CHAPTER 13

I woke up suddenly, my heart pounding and my vision still blurred. A heavy fog surrounded me, swirling and shifting in an endless expanse. "Where am I?" I muttered, my voice trembling and barely audible. I tried to stand, but my legs felt unsteady, as if they were sinking into the ground. Despite my desperate attempts, I couldn't seem to make any progress. The fog was so dense, it felt like I was running in place.

"Help!" I cried out, but my voice seemed to vanish into the thick mist, swallowed by the silence. I looked around frantically, but there was nothing to see except the endless, oppressive gray. How had I ended up here? The isolation was suffocating.

Suddenly, from the swirling mist, a figure began to materialize. He was tall, cloaked in black, and wore high, sturdy boots that made a muted thud with each step. His face was obscured by a mask, but his eyes—fiery orange and glowing—were unmistakably clear. They burned with a fierce intensity, piercing through the fog and into my very soul.

"Veni mecum, amor" he said in a language I didn't recognize. Although the words were foreign, the command was unmistakable. Panic surged through me, and I turned to run. But no matter how fast I ran, he always appeared in front of me, his presence seeming to manipulate the fog. My heart pounded harder as I realized he possessed some sort of magical power. There was no escaping him.

"Noli hoc difficilius facere quam iamset" he said again, his voice tinged with frustration. My breath came in ragged gasps as I shouted

"Who are you?" His hand reached out towards me, and in a burst of fear, I screamed

"Don't touch me! Stay away!" In a heartbeat, he vanished, swallowed by the fog as if he had never been there.

"Allison..." A soft, haunting whisper echoed around me, calling my name repeatedly. The sound was both familiar and unsettling. I fought against the rising dread, struggling to hold onto my composure. Finally, I gave in to the persistent whisper. When I opened my eyes, the fog was gone. I was lying in a stark, white hospital room, the sterile environment a sharp contrast to the nightmare I had just experienced. My parents stood by my bedside, their faces a mix of relief and concern.

A pang of guilt hit me as I saw my mother's teary eyes. I hated seeing her like this. Why was I always the source of her pain? My father's face was also lined with sadness, his eyes reflecting the same worry I saw in my mother's.

The past week had been a blur of doctors and therapists, all assuring my family that I was mentally stable. Their reassurances should have confirmed that Zephyr was gone, that the nightmare was over. But how could a presence that had been with me for three years disappear so suddenly? It didn't make sense. But then again, he came unexpectedly.

I sighed, feeling a mix of relief and lingering unease. The man from my dream. His presence lingered in my mind as vivid as ever. Why couldn't I forget his piercing eyes? It was as if he was a ghost from my past, refusing to leave me alone.

I slowly sat up, my head still spinning from the disorienting experience. My mom looked at me with concern.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

I tried to force a reassuring smile.

"I was just thinking" I said, not wanting to worry her further.

"I'm sorry for the trouble. It's all just been overwhelming."

My dad wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a tight embrace.

"That's what your therapist said. For now, try not to think about it too much. It's in the past. Just focus on moving forward."

After a few more comforting words and a dose of medication, I was left alone with my thoughts. I wanted so desperately for everything to be normal, to have a life without the shadow of Zephyr lingering over me. Yet, even as I tried to convince myself that Zephyr was truly gone, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was still amiss.

When I got home, my mom insisted on feeding me and tucking me into bed. The lights were turned off, and I tried to settle into sleep. As I lay there, a sudden chill ran down my spine. I knew something was wrong. My body moved on its own, my hand reaching towards my bandaged fingers. The bandages came off effortlessly, revealing the stitches that had once held my fingers together.

To my horror, my fingers began to stretch and reshape themselves, the stitches falling away as if they had never been there. My hand looked perfectly normal again. A wave of tears welled up in my eyes as I realized what was happening.

"Just leave me alone" I whispered, my voice choked with emotion.

"Please, just be quiet like you were before. I can't take this anymore." The room was eerily silent, and for a moment, I thought the demon had truly left me.

But then I heard it—Zephyr's voice. The same voice that had haunted me for so long.

"I need your help!"

My heart sank. After all this time, Zephyr still needed something from me. What could he possibly want now? My mind was overwhelmed with a mix of fear and frustration. I felt like I was trapped in a never-ending nightmare.

"Just leave me alone" I pleaded, tears streaming down my face.

"What do you want from me? If you want me dead, just do it. I can't live like this anymore."

As the silence continued, I felt a deep sense of despair. My only hope was that somehow, some way, I could escape from this endless cycle of torment. But for now, all I could do was wait, hoping that the nightmare would end and that I could finally find some semblance of peace.