*Chapter 9: The Shadow's Identity*
Aria's heart pounded in her chest as the shadow emerged from the darkness, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. J's grip on her hand tightened, his eyes locked onto the shadow.
"Reveal yourself," J commanded, his voice firm and authoritative.
The shadow began to take shape, its darkness coalescing into a figure. Aria gasped as she saw the face of a woman, her eyes blazing with anger and hurt.
"Malika," J said, his voice low and even.
Aria's mind reeled as she pieced together the fragments of the story. Malika, the woman who had been J's fiancée, the one who had died on their wedding day.
"You," Malika spat, her eyes fixed on Aria. "You're the one who's taken him from me, who's ruined everything."
Aria felt a surge of fear, but J stepped forward, his eyes locked onto Malika. "You were the one who ruined everything, Malika," he said, his voice cold and detached. "You were the one who couldn't let go, who couldn't accept that I didn't love you."
Malika's face twisted with rage, her eyes blazing with fury. "You were mine," she screamed, her voice echoing through the garden. "You were always meant to be mine."
The garden around them began to wither and decay, the flowers dying, the trees growing twisted and glean. Aria felt the darkness closing in, threatening to consume them all.
J's grip on her hand was like a lifeline, his eyes locked onto hers. "We have to get out of here," he said, his voice urgent.
But Malika was relentless, her anger and hurt driving her forward. "You'll never be free of me," she screamed, her voice echoing through the garden. "I'll haunt you forever."