Chapter 15: What happened to Jack?

“Serena, don’t leave me.”

Jack’s voice broke as he held her face, his hands trembling. Her lips curved into a soft smile, her eyes glistening as she leaned in closer. Their mouths touched, warm and real, and for a heartbeat he thought the world was safe again.

But then, her lips stretched unnaturally wide. His blood turned cold as her jaw cracked open like it was breaking apart. Black veins crawled across her cheeks, and her teeth sharpened into long, jagged fangs.

Her eyes snapped open, glowing red.

Jack stumbled back, his breath caught in his throat. “No… no, this isn’t real!”

Serena’s laughter warped into a screech, her body twisting as her skin peeled in places, scales spreading across her arms. She lunged at him, her mouth gaping wide enough to swallow him whole.

“STOP!” Jack screamed.

He bolted upright in his bed.

His chest heaved as sweat rolled down his face. His tried to catch his breath, his eyes darted across the dark room, searching the shadows. What just happened?

“ Its just… a dream,” he whispered, wiping his damp forehead with a shaky hand. “Just a stupid dream.”

He tried to steady himself, forcing his lungs to slow down, but the image of Serena’s monstrous face was burned into his mind. He pulled the blanket up to his chest and curled against the pillow. Eventually, he fell asleep.

“Jack? Jack!”

The next morning, his mother’s voice cut through the silence as she pushed the door open. She was still in her work clothes from the night before, her hair in a messy bun, her face weary.

She frowned, he hadn’t moved. He looked tired and his face was pale.

“Come on, you’ll be late.” She walked over and touched his shoulder. “Jack?”

He didn't react.

Her eyes widened, she shook him harder. “Jack, wake up!”

Still there was no reaction. His lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. His breathing was slow, shallow, it felt wrong.

“God, no…” She grabbed her phone with trembling hands and dialed a number. Her voice cracked when the operator answered. “Hello? Please, I need an ambulance, it’s my son. He’s breathing but he won’t wake up. Please, hurry!”

Her knees nearly buckled as she sat on the edge of his bed, holding his hand tightly until the sirens

wailed outside.

Damien ran through the hall, his sneakers hitting the ground hard. His chest felt heavy, every step louder than the last. Lyra and Maya followed, both silent but tense.

His phone call with Jack’s mom replayed in his head. “It’s Jack, please come he won’t wake up.”

His throat tightened as they reached the room. Damien pushed the door open, and the sight before him stopped him in his tracks.

Jack lay in the bed, different types of machines hooked to his body. A monitor beeped slowly beside him, his skin was ghostly pale, lips dry, his eyes shut tight as if he was locked in some nightmare he couldn’t escape.

Damien’s eyes widened. His knees almost gave out. “No… not him, not Jack.”

Lyra’s sharp eyes scanned through him, her arms crossed. She didn’t show it, but Damien could tell she was shaken too. “He looks like he’s been drained.”

Maya moved closer, her hand hovering over Jack’s arm but not daring to touch. “This isn’t sleep. He’s trapped… caught between here and somewhere else.”

Jack’s mother stood at the bedside, her hands shaking as she brushed her son’s hair back. Her voice cracked. “He was fine last night, he laughed at dinner. This morning, he just… wouldn’t wake up. The doctors don’t understand what’s wrong.”

Damien pulled a chair close and sank down, his eyes locked on Jack’s still face. He reached for his hand, it was cold, lifeless, he felt like he was holding ice. He gripped it tighter, fighting the sting in his eyes.

“You don’t get to leave me like this,” Damien whispered, his voice raw. “Do you hear me? You don’t. Not now, not ever.”

Lyra leaned against the wall, her arms still crossed, but her face tense. “Do you think this is Serena?” she asked Maya.

At the sound of Serena’s name, Damien frowned. He looked up, his jaw clenched. “She’s dead.”

Maya’s eyes were dark, her lips pressed in a hard line. “Death doesn’t mean gone, not with people like her.”

The words sank into the silence of the room.

Lyra tilted her head, her voice edged with suspicion. “Then maybe this is her doing.”

Damien’s chest burned, he looked back at Jack, helplessness clawing at him. He remembered Serena’s lifeless body, the way the nightmare should have ended with her death but here Jack was, fighting shadows that wouldn’t let him go.

Jack’s mother’s eyes filled with tears. “Please… don’t let him go. You’re his friends, he needs you.”

Damien swallowed hard, guilt crawling up his throat. He nodded, gripping Jack’s hand tighter. “I won’t let him go.”

The minutes dragged by, the beeping of the machine filling the silence. Each sound cut into Damien’s chest, lyra shifted restlessly. Maya’s lips moved like she was whispering something under her breath, maybe a prayer.

Then....

Jack’s hand twitched.

Damien sat up, his eyes shot to Jack’s face. “Jack? Jack, it’s me. Can you hear me?”

The twitch became a weak squeeze. Jack’s eyelids flickered, fighting to open. His lips parted, air escaping in shallow gasps.

Lyra straightened, her eyes sharp and focused now. Maya stepped closer, her breath caught in her throat.

“Jack,” Damien said, his voice breaking. “Come back, please. We’re here.”

Finally, Jack’s eyes opened, glassy and unfocused at first. His gaze wandered before landing on Damien’s face.

Everyone held their breath.

Jack’s lips moved. His voice was hoarse, barely a whisper. “I saw her…”

Damien leaned in, his heart pounding. “Who?”

Jack’s chest rose sharply as he forced the words out. His voice trembled.

“I saw Serena.”

The room went silent.

Lyra’s eyes narrowed, a storm brewing behind them. Maya’s shoulders stiffened, her lips parting in disbelief. Damien’s grip on Jack’s hand tightened.

Serena was dead, but Jack… Jack had seen her.

And if Serena wasn’t gone, then the nightmare had only just begun.