Chapter 14: Dark energy

Nerina

I could barely erase Evan’s presence from my mind — the brief touch, the intense, provocative look. He managed to irritate, confuse, and fascinate me all at once, leaving me completely unsteady. When I was finally alone, I pulled the bracelet out of my pocket and observed it once more. There was something about it, a strange energy that seemed to pulse in my hands, almost like a heartbeat. It was as if this ancient object was trying to communicate with me.

"Who are you?" I murmured to the bracelet, as if it could somehow hear my thoughts.

The answer came as a shiver down my spine, making the surrounding space darken for a few seconds. The world seemed distorted, and for a moment, I saw shadowy figures, creatures twisting, almost merging around me. It was as if the bracelet had the power to show me what lay beyond my normal sight, revealing something hidden and profoundly dark.

My breathing quickened, but at the same time, I felt a wave of power filling me. A part of me knew I was changing, that something inside me was awakening, something that maybe I couldn’t fully control.

That’s when I heard heavy footsteps outside, and, in a reflex, I stuffed the bracelet back into my pocket. My bedroom door burst open, and there was Evan, his eyes fixed on me, with a hard, determined expression. He crossed the room in two long strides and planted himself in front of me, looking at me intensely, as if trying to decipher what I was hiding.

“We need to talk,” he said, his voice low and firm, but with a hint of fury he was clearly trying to control.

I crossed my arms, feigning calm. "Oh, so now you want to talk? I thought you preferred games."

He scoffed, narrowing his eyes at me. “I’m not in the mood for that, Nerina. What you did earlier… and that bracelet… something very strange is happening, and I want answers.”

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of what he was asking me. "And what if I told you that you’re not ready for the answers? That there are things bigger than both of us?"

He stepped closer, as if daring me. "I’m not afraid of you, Nerina."

I raised my chin, accepting the challenge in his eyes. "Maybe you should be."

The silence between us grew unbearable, charged with something I couldn’t define — a mix of attraction and tension, an invisible pull that brought me closer to him, even knowing I should keep my distance. I could feel the bracelet pulsing in my pocket, emitting an energy that seemed to feed my emotions and confuse my mind.

Suddenly, a wave of dark energy escaped from the bracelet, as if it was reacting to what I was feeling, and the room seemed to darken completely. Evan stepped back, his eyes wide but still determined. I knew he sensed the change, the presence of that power that was now a part of me.

“You should leave, Evan,” I whispered, fighting the urge to ask him to stay. I felt that if he continued here, things would spiral out of my control once and for all.

But he didn’t back away. “What if I don’t want to? What if I want to help you, Nerina? Maybe you need someone to face this with you.”

Those words hit me like a knife. No one had ever offered that kind of support before, no one had been so direct and, at the same time, so willing to face the unknown with me. But I couldn’t let him get involved like that. This power was dangerous, and I didn’t know how far it could take me.

“You don’t understand,” I murmured, locking my gaze on his. “This is bigger than anything we can control. It could destroy us.”

Even so, he took a step closer, extending his hand in a gesture of trust, his gaze penetrating and full of determination. “Then let me at least try. Maybe it’s time for you to trust someone, Nerina.”

For a second, I lowered my guard. I wanted to accept his offer, to let him be a part of this. But the darkness I felt within me was too strong, like a poison that could spread and consume him, too.

I shook my head, taking a step back, my gaze locked on his one last time. “I can’t, Evan. I don’t want you to be dragged into this. It’s too dangerous for both of us.”

Before he could respond, I turned and quickly closed the door, feeling an unexpected pain as I shut him out like that. I leaned against the door, breathing deeply, trying to silence the thoughts and the weight of emptiness that now consumed me.

In the distance, I could hear Evan’s footsteps receding, and the echo of his presence seemed to fade away like a shadow. I closed my eyes, and at that moment, I knew that by pushing him away, I was losing more than I had imagined.