They checked all the rooms and the bathroom, then closed all the exits. Without making a sound, the stalker couldn't escape the property.
Crystal texted her colleague, asking them to call the police to her place. The two were left standing in the open kitchen, surrounded by cupboards and empty spaces.
Their hearts were slowing down as they gathered every bit of courage they had — the stalker could be armed, but at least they could try to identify them or learn more.
It had been over five minutes since Crystal sent the text, and nearly fifteen since the stalker had revealed their presence.
Zuv opened each cupboard just like before — except this time, they were sure someone was hiding.
A chill ran down their spines when they didn't find anyone inside. As they lifted their heads, they saw a girl sitting in a small space above, inside the chimney.
Crystal dropped to the floor in shock, frozen in place.
The girl had covered her hair and face with a mask. In a flash, she jumped down between them, pushing them aside, and bolted toward the main door.
She rattled the handle as hard as she could, but the door wouldn't budge. Quickly, she managed to unlock it, just as Zuv rushed toward her while Crystal stood frozen at the far end, terrified by what she had just witnessed.
As the girl flung the door open, slipping away from Zuv's grip, she collided headfirst with a police officer.
The chase was over.
When the mask and hair covering her face were removed, Zuv finally understood why she had targeted Crystal.
The stalker — Stacy — had been obsessed with Zuv. He had kept her as a friend, not wanting to hurt her feelings, but that act of kindness had turned toxic for someone like Stacy.
Losing the person she loved to someone else had driven her into obsession.
Zuv didn't utter a word as Stacy begged him to love her — a love so toxic and selfish that it dragged him back to memories of his first love, a love that had never been mutual.
In silence, he left after answering a few questions from the officers. He couldn't bear to face Crystal.
When he returned home, everything Nora had been saying — about seeing someone or hearing strange noises — all led back to the same person.
Two of the people he cared for most had been put in danger. Even though Zuv wasn't at fault, he carried the weight of that guilt.
Nora was having dinner, dressed in white. He saw her for a moment and quietly went to bed.
---
In the next few days, he kept his distance, and Nora eventually found out what had happened with Crystal.
Meanwhile, Crystal began to make changes in her life. She grew close to a new friend, Tina, and started attending after-club activities with I.A.G., trying to learn more about her inner strength and powers.
She kept leaning deeper into the cult's teachings, and soon, she was going to become part of their inner circle — on the night of the super moon, which was just a day away.
---
The air was soft, and the moon shone so brightly that even other planets were visible.
He saw a dreamy forest filled with creatures walking over flowers and eating fruit. Their horns shimmered under the moonlight, and their eyes sparkled with joy.
Then, everything changed.
The moon dimmed, and the once-peaceful creatures began to run wild, attacking each other. Eyes that once shone with happiness were now bleeding.
At the center of it all stood a vicious creature, its claws wrapped around a girl's neck.
Cries for help echoed in his head until the girl stopped struggling — and then, the ring he held so dear slipped from her finger.
It was her. The girl he loved, and would always love.
---
Allan woke up from the dream, crying and gasping for air. He scribbled down everything he'd seen, hands shaking, tears refusing to stop.
He slammed his fist against the desk until it was bruised.
After collecting himself, Allan walked toward Nora's house, hoping to warn her about what he had seen.
Zuv opened the door. After a quick glance, both of them spoke at the same time:
"We have a problem."
They exchanged tense looks.
Then Allan looked past Zuv — Crystal and a man were sitting inside. But Nora was nowhere to be found.
"It's Grayson , Fred's brother who's missing — the person who helped us with the knife issue," Crystal explained to Allan.
Allan was surprised by the new information. His mind was jumbled, hazy like a hangover.
"Apparently, his brother was still looking into the mystery of the house, and now Fred's missing while investigating the knife and the house." Zuv continued, pulling a chair for Allan.
"Did you contact the police?" Allan asked.
"Yes, but they're not taking it seriously. It's normal for reporters to go off the radar to get information. But yesterday was an important day for us — my brother would never miss it. If he planned to leave for a few days, he would've told me beforehand.
I know it doesn't look serious, but when I went through the information he'd gathered, the last thing he mentioned matched the description of the woman he wrote about in his journal," Grayson said, his tone uneasy.
"How many days has it been?" Allan asked.
"It's been three days," Grayson replied, and just then, his phone rang. He excused himself and stepped into the living room to answer it.
"Zuv, where is Nora? I have something to tell her," Allan asked frantically.
"She's safe. This is more urgent," Zuv said, handing over a bundle of papers and notes.
"We were all fooled by her. We should've paid more attention," Crystal muttered, squeezing her hands together.
"What are you talking about?" Allan asked, his patience wearing thin.
"Fred went back to investigate the house again — to see the journal of the family head. That's when he discovered the real way it worked. The knife doesn't attack everyone who enters the place," Crystal explained.
"That's why no one else got injured, except the family and our group of friends," Zuv added, realizing how obvious it sounded now.
"So someone was controlling the knife — targeting us specifically? Why would someone do that?" Allan asked, his voice tightening.
"Fred tried to verify every detail we'd mentioned, including the survivor's story — but it didn't match. She was in the house that night when we were attacked. Her story changed multiple times after her friends were murdered. They brushed it under the rug, saying there's no way a girl could kill so many people, and the haunted rumors made everyone drop it. Two days ago, he wanted to question her again — to confirm his theory before taking any action," Crystal said, her voice trembling slightly.
"I can't believe that. It still doesn't make sense to me. But… who killed the family then?" Allan asked.
"It's still speculation. The theory is too far-fetched without solid proof," Zuv replied.
"So do we contact the woman?" Allan asked.
"Grayson already tried. Her family says she's out of town — has been for a week or so," Crystal said.
"So… it could be someone else?" Allan asked, confused.
Zuv's brother returned after finishing his call.
"That's what she wants us to think. But I believe someone else might be involved,"Grayson said grimly.
"That would make sense," Zuv agreed.
"Should we check out the house again?" Crystal asked.
"I already did before coming here. There was no one there," Grayson replied.
"Any other places he mentioned in the papers? Meeting spots? Somewhere secluded?" Allan asked.
"No, nothing like that," Grayson answered.
"Then let's check the place again — maybe we can find something in the papers he left behind," Zuv suggested, seeing no other option.
"Do you have her address? The one where she's supposedly staying? I can dig around to see if she's really there," Crystal offered.
"hee husband said she's attending a seminar. Here," Grayson said, handing her a slip of paper.
"I'll stay here and see what I can find. You two go look for more clues," Crystal suggested.
Everyone nodded and headed in different directions.
As they neared the destination, Allan was driving when Zuv turned to him.
"Hey, what was the problem you mentioned earlier?" Zuv asked.
Before Allan could answer, the car screeched to a halt, and the navigation system spoke,
"You have reached your destination."
Allan's face froze in terror — flashes of his nightmare returned, haunting every part of his being. His expression stiffened.
"Guys… I didn't leave the door open. Let's go," Grayson said quickly, rushing toward the entrance.
"Hey, are you okay?" Zuv asked calmly.
"Yeah, it's just… I had a bad dream about her. On the full moon — the moon turned red. I wanted to tell her," Allan said, his voice shaking.
"Why now? Where was this?" Zuv asked.
"Some forest. It was weird," Allan replied, lowering his head.
"I'll ask Crystal to contact Nora and tell her. We should bring her back from the camp as soon as possible," Zuv said gently, placing a hand on Allan's shoulder to comfort him.
"Atleast we have time." Allan spoke looking at the creepy house where he first felt like his heart was ripped apart as Nora was trapped in there.
"Let's go and see if we can find him. I have a feeling this isn't as simple as we thought. Man old times were good. We never had a haunted house you know." Zuv stepped out the car stretching his arms and legs.
"Yeah." Allan stepped out. His head returned to that survival state all thoughts overwhelmed and emotions running wild his mind felt like he was running in the woods. But his body was in the haunted house and very much at hault.