Chapter 38 The Dying Shell
Seraphina POV
The itch under my skin was becoming a burning fire. Every second I spent inside this weak, human vessel was an insult to my true nature. I stood in the thick brush of the forest, watching Elena’s back with a hunger that gnawed at my insides. She was so easy to manipulate, staring at the trees with that vacant, distracted look.
I had been playing this game for days. The night we first arrived at this camp, I was the one who sent my energy to haunt her dreams and choke the air out of her lungs.
Not like I want to kill her or something, I just wanted to shatter her mind. I needed her to look like she was losing her sanity so that the others would make jest of her.
If I could make her a laughingstock, no one would take her seriously when the real nightmare began. If she cried for help, they would just dismiss it as another "episode."
Now, being placed in her group was the perfect gift. I had manipulated the situation to separate us from the main pack because I knew the people surrounding her, especially that pest Liam, would never stop watching.
I moved closer, my hands twitching. I was tired of this place, tired of these pathetic teenagers, and most of all, tired of Sera’s body. It was fraying at the seams. I could feel the girl's soul weakening, her heart laboring under the weight of my power. If I didn't execute my plan and move to a stronger host soon, I would rot along with this meat-suit.
I was just about to strike, ready to drain the life from her, when a roar shattered the silence.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!"
I jolted, my heart, Sera’s heart, hammering painfully against her ribs. I spun around, my face instantly shifting into a mask of wide-eyed, harmless shock.
It was Daniel. He stood on the edge of the thicket, his eyes burning with a fury that made my skin crawl.
"Elena, move away from her!" Daniel shouted, his voice echoing through the trees.
Elena spun around, blinking in confusion, her face pale. "Daniel? What’s going on? You scared us!"
"I asked what are you trying to do to her, Sera!" Daniel ignored her, his gaze locked on me as he pushed through the thorns. "I saw you, Sera. I saw how you raise your hand on her, did you want to hit her or something."
I clutched my chest, forcing a shaky, high-pitched laugh. "Oh! Daniel! You scared me to death! I was just trying to get a huge forest spider off Elena's back. It was right near her neck, I didn't want to scream and scare her, so I was trying to brush it off quietly. It's dangerous out here!"
Tyler emerged from the ferns nearby, looking between us with a frown. "A spider? Is that why you were sounding like that? Daniel, man, you sound like you're about to punch someone. Chill out."
"It didn't look like any spider to me," Daniel hissed, stepping between me and Elena. He was acting like a shield, his presence an annoying obstacle.
"What are you even doing here, Daniel?" Elena asked, her voice trembling as she looked between his furious expression and the thick brush surrounding us. "Your group is supposed to be miles away on the ridge. You almost gave me a heart attack screaming like that!" Daniel didn’t answer her immediately, his jaw set so tight it looked like it might snap as he kept his eyes pinned on me. Elena stepped closer to him, her brow furrowed in genuine confusion. "Seriously, did you get lost or something? You’re way out of your sector."
Daniel didn’t move. His jaw was set so tight I thought his teeth might crack. He looked at me with pure suspicion. "I lost my way. The mist is thick. I was trying to find the shortcut back to the main trail, but it’s a good thing I ended up here."
"Well, you found us," I said, my smile sharpening into something jagged and cold. "But you should probably go. Mr. Miller will have your head if you're caught out of your sector. We're just looking for the box, like everyone else."
I turned away, my mind already pivoting.
This body was getting weaker by the second. I could feel the energy slipping through the cracks of Sera's soul. Daniel was an obstacle, that need to be wipe away. As the trees groaned in the wind, I knew I didn't have much time left. I had to leave this body, and I had to take Elena with me when I did.
The forest felt alive, the shadows whispering of the dark realm where I truly belonged. The next time Daniel or anyone else looked for Elena, they wouldn't find a friend, they would find an empty shell, and I would finally be free of this dying cage.
Daniel hesitated for a moment, still looking at me like he didn’t trust any of this, but eventually he turned and walked back into the trees.
Once he was gone, we continued moving through the thick forest. Tyler and the others stayed close behind us, pushing branches aside and complaining about the heat. I kept walking at a steady pace, and Elena naturally ended up beside me again. The irony almost made me smile. She kept moving closer to the very thing that could destroy her.
“How much longer before we find this box?” Tyler groaned, wiping sweat from his forehead as he shoved a branch out of the way. “Feels like we’ve been walking in circles forever.”
“We’re close,” I said, forcing a reassuring smile. “The map said it should be somewhere around this area. We just need to keep looking.”
“I hope so,” Elena muttered softly. “My legs are starting to hurt, and this forest feels weird.”
We kept talking as we walked, too distracted to notice the forest slowly going quiet around us. The birds stopped singing. Even the wind disappeared.
Then a deep growl suddenly echoed through the trees.
We all froze. Something slowly stepped out from behind a group of rocks. It looked like a wolf, but far bigger than any normal animal. Its dark fur was rough and dirty, and its glowing eyes locked onto us immediately. It bared its teeth, letting out another low growl that made my chest tighten.
“Sera…” Elena whispered beside me, her voice shaking as everyone started backing away in fear.
The creature took one slow step forward.
“RUN!” I shouted.