Three days after, the woods behind Blake's house felt unnervingly quiet.
Too quiet.
Wind drifted through trees, whispering through branches like it carried something the world wasn't meant to hear.
Police had come and gone. Flashing lights cutting through that night's darkness, painting the forest red and blue. Neighbors gathered along the road, voices low, trading theories.
Some said screaming. Others swore they saw something moving through trees. Something big. Something wrong.
None knew the truth. Only I did. Or part of it.
And even that felt incomplete. I stood at the woods' edge, staring into fog clinging to ground. Morning light barely reached through branches, leaving everything dim, colorless.
Air smelled of damp earth. Rain. And something faint beneath—metallic. Wrong. I stepped forward slowly, shoes sinking into soft mud. That's when I saw them. Boot prints. Deep. Uneven. Leading into trees.
Stomach twisting. Because beside them—other marks. Long. Jagged. Too sharp to ignore. A chill crawled up my spine. "Blake?" I called softly. Forest didn't answer. Only rustle of leaves.
Behind me, the house stood still. Empty. Front door hung slightly open, swaying gently in wind. Like it hadn't decided whether someone had left—or never really gone.
I stepped back inside. Air changed immediately. Colder. Heavier. And the faint metallic scent lingered. Blood. Not fresh. But not gone. Living room looked untouched. Kitchen—the same.
But something was missing. Blake's gun. Gone. Just like him. I moved through the house slowly. Every room emptier than the last. Until I reached the bedroom. Stopped. His side of the bed: perfectly smooth. Untouched.
Like he'd never been there.
But something sat on the pillow.
Bright. Out of place.
A single red rose.
Breath catching, I stepped closer. Small folded note tied around the stem. Hands trembling as I opened it. Already knew the handwriting. Blake's.
The words were simple. But they hit harder than anything else.
"If I can't protect you in this world… I'll do it from the next."
Chest tightening. "Blake…" I whispered.
A sharp snap echoed from outside.
I froze.
Slowly turned toward the window.
Forest stood still. Silent. Watching.
For a moment—nothing.
Then—something shifted between trees. Not clearly. Not fully. Just enough. And for a split second—I saw them. Two faint points in darkness. Watching. Not glowing. Not bright. Just… there. Then gone.
Wind picked up suddenly. Cold air rushed through the house, brushing past like something unseen moving through rooms.
And with it—a voice. Soft. Familiar. Close. "Don't worry, Jade…"
Heart stopping. Because I knew that voice. But something felt different. Not wrong. Just… not the same.
Then—
BANG.
Front door slammed shut. I ran toward it, grabbing the handle. Didn't move. Locked. Completely still. House fell silent again. And for the first time since that night—I understood something I couldn't explain.
Blake wasn't gone. Not really.
He was still out there. Somewhere beyond trees. Watching. Waiting. Keeping his promise. Even if the version of him that remained…
was no longer something I could fully understand.
Jade thought the nightmare was over.
She was wrong.
Because somewhere in the darkness…
Blake is still waiting.
--------------------------------------
And that's the end of this book.
I hope you loved the story and that the ending left you questioning everything... because something about Blake isn't right anymore.
Whatever happened that night changed him.
And the truth?
It's far darker than anyone realizes.
But Jade and Blake's story isn't over yet.
Not by a long shot.