Chapter 53
Elara's POV
I cleared my throat. Thirty pairs of eyes stared at me.
My mind went completely blank.
Say something. Anything.
"Once upon a time," I started. My voice came out too quiet. "There was a... princess. She lived in a castle. Very far north."
Someone groaned softly. "Another princess story?"
Heat crept up my neck. I kept going.
"One day, bad people came to the castle. Lots of them. The princess had to run away."
Sophia yawned. Loudly. On purpose.
"Wow. Riveting. I think even kindergarteners would fall asleep."
A few people snickered.
My jaw clenched. I needed to make this more interesting. Fast.
"The princess ran into the snow," I said. The words came easier now. "Twelve men chased her."
The image flashed in my head before I could stop it.
White snow. Endless white. Wind cutting like knives.
"The snow was heavy that day." My voice dropped without me meaning it to. "The wind... it hurt. Like someone dragging a blade across your face."
The snickering stopped.
I barely noticed.
"She could hear them behind her. Their boots in the snow. Crunch. Crunch. Getting closer."
The firelight flickered across everyone's faces. They leaned forward slightly.
I wasn't looking at them anymore.
I was back there. In the north. Running.
"She didn't keep running." The words came from somewhere deep. "Running in snow wastes energy. Makes you slow. She stopped. Found a snow hollow. Waited."
My hands moved on their own. Showing the position. The crouch.
"The first man thought she'd gone far. He relaxed. Stopped being careful."
I could see his face. The way his eyes widened when I came out of the snow.
"She jumped out. Grabbed his head. Twisted."
My hands demonstrated the motion in the air.
"His neck broke. Clean snap. Like breaking a thick branch. That sound... it's very specific. You don't forget it."
Chloe made a small gasping noise.
I didn't stop.
"Blood on snow is dark red. Almost brown. When it's fresh and hot, it steams. Just for a second. Then the new snow covers it."
Someone shifted uncomfortably.
"The second man found his friend's body. Started to panic. But it was too late. She was already moving."
The fire crackled. No one spoke.
"She hid in that snow hollow for three hours. Her body went numb. Couldn't feel her fingers. Her toes. But she had to wait. Had to time it perfectly."
I was completely gone now. Lost in the memory.
"When the leader turned his back, she moved. One knife strike. Right here."
I touched the back of my own neck. Showed the exact angle.
"Straight through. Severs the spine. No sound. He drops before he knows he's dead."
A girl near the fire looked pale.
"You have to know the anatomy. The exact spot. One inch wrong and they scream. Alert everyone."
My voice was flat. Clinical.
"The snow was falling harder. Covering the bodies. She moved between them like a ghost. They couldn't track her. Couldn't hear her. By the time they realized what was happening, there were only four left."
Blythe whispered to someone next to him. "Is this... really just a story?"
I blinked.
The campfire came back into focus. All those faces. Staring at me.
Oh god.
What did I just say?
My heart slammed against my ribs. I'd done it again. Completely lost control. Told them things that no normal person should know.
"Um." My voice cracked. "And then... the princess... she survived. The end."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Chloe's eyes were huge. "Elara. That was..."
"Just a story," I said quickly. Too quickly. "Obviously."
"That didn't sound like just a story." Her voice shook slightly. "You described everything so... specifically. Like you were actually there."
My mouth went dry.
Think. Fix this. Now.
"I read it." The lie came fast. "In a book. A really old war novel. Very obscure. The details stuck with me because it was so... intense."
Sophia's eyes narrowed. She leaned forward.
"What book?" Her voice was sharp. Challenging. "What was it called?"
My pulse hammered in my ears.
"It was ancient. Like, out of print. You can't find it online anymore."
"Try me." Sophia tilted her head. "I've read a lot of obscure books."
"I don't remember the exact title. It was years ago."
"But you remember every detail of the murder techniques?" Her smile didn't reach her eyes. "Interesting."
I forced myself to hold her gaze. "The violence was memorable. The title wasn't."
She stared at me for another long moment.
Then James stood up. Clapped his hands once.
"Well! That was... definitely something. Anyone seen Coach Warren?"
People looked around. Murmured to each other.
"He was here during dinner," someone said.
"I saw him walk toward the forest edge," another person offered. "Maybe twenty minutes ago?"
James frowned. "That's weird. He didn't say anything about leaving."
My stomach tightened.
Warren disappearing. Right after I'd just exposed way too much about myself.
That couldn't be coincidence.
"Okay, we should probably look for him." James's voice took on a leader's tone. "Split into pairs. Check the immediate area. Don't go far. Stay within shouting distance of camp."
People started standing up. Organizing themselves.
Chloe grabbed my arm. "We should stick together."
"Yeah."
I needed to move. Needed to do something with the adrenaline still flooding my system.
Sophia and Blythe paired up immediately. They headed toward the eastern trail without a word.
James assigned areas. "Elara, Chloe—you two take the main path we came in on. Just walk it for about ten minutes, then come back."
I nodded.
We grabbed flashlights from the supply tent. The beam cut through the darkness as we left the fire's warmth.
The forest felt different at night. Heavier. The trees pressed in closer.
My mind raced.
Warren's behavior all day. The constant note-taking. The way he watched everyone.
Was he tracking something? Someone?
Had he figured out I wasn't normal?
"You okay?" Chloe's voice was quiet.
"Fine."
"That story really freaked people out."
"I know."
"Where did you actually get it from?"
I kept my eyes on the path ahead. "I told you. A book."
"Elara." She stopped walking. Turned to face me. "I've known you for two years. You've never mentioned reading war novels. You barely read anything except textbooks."
The original Elara wouldn't have. I knew that.
"People change," I said.
"Not this much. Not this fast."
I started walking again. She had to jog a few steps to catch up.
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out. Encrypted message.
Vivian.
Dad agreed to pay. But only half up front. He wants you to keep investigating. Find proof of who's behind this. Then he'll pay the rest.
I typed back quickly. Understood. Will update when I have something.
Her reply came fast. Be careful.
I checked my other messages. Nothing from Kael.
Radio silence.
That bothered me more than it should.
"Who's texting you?" Chloe tried to peek at my screen.
I locked the phone. "Family stuff."
We walked in silence for another few minutes. The path got darker. The trees thicker.
Then I heard it.
A scream. Male. Distant but clear.
"Help! Someone help me!"
Chloe froze. "Oh my god. That's—"
She started to run toward the sound.
I grabbed her arm. Hard.
"Wait."
"But someone's in trouble!"
"I know." My voice came out flat. Cold. "That's why we move carefully."
Every instinct I had screamed danger.
A lone voice. In the dark forest. Where a coach had mysteriously disappeared.
This wasn't random.
"Elara, we have to—"
"We will. But not like idiots."
I pulled her forward. Slower than she wanted. My flashlight swept the trees ahead.
The screaming continued. Desperate. Terrified.
Getting closer.