Hayes’s eyes flick to mine, his jaw clenched.
“I didn’t—I wouldn’t—” But even as I say it, I can feel her—the cold, dark presence of Liliana, creeping into my thoughts, my mind. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to push her out, but she’s already there, her voice a cold whisper in my ear, mocking me, laughing.They needed to die. They hurt you, Tori. I helped you. I can help you again.
“It’s what happens here. She takes over, gets her revenge through the living,” Lyle says, his voice steady, unnervingly calm, like he’s explained this before. “I warned you this place was haunted. Told you, you might not get out alive.”
“No, no, no. This isn’t real,” I whisper. I want to believe my own words, to believe this is just some horrible dream. But Liliana’s laugh fills my mind, and her grip tightens around my thoughts, making it hard to breathe.
“It’s true! Listen to me!” Lyle shouts, his face flushed, spittle flying. “She looks for the weakest—someone with no?—”
“Shut the hell up!” Hayes shouts back, his voice filled with rage, cutting Lyle off.
The room grows colder, the temperature dropping rapidly with every breath. I shiver, my teeth chattering as I tug my sweat-soaked shirt away from my slick skin, trying to shake off the chill. The mirrors begin to crack, lines spreading out like spiderwebs, crawling across the glass and walls like veins, splitting and splintering.
Liliana’s voice whispers in my ear, a dark seduction.You know the truth, Tori. They deserved it. They all did. And now it’s your turn to finish what I started.The room shudders with her presence, the walls creaking, groaning.
I try to push her out, to reclaim my mind, my body, but the doubt is too strong, her grip too tight. I can still feel the blood on my hands, the terror in their eyes. Did I… did I really kill them? Was it me all along? I don’t want to believe it. I can’t believe it. But Liliana’s laughter drowns out all reason. I cover my head with my arms and begin to scream, the sound tearing from my throat.
I plead with Hayes, “Get her out of my head!”
“I need to get you out of here,” Hayes says sharply, pulling me toward the door. “We’re leaving. Now. Lyle, tell us how to get out of here.”
But then I see it—Liliana’s image behind Hayes, her pale hands reaching, wrapping around his throat. Panic surges through me. “Run!” I shout, pushing him toward the door.
A table slides violently across the room, slamming into the doorway and blocking our path. Hayes curses, a string of panicked expletives. Lyle just laughs, a low, bitter sound. “There’s no way out,” Lyle says, his eyes wild. “Not until she’s done with you.”
“Show us the way out, Lyle,” Hayes demands, his voice rough, deep, commanding.
“I can’t,” Lyle says, his eyes wide and frantic. “She needs her revenge.”
“You’re crazy!” Hayes shouts, his frustration boiling over. “We need to get out of here, now!”
Before I can react, the room explodes into chaos. The wall behind us begins to crumble, pieces of plaster and stone raining down. From the room next door, tables and chairs lift into the air, propelled by an unseen force, slamming into the mirrored walls with violent force. The sound of shattering glass fills my ears, shards flying everywhere.
A chair rockets across the room, smashing into the door and splintering on impact, blocking our escape. I grab Hayes’s arm, yanking him toward the only path that’s still clear, the panic rising in my throat. “This way!” I shout, my voice nearly drowned out by the noise.
But before we can move, a heavy bookcase teeters dangerously, tilting forward. Books start to fly off the shelves, hurtling through the air like missiles. I duck, feeling a rush of air as one narrowly misses my head.
“Hayes, watch out!” I scream, but it’s too late. A thick, leather-bound book slams into the side of his head with a sickening thud. His eyes go wide for a moment, then roll back, and he collapses, hitting the ground hard.
“No, no, no!” I cry out, panic clawing at my throat. I drop to my knees beside him, grabbing his shoulders. “Hayes, wake up! Please!”
The room shudders again, and more objects lift from the ground—a lamp, a broken table leg, shards of mirrored glass—all hurtling toward us. I wrap my arms around Hayes, trying to shield him, but I know I can’t stay here. I grip him under his arms, straining with all my strength, and start dragging him across the floor, every muscle screaming in protest.
“Come on, Hayes,” I whisper, my breath ragged. “I need you… I need you to wake up.” I tap Hayes’s cheek, my fingers trembling. “Hayes, come on, wake up,” I plead, my voice barelyholding steady. The chaos around us is ruthless—furniture still flies across the room, crashing into walls, glass shattering everywhere. I look up, searching for Lyle, but he’s gone.
“Please, Hayes,” I whisper, tapping harder.
His eyes flutter open, confusion clouding his face as he blinks at me. “What…what happened?” he mumbles, trying to push himself up.
“You got knocked out,” I say quickly, glancing around at the room tearing itself apart. “We have to move. Now.”
He looks around, his eyes widening as he takes in the destruction. He struggles to his feet, wincing as he touches the spot where the book hit him. “Okay,” he says, voice tight with pain. “Okay, let’s go.”
A loud crack sounds above us, and I look up just in time to see a massive mirror begin to fall. “Watch out!” I scream. Hayes grabs me, pulling me under him as the mirror shatters on the ground around us, sending fragments flying.
“We have to find a way out!” I shout over the noise.
Hayes nods, spotting a hole in one of the mirrored walls—an escape. “There,” he says, urgency in his voice. He grabs my hand, pulling me up. We run, dodging the debris still flying through the air. A chair narrowly misses us, slamming into the wall just behind.
