Chapter 24: Elle vs. the Afterlife

Ellie stood frozen, her heart pounding like a war drum. The betrayal in Ben's eyes wasn't just guilt—it was recognition. The kind that told her Victoria had never truly left him.

She had been living with a ghost.

A ghost who refused to let go.

And worse—Ben had let her stay.

Ellie's breath came sharp, ragged. "You—" she choked. "You wanted her, didn't you?"

Ben's face contorted with pain. "Ellie, please—"

"No." She took a step back, her body trembling with fury. "You were with me, Ben. You told me you loved me!"

Victoria's laughter slithered through the room, thick as fog. "Oh, darling, he did." Her voice turned mocking. "But love doesn't erase history."

Ellie clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "You're dead, Victoria. You're supposed to be gone."

Victoria tilted her head, her translucent form flickering between solid and shadow. "Am I?" she whispered.

Ellie's stomach plummeted.

Because the answer was no.

Victoria was more here than ever.

And she was winning.

The lights above flickered violently, shadows stretching unnaturally along the walls. The air turned heavy, pressing against Ellie's skin like invisible hands.

"You think you can just take him from me?" Victoria's voice dropped into a deadly whisper. "You think you can erase me?"

Ellie refused to back down. "He's not yours anymore."

Victoria smirked. "Oh, sweetie…" The temperature plunged. "He never stopped being mine."

Ellie's blood boiled. "Then why did he choose me?"

Victoria's smile vanished.

And for the first time, there was rage in her eyes.

"Because he's weak."

Ben flinched. "Victoria—"

"You let this happen, Ben!" Victoria turned on him, her form darkening. "You let me linger! You wanted me in the shadows, didn't you?"

Ellie saw it.

The flicker of shame in Ben's face.

And it broke something inside her.

"You don't even know what you want," she whispered.

Ben's face twisted, his hands reaching for her. "Ellie—"

But before he could touch her, Victoria lunged.

The room exploded into darkness.

And suddenly, Ellie wasn't in Ben's bedroom anymore.

She was somewhere else.

Cold.

Empty.

The air felt wrong—like something ancient pressed against her skin.

Victoria's voice whispered in her ear. "You've stepped into my world now, Ellie."

Ellie's pulse pounded. "Where the hell am I?"

Victoria's form materialized in front of her, her face twisted with delight. "The in-between," she purred. "A place where the living and the dead collide."

Ellie swallowed hard. "Why am I here?"

Victoria's smile was pure malice. "Because I want you to see what happens when you steal from the dead."

Shadows rose around Ellie, whispering, clawing.

And that's when she realized.

Victoria didn't just want to haunt her.

She wanted to keep her.

Forever.