Ella collapsed onto the cold floor, sobbing, foam frothing at her lips. Her body shook violently, and Dan knelt beside her, trying to lift her, to reach her, to make sense of the chaos. But before he could, Anna screamed—a sharp, terrified cry—just as a car appeared from nowhere, hurtling towards them at impossible speed.
Frozen with fear, Anna clutched Ella to her chest. Her fingers dug into her friend's arms as the world seemed to slow. Dan, fuelled by instinct, pushed them both out of the car's path. The vehicle struck him; time shattered in a second. Dan's body crumpled beneath the tires, the impact echoing through the street like thunder.
Ella's eyes blinked open. The terror of the moment shattered her trance, and she screamed, dragging Anna toward Dan. They fell beside him, hands trembling as they checked for signs of life. His skin was cold, his breath shallow, yet faint—he was alive. Relief washed over them, brittle and trembling, mingled with the sharp edge of fear. He was alive, but barely.
They carried him to the hospital as fast as their panicked hearts would let them. Doctors surrounded him immediately, voices tense and urgent. Ella and Anna waited outside the emergency room, their hands intertwined, knuckles white with worry.
The emergency light clicked off. The operation had ended. A door swung open, and a doctor stepped out, his face grave.
"The patient…" he began, voice catching.
Anna gasped, ready to scream, to pray, to beg.
"He survived," the doctor said, finally.
Anna sank into a chair, exhaling in relief. Ella remained silent, staring at the floor.
"He'll get better very soon," the doctor added, handing them a prescription note before leaving.
Ella glanced at the note. Her stomach dropped. The familiar hospital handwriting seemed innocent at first. But then her eyes locked on the words scrawled at the bottom: "You're next."
Her body stiffened. Fear crawled up her spine.
"Ella?" Anna's voice was sharp, pulling her back.
"Y…yes?"
"Stop standing there. Let's go see my soon-to-be killer," Anna said, forcing a half-smile, though her hands trembled.
Ella followed, each step heavy, each breath a struggle.
"So…uh…Anna…" Ella's voice shook. "I need to ask you something."
Anna glanced at her, brow furrowed. "What is it?"
"How…how are you so calm, so…happy…knowing you're going to die?"
Anna stopped. The hospital lights flickered, casting shadows across her pale face. She looked down, a small, sad smile forming.
"If I'm happy… I don't know. There's nothing I can do. All I know is… I smile. I remember the old times. I wish I could fix what we broke, what we lost. But I can't. So I smile anyway."
Tears welled in Ella's eyes. "I'm…so sorry."
Anna shook her head. "You don't need to be sorry. You're not the one who'll end my life. No guilt. No blame."
They walked to Dan's room in silence, shadows stretching across the walls. Each step echoed in the empty corridor. Anna's tears glimmered on her cheeks, but she didn't stop. They reached the door.
Anna knocked. Then they entered.
Dan lay in bed, unconscious. Relief surged, only to be crushed instantly. The door slammed behind them, locking itself with a deafening click. Objects in the room began to tremble. A low hum filled the air, growing louder, turning into whispers—then words in a language neither girl could understand.
"What the hell?" Anna whispered.
Before Ella could answer, a bottle rattled, then spoke, its voice a rapid, impossible chant. It hit the floor, wailing. Other objects joined, their hollow eyes forming faces with jagged mouths, each lined with razor-sharp teeth. Dan's body lifted from the bed. His eyes mirrored the objects' hollow rings, his mouth a grotesque echo of their jagged shapes.
Ella screamed. Dan smiled.
Dan pointed at Ella. His voice, still human but layered with something inhuman, began the same indecipherable chant. Ella's body convulsed. Blood poured from her eyes, mouth, and ears. The room plunged into darkness. Every electrical hum died. Doors locked. The building itself seemed frozen—except for the girls, trapped in this nightmare.
Anna caught Ella, but the effort was futile. Ella sank, bleeding, her screams jagged, choked by fear and pain. Anna collapsed with her. The floor beneath them seemed alive with the shadows, pulsating with malevolent intent.
Dan appeared before Ella. He raised his hand, swiping her blood across both their faces. A macabre mask of terror and euphoria formed.
"Rejoice!" he whispered.
Ella shuddered, confusion and horror mingling.
"For I am death!" Dan's voice thundered, shaking the walls.
Ella laughed through tears, a fractured, terrified sound. Her body shook, convulsing, yet a hollow part of her recognized the truth in his words.
Dan's hand moved to her neck. She felt pressure, pain, and then… nothing. Her body went limp, yet a twisted smile remained.
Anna awoke in the corner, weeping, calling for him. Dan appeared, and his hand passed through her stomach as if her flesh were air. Her scream tore the room apart. Blood sprayed. Her body writhed, convulsing under invisible torture. Every instinct screamed to flee, to fight, to survive—but there was no resistance, only the hollow pull of death.
Finally, he withdrew. Her stomach was a ruin, her blood soaking the floor. She spat crimson, gasping, barely alive.
Dan's eyes reflected the room: red, warm, alive with horror.
Anna staggered, whispering, "Dan…this isn't you."
"But I don't know anymore," he admitted, voice raw.
He held her, covered in blood, shaking. The room spun. Every step, every heartbeat, every breath was agony.
"You'll be fine. Hold on," he begged, though his own body betrayed him.
Anna's hand brushed his cheek. "I told you not to forget…"
"You said this wasn't goodbye," he choked.
Her body stilled. His world stopped. Silence swallowed the room.
"Farewell…Anna," he whispered.
The door opened, cutting the silence. A man stepped in, clapping slowly.
"You really took those girls on a ride, didn't you?"
Dan froze. "Who are you?"
"Someone who knows what's happening," the man said calmly. "And I want to help you unlock your full potential. I can bring your friends back."
Dan's eyes narrowed. "Bring them back? How?"
The man's gaze darkened. Silence stretched, heavy and threatening. Finally, he said, "…My name is Alexi."
Dan swallowed. "I'm Dan."
Alexi smiled knowingly. "Oh… I know."
The room seemed to pulse around them. Shadows shifted, whispering promises of power, of vengeance, of things beyond life and death. Dan's hands still trembled with blood. His mind swirled with grief, rage, and the hint of a new path—one that could reshape everything.
And for the first time since the chaos began, he felt… something- A sliver of purpose.
To be continued…
End of volume 2