season 1, chapter 5

Chapter: The Calm Before

The storm raged outside, rain battering the walls of the Star Cabin as if it were trying to break through. Thunder boomed, shaking the very ground beneath them, while the wind howled through the trees like a chorus of voices, eerie and unrelenting. But inside, the cabin was eerily still.

Lilly and Jason had managed to pull their friends out of their trances and back into the safety of the cabin. It had taken everything in them to fight against the storm's strength, dragging each of their motionless cabinmates back inside. Angel, Damion, Silver, Comet, and Emma were now scattered around the room, exhausted and shaken but conscious. They had no memory of what had happened—no explanation for the strange trance that had gripped them.

Lilly shivered as she slipped out of her soaked clothes, her hands trembling as she grabbed a dry pair of sweatpants and a hoodie from her trunk. Her mind was racing, heart still pounding from the sheer terror of the storm. That dark shadow in the sky—it wasn't natural. Nothing about what had happened outside made sense, and the others seemed too dazed to even question it.

Jason, of course, remained silent. He had changed quickly and now sat on the edge of his bed, his face expressionless as he stared at the floor, lost in thought. His long white hair had fallen loose again, damp strands clinging to his face. His orange eyes seemed dimmer in the low light of the cabin, but there was a sharpness in his gaze—a knowing, as if he had been expecting this all along.

Lilly finished changing and glanced over at him. The others had already collapsed into their beds, still too shaken to speak. The storm continued to rage outside, but the cabin felt… safe. At least for now.

Without thinking, Lilly walked over to Jason's bunk. He didn't look up as she approached, didn't say anything as she climbed onto his bed and settled on top of him. His body was warm, steady beneath hers, but she could feel her own trembling. She wasn't sure if it was from the cold or the fear that still gripped her tightly, but she needed to be close to someone—to him.

Jason didn't protest, didn't push her away. Instead, he shifted slightly, making room for her to get comfortable. Lilly curled up on his chest, her head resting just below his chin. His heartbeat was slow and steady, in stark contrast to her own racing pulse.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The storm outside was their only soundtrack, the rain hitting the roof in a relentless rhythm.

"You knew, didn't you?" Lilly whispered, her voice barely audible. She could feel Jason's chest rise and fall beneath her, his breathing calm, controlled. "You knew something like this would happen."

Jason remained quiet for a moment, his hand resting lightly on her back. "I had a feeling," he finally said, his voice low, almost detached. "This place isn't what it seems. The storm…that thing in the sky…it's just part of it."

Lilly tightened her grip on his shirt, trying to process what he was saying. The weight of the day, the fear, the unknown—it all felt overwhelming now that they were in the quiet of the cabin.

"Do you think…do you think it's after us?" Lilly's voice wavered, her thoughts racing back to the dark silhouette, the way it seemed to loom over them, almost as if it were watching.

Jason's grip on her tightened just a little, and though his expression remained stoic, she could feel the tension in his body. "I don't know," he admitted. "But I don't think it's done with us."

Lilly shivered, not from the cold, but from the weight of his words. She pressed her face into his chest, trying to block out the sound of the storm, trying to calm the wild thoughts that spun through her mind. But she couldn't shake the feeling that they were in danger—that whatever was out there in the storm was far more dangerous than they realized.

Jason's hand moved to gently stroke her back, his touch steady, grounding her. "We'll figure it out," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just…stay close."

She nodded, even though he couldn't see her, letting the comfort of his presence calm her. Jason was always so composed, so calm, even when everything around them was falling apart. She didn't know how he did it—how he could remain so unshaken by the chaos. But in that moment, she needed his strength. She needed something to hold on to.

The storm continued to rage outside, but inside the cabin, in Jason's arms, Lilly felt a small sense of safety. For now, that would have to be enough.

As she lay there, still trembling, deep in thought, one question gnawed at her mind: What happens next?