if you weren't always at school, you'd have time to help her with her homework!" her father's words slurred slightly.

The argument escalated, blame being tossed back and forth like a hot potato. Grace shrunk back, the familiar feeling clawing at her heart again. She was always the source of conflict, the reason why they fought, raised their voices, and insulted each other until they…

Tears stung Grace's eyes as she tore away from the scene, retreating into the safety of her room.

"It's not my fault," she whispered, her back against the wall as she slid down to the floor once again, "It's not my fault, not my fault, not my fault!" She repeated the words, rocking back and forth, as if saying them like a prayer could make her start believing it, to just make it stop, just stop.

The memory faded, leaving Grace disoriented and overwhelmed. She blinked, her gaze slowly focusing on the unfamiliar surroundings of the forest alcove. The space was small and cramped, the walls made up of twisted roots and tangled vines. A faint light filtered in through the gaps, casting flickering shadows across the ground.

As Grace looked around, her eyes landed on Carter, who was sitting a few feet away. To her alarm, she noticed a fresh scratch on his lean, muscular arm, a thin line of blood marring his skin.

"What happened? How are you—" Grace began, trying to push herself up, but the movement sent a wave of dizziness through her, and she had to grip the ground to steady herself.

"Oh, well," Carter started, "one of the creatures took the opportunity to strike when you passed out. It got me before I could react."

"Oh. Oh," Grace's brows furrowed, "I'm… I'm so sorry."

"Don't," Carter said firmly, cutting her off. "I find 'sorry' doesn't do anything. Just… help me patch this up, will you? I think I have a kit in my satchel."

Nodding, Grace carefully reached for Carter's satchel, her fingers trembling slightly. As she rummaged through it, she felt a familiar sensation coursing through her veins - a tingling warmth that seemed to radiate from her fingertips.

Pulling out the first aid kit, Grace gently took Carter's arm in her hands, her touch feather-light as she began to clean the wound. But as her fingers brushed against the scratch, something extraordinary happened.

To Grace's amazement, the wound began to knit itself back together, the skin mending and the bleeding slowing to a stop. She watched, transfixed, as the injury vanished, leaving no trace of its existence.

"How… how did I do that?" Grace breathed, her eyes wide.

Carter's gaze was equally surprised, his expression unguarded for once. "I… I'm not sure," he admitted, his voice low, "This would need some more studies when we get back to the estate."

Grace stared at her hands, flexing her fingers as if trying to understand the strange power that had manifested within her. "I don't… I don't know what's happening to me," she said, her voice laced with uncertainty.

Carter studied her for a moment, "Alright, let's cut to the chase, Grace. What the hell happened back there?" he demanded, his tone sharp.

Grace blinked, "What do you mean?"

"The headache, the barrier you conjured - I need to know what's going on, and I need to know now," Carter pressed, his eyes narrowing. "These kinds of surprises can get us killed out here, and I don't appreciate being caught off guard."

"I don't have to explain anything to you," she retorted, her voice low.

Carter let out a huff. "Well, you kind of do, Grace. These headaches seem to strike at the worst possible times, and if we don't understand the cause, they could put us in even more danger."

"Hey, it's not like I asked for the headaches!" Grace snapped, her temper flaring.

"I don't care what you asked for," Carter shot back, his patience clearly wearing thin. "We're in this together, whether you like it or not, and understanding your…abilities could be the difference between life and death."

Grace chewed on her lower lip, her mind racing. Finally, she sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I think… I think these headaches are connected to my past," she admitted, her gaze downcast. "To memories that I've buried, or that have been taken from me."

Carter's expression darkened. "Interesting," he mused, his tone laced with a hint of suspicion. "There's a rumor that Chosens like you have had their past memories stripped away by the Goddess. And that those memories can sometimes come back, after a few weeks or even years."

Grace's head snapped up, her eyes wide with alarm. "A few years?" she breathed, her voice tinged with panic. "But I can't wait that long! I need to know, I need to understand what's happening to me."

Carter leaned in, his gaze intense. "Well, then you'd better start talking, Grace. Because if these headaches continue to plague us, they could become a liability we can't afford."

Grace swallowed hard, her mind racing. "I… I don't know what else to say," she admitted, her voice small. "I'm just as confused as you are."

Carter's expression softened, ever so slightly. "Well, that's not exactly reassuring," he muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "Alright, look, we need to keep moving. But if these headaches happen again, I need you to tell me, immediately. Understand?"

Grace nodded, her resolve steeling. "Okay," she said, pushing herself to her feet. "Let's go."

As they made their way through the forest once more, Grace could feel Carter's gaze burning into the back of her head. She knew that he was just as unsettled by this turn of events as she was and that he was determined to get to the bottom of it.