Chapter 71 CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE | TRICKS

Chapter 71 CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE | TRICKS
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE | TRICKS

ASPEN

I stared at the door Ronan had just walked through. The room felt too quiet after him, like the air had shifted.

Something inside me felt loose, like a part of me had been pulled out and left behind. I pressed my palm to my chest, breathing slowly, trying to ignore the ache.

Getting up was hard. My body protested as pain flashed through my ribs and legs, but I forced myself up anyway. I pulled on sweatpants, a jacket, and a face cap, keeping my head low as I slipped out of the dormitory room.

I didn’t know where I was going. I just knew I couldn’t stay there.

My feet carried me to the library. The lights were dim, the halls quiet. The new librarian looked up when I entered and gave me a polite nod. I nodded back and moved past him, heading for the shelves.

I ran my fingers along the spines of books, pretending I was looking for something, pretending I was calm. It was already late evening, and a warning voice in my head told me to go back to my room.

Then I heard it. My name.

“Aspen.”

The voice was loud and clear in a way that made my heart jump. I rushed back to the front desk and leaned toward the librarian. “Did you hear that?” I asked.

He shook his head slowly. “Hear what?”

I stepped back, my skin prickling. Then the voice came again, softer this time, closer.

“Sissy… help me.”

My breath caught in my throat. I knew that voice. I spun around and hurried back to the desk, but the librarian was gone. His chair was empty. The desk was empty. Fear wrapped around my chest so tightly it hurt.

The building began to shake, not gently but violently. Books rattled on the shelves. The floor trembled under my feet.

Before I could scream, a hand grabbed my arm. I screamed anyway as the ground opened beneath me.

I was pulled down into darkness.

I don’t know how long I fell. It felt endless. My body hit the ground hard, knocking the air out of me. I lay there gasping, my back screaming in pain. When I finally looked up, my breath froze.

Magic filled the space around me, thick and glowing, like a wall I couldn’t cross. Beyond it, a girl lay on the floor. She looked small and broken. Her face and arms were badly burned, skin raw and scarred.

“Help me,” she whispered again.

I gasped and tried to run to her, but the magic slammed into me, throwing me back. I hit the ground again, shaking. I pushed myself up and tried once more, tears filling my eyes.

“I’m here,” I cried. “I’m here.”

The magic refused me, and the girl just lay there, staring at me like she was waiting for me.

The air smelled burnt and cold, and the walls pulsed like they were alive, closing in on me.

I got tired of pushing against the magic and slid down to the floor. My arms burned, and my chest felt tight. I sat there staring at the girl in front of me, my knees pulled close, my hands shaking. The light around her flickered softly, like it was breathing.

“Who are you?” I asked at last. My voice sounded small in the wide space.

She didn’t answer. She only stared back at me, her lips trembling as a weak sound escaped her throat. She whimpered in pain, turning her face slightly like it hurt to even breathe. I waited. Seconds stretched into minutes. My heart beat loudly in my ears.

“I can help you,” I said again. “Please talk to me.”

Her fingers twitched on the floor. She opened her mouth, and for a moment I thought she would finally speak. Then the magic around us shifted. The light grew brighter, sharp and blinding. The ground shook again.

“No,” I whispered. “Wait.”

The air pulled at me like hands grabbing my clothes. I screamed as my body lifted off the ground. Everything spun, and the glow vanished.

I landed hard on the library floor.

“Ouch!” I yelped as my buttocks hit the ground painfully. My cap slipped forward, and I pushed it back with shaking hands. My whole body ached. I looked around, confused and breathless.

The library was quiet again. Shelves stood still like nothing had happened. No shaking, nothing. The librarian’s chair was still empty, just like before. My heart raced as I stood up slowly.

“What just happened?” I whispered to myself.

I walked toward the exit, my steps slow and unsure. “This place is not normal,” I muttered. “I should not be here.”

My head felt heavy, like I had woken from a bad dream. “Maybe I imagined it,” I said softly, though I didn’t believe it. “Maybe I’m just tired.”

I pushed the library door open and stepped into the hallway. The lights flickered above me. I hugged my jacket closer to my body.

Then I stopped.

Someone was standing at the end of the hall. A tall figure. Familiar. My breath caught as the person slowly turned around.

My heart slammed against my ribs. “No way,” I whispered.

The face came into view, clear and real. My knees went weak.

“Adrian?” I muttered, my voice shaking with shock.

He stared at me like he knew me. I took a step back, my heart beating fast. “You’re dead,” I said, my voice breaking. “I saw you die.”

He said nothing. He only watched me, calm and quiet. Fear crawled up my spine.

“If this is a trick, stop it,” I whispered. “Please.”

The lights flickered again, and his shadow stretched long on the floor.

I didn’t know if I should run or scream or reach out. My legs refused to move, and my breath came out in short, painful gasps.

Fuck. Everything felt unreal, and I knew this night was far from over for me.