The next morning brought with it a heavy stillness, as though the town itself was holding its breath. The sky above Ashgrove was a pale, muted gray, threatening rain but offering none. Samuel Harker sat in his small apartment, staring at the wall, replaying the events of the previous night in his mind.
He had failed.
Every part of him had been set on confronting Mercer, on forcing him to admit the truth. But Mercer had twisted the moment, bent it to his will, just as he always had. Even after all this time, after everything Samuel had become, Mercer still held control. The worst part was, a small voice inside him whispered that maybe Mercer was right. Maybe this—this thing he had become—had always been there, waiting to be unleashed.
No. He shook his head, trying to push the thought away. This was Mercer's doing. He had manipulated him, turned him into a weapon. But Samuel wasn't going to let him win. Not again.
His gaze fell on the small black notebook that lay on the table in front of him. It was the one piece of his life that he had kept from his past. Inside it were names, faces, and memories that had been erased or twisted by Mercer. Each page was a reminder of who he had been before his life had fallen apart. But there was one name in particular that stood out—a name that might hold the key to everything.
Rebecca.
She had been his fiancée, once. Before the darkness took over, before Mercer had dug his claws into him. Rebecca had been the light in his life, the one person who could pull him back from the edge. But when the worst of his nightmares had come to pass, she had vanished, leaving him alone to face the demons that Mercer had set loose.
Samuel hadn't heard from her in years. He had assumed she had moved on, that she had found a way to escape the horror that had consumed their lives. But now, sitting in his empty apartment, he couldn't help but wonder if she had really gotten away—or if Mercer had found her, too.
There was only one way to know for sure.
Samuel stood up, grabbing the notebook and shoving it into his coat pocket. He wasn't going to sit here and let Mercer pull the strings anymore. If Rebecca was still out there, if there was even a chance she had answers, then he was going to find her. And this time, he wouldn't let Mercer stand in his way.
---
Rebecca Dawson had been living in quiet obscurity for years. After everything that had happened with Samuel, she had fled Ashgrove, never looking back. She had tried to rebuild her life in a new town, far from the shadow of Mercer's influence. But even now, after all this time, the scars remained. She couldn't escape the nightmares, the memories of the man she had loved being slowly consumed by darkness.
She had loved Samuel once. Loved him with a passion she hadn't thought possible. But that love had been tainted, twisted by the secrets he had kept, by the monster he had become. And though she had tried to forgive him, in the end, she couldn't save him. No one could.
Now, she lived in a small house on the outskirts of a neighboring town, working as a librarian. It was a quiet life, a peaceful one. She liked the simplicity of it. There were no more surprises, no more dark corners filled with the unknown.
At least, until today.
Rebecca was at her kitchen window, staring out at the pale morning sun, when she noticed a figure walking down the dirt road that led to her house. He moved with purpose, his steps heavy and deliberate, and though she couldn't make out his face, there was something familiar about the way he carried himself.
Her heart skipped a beat.
No. It couldn't be.
As the figure drew closer, she felt a rising sense of dread. She knew who it was before she could even see his face. Samuel.
Rebecca backed away from the window, her heart pounding in her chest. What was he doing here? How had he found her after all this time? And more importantly, what did he want?
For a moment, she considered hiding—pretending she wasn't home, waiting for him to leave. But deep down, she knew that wouldn't work. Samuel was persistent. He wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted. And if he had come all this way, it meant he was desperate.
Rebecca took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. She couldn't run from this. Not anymore.
She moved to the door just as Samuel reached it. He knocked, his fist hitting the wood with a force that echoed through the small house. Rebecca hesitated for a moment, then opened the door.
There he stood, just as she remembered him—taller, gaunter, but still unmistakably Samuel. His eyes were darker now, hollowed by whatever hell he had been through in the years since they had last seen each other. But behind that darkness, she could still see a flicker of the man she had once loved.
"Rebecca," he said, his voice rough, almost broken.
She swallowed hard. "Samuel."
For a long moment, neither of them spokes. They just stood there, staring at each other, the weight of their shared past pressing down on them like a suffocating blanket. Finally, Rebecca stepped aside, motioning for him to come in.
Samuel entered the small house, his eyes scanning the room as though expecting some kind of trap. Rebecca closed the door behind him, her heart still racing. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or terrified to see him again.
"Why are you here?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
Samuel turned to face her, his expression unreadable. "I need your help."
Rebecca's brow furrowed. "My help? After all this time?"
He nodded. "It's about Mercer."
The mention of Mercer's name sent a shiver down Rebecca's spine. She had done everything in her power to forget that man, to erase him from her life. But now, standing here with Samuel, she realized that Mercer's shadow still loomed large over them both.
"What about him?" she asked cautiously.
Samuel's eyes darkened. "He's still manipulating people. Still pulling the strings. And I think... I think he knows something about you. About why you disappeared."
Rebecca froze, her breath catching in her throat. "What do you mean?"
"I've been digging through his files," Samuel said, his voice low and tense. "He kept notes on everyone he worked with. Including you."
Rebecca's blood ran cold. She hadn't thought about Mercer in years, but now all those old fears came rushing back. Had Mercer been watching her all this time? Had he known where she was, what she was doing? And if so, why hadn't he come after her?
"Rebecca," Samuel said softly, stepping closer. "I need to know if he did something to you. If he... changed you."
She shook her head, backing away. "No. No, Samuel, I'm fine. I've been fine. I got away from him."
Samuel's eyes searched hers, looking for something—some sign that she was telling the truth. But Rebecca could see the doubt in his face. He didn't believe her. And maybe, just maybe, she didn't believe herself either.
"I don't think any of us got away from him," Samuel said quietly. "Not really."