Alister
I move onto the next exhibit, already expecting to see the organized collection of ancient Greek coins, arranged chronologically.
The sound of laughter grates against my nerves, and I glance back at the uncultured teenagers who don't know how to be quiet.
I scan my surroundings, searching for a quieter exhibit or a secluded room where I can escape the crowd. Which is the whole point of me coming here. After burying Lev next to where I buried the cat years ago, all I wanted was to be alone. To forget about everything for a while and be surrounded by things that have a different story to tell. Museums are like sanctuaries, where I can escape the noise and chaos of the world and connect with something deeper and more meaningful.
I make my way towards a room, satisfied upon seening it empty. It's small, with a handful of glass cases and exhibits showcasing ancient Chinese ceramics and jade carvings.
My eyes land on a stunning ancient Chinese necklace, crafted from a series of intricate blue jade beads. It's adorned with a gold and turquoise clasp shaped like a dragon's head and dates back to the Han dynasty. The blue beads seem to glow in the light.
But...they're not as pretty as her eyes. Everything I once admired now seems painfully, unbearably dull. Like every glance I've ever given anything beautiful was just practice for looking at her. It's insulting how she owns a piece of me I never agreed to give.
I sigh and place my forehead on the glasscase, trying to push back the thought along with the others that are starting to overflow.
Why won't she pick up? Did I really hurt her that much?...Maybe she'd be better when we meet the next time. Perhaps I'll—I can't believe I'm saying this—even buy her a present.
"That's the 26th time you've let out that depressing sigh." Leora's voice whispers into my ear.
"My hour of silence isn't over." I mumble against the glass.
I straighten up and run a hand through my hair. I came here to clear my head. To be at peace as my stubborn mind replays everything. I try calling her again. When the call goes straight to voicemail, I let out my 27th sigh and hang up the phone.
"Well, well, well. Look who it is."
And there goes my peace and quiet.
I tilt my head to the side, looking at the trio entering the room in obvious irritation.
Stephenie, dressed in a lilac peplum shirt and black jeans, stroking her bag in her arms as if it's a cat, pretending to be an evil cartoon villain. Zach, on her right, gives a cheerful salute, while Simon, on the other side, looks at me, scared for some reason.
"Fancy running into you here." She says with a sly grin.
This is in no way a coincidence. And when I raise a brow at Zach, who's in a sleeveless green hoodie, clearly trying to show everyone how much he likes to work out, he points a thumb at Simon. Who cowers behind Steph as soon as I glare at him. He tracked my phone.
"You little snitch." I say, as I crack my knuckles. "You really like revealing everything about me, huh?"
"They threatened to hurt me." His eyes widen as he holds onto Stephanie's arm. "So did Clara!" He cries before glancing sideways, worriedly covering his mouth with the long sleeve of his turquoise shirt. "Everyone's always threatening me."
I roll my eyes and turn away from them. "Leave."
Stephenie tosses the bag at Simon, who catches it frantically.
"Leave everything to me, he said." She stomps towards me "It's going to be an easy one, he said." I try to hold her gaze, noticing that I just took a step back. "I can handle it all by myself, he said" she continues, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I got the mirror. Wasn't that the goal?" I retort.
For a moment, I see a flash of guilt on her face. It's probably because of the black eye I failed to conceal properly. But it's quickly replaced by anger, and she reaches up to grab my ear. Pain surges as she pulls it, dragging me along with her. "Zach, did you reserve the room?"
"Yup." He chuckles as he takes out his phone and begins typing.
"I'm not going anywhere with you." I try to protest, but my ear feels like it's about to rip off, and I'm forced to follow her as she drags me along.
"Oh yes, you are," she says sternly. "And you don't get to order us around anymore." She pulls my ear closer to her mouth. "Not after the stunt you two pulled tonight."
She then leans back and looks around the room. "Where's Lev? Why would you let him wander off in—"
"He's dead." I answer as I manage to escape her grip.
Everyone looks at me as if he might have misheard.
"What do you mean dead?" Steph asks, confused. "How...?"
Leora is going to to take over my body at random moments now and might try to kill them next. My main concern is her trying to kill Clara. While I don't think that girl would go down that easy, she will fight back. Leora's goal is getting one of us dead. I know for a fact that her theory about one of us dying to break the curse is false. Whatever it is, it will benefit her the most. And if it's a physical body she wants, like always, to live longer, then I wonder if the surviving one will become her new vessel.
"It was a simple question," Steph groans and resumes tugging at my ear.
"We were supposed to play games later..." Simon says softly, eyes fixed on the floor.
I remember that night—Lev needling Simon nonstop until video games came up. Then every insult was forgotten, the two of them laughing while I dug through the kitchen for something vaguely edible, cursing them because no one bothered to help.
"Well, I can't wait to hear all the details of what happened," Steph mutters, dragging me out as the others follow.
"Feels weird." Zach says behind me. He used to call Lev a toddler—always gawking at calculators, mixing random drinks like a mad scientist.
Like he knew he was going to die and wanted to enjoy the time they had left.
◇.......🗡.......◇
It's smaller than I expected. Dim ceiling lights reflecting off the glossy surface of the karaoke screen mounted on one wall. Aside from that, it's mostly padded walls and a flimsy coffee table. I set my iced tea down, and the handcuffs on my wrists catch the fluorescent light, a glint of silver that feels more symbolic than secure.
The first thing we all agreed was to have me tied up. And most importantly—I told them to kill me if it happens again. If she takes control.
Their faces twisted with worry when I said it. Horror, even. Leora too didn't expect that from me. Her silence afterward was all the confirmation I needed—my self-sacrificial move shook her. While I have no intention of dying any time soon, the only way for me to prevent her from doing whatever she likes when she takes over, is making her afraid of the consequences. Hopefully, she might think twice before taking control of me now. Especially infront of them.
Leaning into their empathy with the words 'I don't want to hurt any of you' was effective. Not only will they hesitate to land a finishing blow, but it'll be enough to make Leora get off the drivers seat.
If I'm killed while she's in control, we both die. That's not an ideal situation for her, who wants to live longer. Still, I know her. Now that she's aware of the plan, she'll adapt. She'll pretend to be me next time. I can't let that happen. My main aim right now is making sure the witch doesn't take over me again and finding a way to stay conscious even if she does. The entire time I felt like I was submerged in dark waters. My body simply floated. Until I woke up.
I sigh and turn to Zach while Simon studies the mirror. "How's the investigation going along?"
He leans back. "About the mansion. Since it was a large gathering, with many staff members, it's unlikely that they'll find you. Especially since we were in disguises. Ken believes you must have heard him in the main hall. Thankfully, Simon did a good job with the cameras and security, there's no record of the whole evening."
"Your cousin just...tells you everything?" I ask. Why would a high-ranking official in the police department share all that with him?
Zach smirks. "You'd be surprised how much people will reveal when they are severely drunk. And that guy knows how I look up to him and how interested I am in every case that goes on there."
Well, Its something I would have done too if I wanted information from such a person.
I watch Zach looking down at his phone. Brown curls fall over his forehead as he fidgets with his chain. I'm not fond of people like him. Those who smile alot are the hardest to read. Everyone has secrets. Everyone tries different ways to deal with and hide them. I recall Lev's words to me after we met with Crystal. When I asked him about an update from his spy crows. And the way he made sure Clara was asleep before telling me everything he saw.
And about Zach...
But in the end, it doesn't matter. Whatever these people do behind closed doors, that's their problem. As long as it doesn't interfere with our goal or derail the mission, I don't really care.
"So..." Simon begins, tracing his finger over the frame's metallic leaves. "If you smear your blood on this while thinking of a memory, it'll force you into a trance-like state and let you relive it?"
Zach nods as he stretches his arms. "Yup. And relive it however you want. But if something happens to the mirror, you get trapped in there for eternity, so it's suggested to be performed when alone. That's what the book says."
"And what about the side effect?" He asks, curiously.
"You get addicted to using it, and it slowly drains away your life until you die." I reply grimly. "Basically, it's just like drugs. But fancier."
That must explain what happened to Alexander's wife. Why she looked so fatigued in every photo.
The door suddenly bursts open, and Steph storms in, looking just as frustrated as I expected her to be. Her eyes blaze like she's about to burn the place down.
"Alister!" she barks, slamming the door shut. "Why won't your girlfriend pick up her damn phone!?"
I choke on my drink, coughing violently as I glare at her. "Don't joke like that. It's inappropriate." I ignore the amused faces around me, not wanting to acknowledge their existence at the moment. Instead, I focus on grabbing a tissue to wipe my mouth and compose myself. "And how am I supposed to know why she won't pick up?"
"Did you two have a fight?" Zach asks with raised brows.
"No, we didn't." I answer calmly. I was actually hoping she'd pick up their calls, but no, she doesn't want to talk to anyone. It's funny. There was a time I would have relished in the fact that my words did a number on her. Cut her deep. But now, it feels uncomfortable.
"You did!" Stephanie exclaims as she slumps down beside Zach. Close enough that he flinches as soon as their shoulders touch. "And by the look on your face, it was your fault."
"I thought the same thing!" Zach laughs as the two give each other a fist bump.
"You're an open book now. Congratulations." Leora voices sarcastically. I glance at her sitting bored in the corner. I forgot she was still here.
I groan. "Can we just move onto the next step? Didn't you say you got the last item's location?"
Simon takes out a folded map from his pocket and opens it out on the table. The third circle, seemingly staring back at me, is situated in a remote corner of Eastern Washington.
Methow Valley.
A 5-hour drive from Seattle is no trivial matter, especially considering the rural terrain and winding roads that we'll likely encounter.
"Did you pinpoint the exact location?" I ask Simon. He nods before taking out his phone, typing something, and holding it out to me. I see the words 'Serenity Springs' displayed on a map, with a pin marking its location in the Valley. Below the map, a brief description reads 'Holistic Retreat & Eco-Village'.
"We'll go in, disguised as guests, seeking a peaceful retreat from the city." Zach chimes in.
"Can't we just sneak in like always?" Steph asks, yawning and tilting her head to Zach's shoulder. His eyes flicker down to her before he proceeds to stare at the map. I do see his muscles tense up.
"We can't." Simon says, leaning back into his seat and taking a sip of his lemonade. "It isn't a building this time, and we don't know the exact location of the dagger."
"I guess we're all skipping classes for tomorrow." I sigh as I begin to make a plan of how we should proceed.
"That's your main concern?" Zach laughs, leaning forward with a mocking grin. "Mr. Class Rep, shouldn't we be planning the trip tomorrow?"
"I'm already on it." I mutter, rubbing my temple as a dull throb starts building behind my eyes again. "Steph, do you have the mints I asked for?"
Her head jerks in my direction, caught off guard. A flicker of surprise—and embarrassment—flashes across her face. "Uh… yeah," she mutters, reaching into her purse.
"What mints?" Simon asks, glancing between us with mild curiosity.
"Steph here is a great candy maker." I say, allowing a small smirk to pull at my lips. "She even adds a bit of herbs for healing effects."
Her glare could burn holes through concrete. "Why would you say that!?" She still hands over the packet.
"Really?" Zach's eyebrows fly up his forehead. "Why do I not know that?"
"You don't need to." she snaps, rolling her eyes in a failed attempt to calm herself.
Zach's lip twitches. He looks away, biting back whatever he wants to say.
"…Fine," Stephanie sighs, still avoiding eye contact. "I'll make you two something next time."
The packet has a mix of cream and white colored ones. I pop a white one into my mouth, waiting for its soothing effects.
"What about that stalker you mentioned? Did Lev manage to find him?" She asks crossing her arms.
"Sort of. None of you need to worry about it. Just watch your backs whenever you're alone." I answer. She stares at me, clearly annoyed I'm not elaborating, and looks away.
"Guys?" Simon says, looking at his phone. "You...need to see this." He holds out his phone, and we all gather around, our faces mirroring the dropped jaws and wide shocked eyes.
Just then, my phone rings and I don't hesitate to answer it.