Morning

Bewildered, Akena looked around her. A hospital? What am I doing here? How did I even get here? A stinging pain shot through her head, making her grunt. The world spun, and she felt faint.

A familiar pale hand waved in front of her. "Hm? You awake already?"

"What…?" Akena blinked, her vision still blurred.

"You don't remember, do you? You wouldn't come out for breakfast, so we had to come upstairs to get you. You wouldn't open the door, so we had to force our way in—with a spare key. You were laying on the floor. You fainted, so we brought you to the hospital. Turns out it was just dehydration."

"Wait…" Her thoughts were a jumble, and her head felt like a storm was raging inside. Zark's words were clear, yet Akena struggled to piece together the fragments of her memory. She had fainted… for a whole night?

"But why don't I remember anything? The last thing I recall is last night…" A shiver ran down her spine, recalling something unsettling.

"Last night you what?"

"H-huh? Um, was there someone in my room when you guys came…?"

"Nope. Why? Did you seduce a staff member or something? Don't tarnish our family's reputation, will you?"

Akena furrowed her brow, disbelief washing over her. She chose not to clarify the absurd accusation. "I—"

Zark stood, dismissing her words with a wave. "We have a plane to catch. Everyone's downstairs. Wrap up and come down."

Akena sighed, her thoughts spiraling back to last night. What had actually happened? Why was a piece of her memory missing? She didn't know what to do. Her head began to ring with frustration, anger, and… fear. What had she heard from the stranger's room? Was someone really in her room, or was it just a figment of her imagination? Everything felt off. A small piece was missing, and she was utterly clueless.

With a heavy sigh, Akena pushed herself up from the bed, the sterile smell of the hospital engulfing her.

The car door unlocked with a click.

"What took you so long?" Zack's voice cut through her thoughts.

"We're heading back to the hotel. We haven't packed your things, so until we check out, you have time to wrap up. Don't waste any more of our time."

"Yes, ma'am…" Akena replied, the sarcasm lost on her.

A wave of indignation washed over her. They hadn't even bothered to ask how she was? Ridiculous. They treated her like an afterthought, a responsibility.

Something bubbled up inside Akena, and she couldn't keep her tongue tied any longer. "Do you guys… speak Latin?"

For a fleeting second, surprise flickered across her mother's face, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. Akena didn't miss it. "Why do you ask?"

"For a prayer… a prayer to keep… Satan away."

Silence hung heavy in the air, the kind that suffocated conversation. Her father, who had been quiet the entire day, finally spoke. "No, we do not speak Latin."

Akena felt skeptical about their response, but she didn't push further. She wasn't sure herself who had been reciting prayers for the devil. "Okay then…"

The ride back to the hotel was as awkward as before, the tension palpable. Akena's mind buzzed with thoughts, drowning out the uncomfortable silence.

"Get your things and be quick about it," Zack snapped as they pulled into the hotel's parking lot.

Akena exited the vehicle, striding toward the entrance. As she approached, a cold gust of wind swept past her, yet the leaves on the nearby trees remained still, untouched. It felt more like a breath than a breeze.

A wave of nervousness washed over her, a gut feeling urging her to step back. There was something wrong about this family, this situation. An instinct told her to run, to escape. But her feet carried her toward the cursed building once more, driven by an unseen force.

Inside the hotel, the familiar smell of musty carpets and antiseptic greeted her. Shadows seemed to cling to the corners of her vision, whispering secrets she couldn't grasp. She climbed the stairs, each step heavy with uncertainty.

What had happened last night? The memory slipped through her fingers like sand. A feeling of dread settled in her stomach as she reached her room. The door loomed before her, ominous and foreboding.

Akena hesitated, heart pounding. She placed a trembling hand on the doorknob and paused. What if something was still inside? What if that stranger lingered, waiting for her return?

She pushed the door open, the hinges creaking like the echoes of her fears. The room looked unchanged—her bed neatly made, her belongings untouched. Yet, the air felt thick, charged with an unspoken tension.

"Just grab your things," she murmured to herself, trying to calm the rising panic. But as she stepped inside, the memory of the stranger's presence flared to life in her mind.

What had she seen? Or had she seen anything at all? The questions spiraled.