Chapter 39
Chapter 39
Aili’s POV
For the first time in what felt like forever, I woke up without fear sitting in my chest.
No whispers.
No shadows.
No cold air creeping across my skin.
Just sunlight.
Warm, golden sunlight spilling through my bedroom window, stretching across my blanket like the world had decided to give me a break.
I lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, letting the quiet settle around me.
Yesterday had been… intense.
Terrifying.
Confusing.
But also strangely comforting.
We had solved it.
We had helped that spirit move on.
And somehow, through all the chaos, something between Nick and me had changed.
Not dramatically.
Not in a fireworks-and-violins kind of way.
Just… closer.
Safer.
Like we trusted each other now in a way that didn’t need explaining.
I rolled onto my side and grabbed my phone from the nightstand.
No missed calls.
No emergency messages.
No supernatural disasters.
Just a text from Nick.
Nick:
You okay this morning?
My heart did a tiny, embarrassing flip.
I stared at the message longer than necessary, then typed back.
Me:
Yeah. Still alive.
A few seconds later, three dots appeared.
Nick:
Good. That’s kind of important.
I laughed softly under my breath.
Then another message popped up.
Nick:
See you at school.
Simple.
Casual.
But somehow it made my morning feel lighter.
I pushed myself out of bed, stretched, and headed to the bathroom, humming under my breath. The house felt normal again — no flickering lights, no strange cold spots, no mysterious voices pretending to be my father.
Just the sound of Grandma moving around in the kitchen downstairs.
The smell of toast drifted up the hallway.
Comforting.
Safe.
Normal.
Exactly what I needed.
⸻
By the time I reached school, the halls were buzzing with the usual chaos — lockers slamming, students laughing, teachers shouting reminders about assignments nobody had finished.
Sherfield High looked the same as always.
But I knew better.
This town had secrets.
And apparently, we were the unlucky group destined to keep finding them.
“AILI!”
I turned just in time to see Samantha rushing toward me, her dark hair bouncing as she walked.
Behind her were Lisa and Maya, both moving just as fast.
My girls.
My team.
My slightly chaotic, occasionally supernatural best friends.
“You look alive,” Lisa said dramatically, placing a hand over her chest. “Thank goodness.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Nice to see you too.”
Maya crossed her arms, studying me carefully.
“So,” she said. “We’re going to need details.”
All three of them leaned in at the same time.
I sighed.
“Of course you are.”
Samantha grabbed my arm immediately.
“Library,” she said. “Now.”
⸻
We gathered around our usual table in the school library — tucked into the far corner where the librarian rarely bothered us.
Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, dust particles floating lazily in the air.
It felt peaceful.
Almost too peaceful.
Samantha leaned forward first.
“Start talking,” she demanded.
I took a deep breath.
“Okay… so last night got weird.”
Lisa snorted.
“When does it not?”
Fair point.
I told them everything.
The mirror.
The fake voice.
The spirit pretending to be my dad.
Nick’s magic.
The moment the spirit finally moved on.
Their reactions shifted from shock… to concern… to quiet understanding as I spoke.
When I finished, the table fell silent.
Maya was the first to speak.
“That’s terrifying,” she said softly.
Samantha nodded slowly.
“But you handled it.”
I shrugged.
“We handled it.”
Lisa leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms.
“You know what’s crazy?” she said.
“What?” I asked.
She looked directly at me.
“You’re not scared anymore.”
The words hit me harder than expected.
I opened my mouth to argue.
Then stopped.
Because she was right.
I wasn’t fearless.
Not even close.
But something inside me had shifted.
Confidence.
Strength.
Maybe even purpose.
Before I could respond, a familiar voice spoke behind us.
“She definitely looks less terrified.”
My heart skipped.
I turned.
Nick stood there, hands tucked casually into his pockets, that small half-smile playing on his lips.
Warmth spread through my chest instantly.
“Eavesdropping again?” I asked.
He shrugged.
“You talk loud.”
Samantha grinned mischievously.
“Well, look who showed up,” she teased.
Lisa smirked.
“Speak of the warlock.”
Nick rolled his eyes.
“Please don’t start calling me that.”
I stood up slowly, stepping closer to him.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey,” he replied.
Simple word.
But the way his eyes softened when he looked at me made my stomach flutter.
He leaned slightly closer.
“You slept okay?” he asked quietly.
The concern in his voice felt genuine.
Real.
“Yeah,” I said. “You?”
He nodded.
“Yeah.”
For a second, the world around us faded.
Just us.
Standing there.
Comfortable.
Connected.
Then Lisa cleared her throat loudly.
“Okay,” she said dramatically. “This is getting cute.”
I groaned.
Nick stepped back immediately, his ears turning slightly red.
Embarrassed.
Adorable.
Before anyone could tease us further, the bell rang loudly through the hallway.
Classes.
Reality.
Normal life.
We gathered our things and headed toward our classrooms, laughter echoing down the hall.
For once, everything felt normal.
⸻
My first two classes passed without incident.
Math.
History.
Nothing supernatural.
Nothing strange.
Just notes, assignments, and the occasional daydream.
During lunch, we met back at our usual table in the cafeteria.
The noise level was high — trays clattering, students talking, someone laughing too loudly in the corner.
Comforting chaos.
Nick sat across from me, casually stealing fries from my tray.
I narrowed my eyes.
“Those are mine.”
He shrugged.
“You weren’t eating them.”
I grabbed one dramatically.
“I was saving them.”
“For what?”
“I don’t know. Emotional support.”
He laughed softly.
The sound made my heart do that annoying flutter again.
Across the table, Samantha watched us with a knowing grin.
Maya leaned closer to her and whispered something.
They both started smiling.
Oh no.
“What?” I demanded.
“Nothing,” Samantha said quickly.
Too quickly.
Lisa snorted.
“They’re just noticing how you two act like an old married couple.”
Nick choked slightly on his drink.
I nearly dropped my fork.
“We do not,” I said immediately.
He nodded.
“Definitely not.”
Our eyes met.
Then we both looked away at the exact same time.
The table erupted in laughter.
And for a few beautiful minutes, everything felt completely normal.
⸻
That’s when the screaming started.
Sharp.
Sudden.
Terrified.
The cafeteria went silent instantly.
Every head turned toward the far side of the room.
A group of students had gathered in a tight circle.
Someone shouted.
“Get a teacher!”
My stomach dropped.
Instinct kicked in immediately.
I stood up.
Nick was already on his feet beside me.
We moved toward the crowd together.
Fast.
Urgent.
Students parted as we pushed through.
And then I saw her.
Lian.
She lay on the floor, completely still.
Her body rigid.
Her hands clenched tightly at her sides.
A teacher knelt beside her, panic written across her face.
“Call the nurse!” she shouted.
But something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Lian’s chest rose and fell rapidly, her breathing shallow and uneven.
Her skin looked pale.
Almost gray.
And then—
Her eyes snapped open.
Gasps echoed around us.
But they weren’t normal.
They were completely white.
No pupils.
No color.
Just blank, glowing white.
A wave of cold swept through the room.
I felt it instantly.
So did Nick.
Our eyes met.
Fear.
Recognition.
Understanding.
This wasn’t medical.
This was supernatural.
Lian’s body jerked suddenly, her back arching off the floor.
A low, strange sound escaped her throat — not quite a scream, not quite a whisper.
Students began backing away in terror.
Someone started crying.
The teacher looked completely helpless.
“What’s happening to her?” she whispered.
Then Lian spoke.
Her voice didn’t sound like her own.
It sounded distant.
Echoing.
Wrong.
“They’re coming…”
The words sent a chill racing down my spine.
Silence fell over the cafeteria.
Then her body went limp.
Her eyes rolled back.
And she collapsed unconscious.
Complete stillness followed.
No one moved.
No one spoke.
My heart pounded wildly in my chest.
Beside me, Nick whispered quietly.
“Aili…”
I swallowed hard.
Because across the cafeteria…
Another student suddenly dropped to the floor.