The room was nearly dead.
Cassie hung from the chair like a marionette with severed strings, her skin pale, her breath shallow. The cursed trinket still clung to her chest,
Darkness clung to the air like a second skin. The cursed trinket around Cassie's neck pulsed dimly with malevolent life, its once vibrant glow now a heavy, poisonous black. Black tendrils snaked across her skin like ink, spreading from the cursed pendant that had fed off her life for days.
Her eyes fluttered weakly, struggling to stay open. She had long stopped calling for help. Her voice had broken days ago.
But somewhere deep in her fading heart, she still hoped.
The hope flickered like a dying flame until a gust of wind, unnatural, and sharp whirled through the sealed room, making the curtains flap wildly though the windows stayed shut. Shadows twisted and danced on the walls.
Then, he appeared.
Adrian.
Tall. Imposing. Cold blue eyes that glowed with fury. His coat swirled around him like smoke, and his presence filled the room with crushing authority. The temperature dropped.
Cassie blinked, barely registering the figure. Her cracked lips quivered as tears slipped down her cheeks.
"…Adrian…?"
He moved to her swiftly, dropping to one knee. The moment her dull eyes met his sharp ones, she gasped weakly.
"I thought… you weren't coming…"
Her words were barely a breath.
Adrian didn't answer. He reached for the trinket around her neck with a scowl, fingers glowing. A low hiss filled the air as the cursed pendant reacted violently to his energy.
With a swift motion, he crushed the vile thing in his hand.
CRACK.
The pendant exploded into black shards. Instantly, the dark energy that had wrapped around Cassie shrieked, recoiling, swirling into a smoky mass. It screamed without sound as it was ripped away from her, evaporating through the cracks in the room like blood draining from a wound.
Cassie collapsed forward, unconscious.
Adrian caught her gently.
Her skin was ice.
Adrian didn't hesitate. He pressed his glowing hand over her heart and sent a stream of warm energy into her chest. Light flickered across her veins like golden vines, weaving through the damage, buying her precious time.
She stirred, ever so slightly.
"You idiot," he muttered under his breath.
He gently lifted her into his arms.
"Will she be okay?"
A voice from behind.
Marcuk stood by the wall, transparent and fading, his eyes glistening with relief.
Adrian turned to him, his expression unreadable. "You've done what you came for. Now go."
Marcuk blinked. "I...will she live?"
Adrian's tone was colder than usual. "Yes."
Marcuk smiled softly, tears slipping down his transparent cheeks. "Thank you. Thank you for saving her…"
Adrian didn't reply.
The boy looked down one last time at Cassie, whispering, "I'm sorry…"
And then he vanished.
Adrian looked down at the girl trembling softly in his arms. He tightened his hold and walked out of the room.
At the Grand Velucia Dome
Over ten thousand fans flooded the open arena, waving glowing sticks and chanting Liya's name in unison. The music thundered like a war drum, lights dancing over the crowd in a kaleidoscope of color.
On stage, Liya reigned like a goddess draped in shimmering silver, eyes alight with glory. Every movement was perfect, rehearsed, divine. Her voice soared across the arena, clear and powerful, every note a spell.
The crowd was hers.
Their cheers fed her like fire.
But then a chill.
Liya faltered mid-step. Her voice caught.
The music still played. The backup dancers kept going.
But she... she could feel it.
Something was wrong.
The stage lights dimmed slightly just enough to notice.
And then they came.
From the edges of the spotlight, shadows began to twist, writhing like smoke, forming the shapes of faces twisted, hollow, screaming.
Ghosts.
Dozens of them.
Liya's eyes widened. Her microphone slipped from her hand and hit the stage with a metallic thud.
"No…"
Her breath caught in her throat as she stumbled back, heart racing.
The ghosts stepped forward through invisible air their eyes black, mouths open in silent accusation.
"Stop it. Stop it...GET AWAY FROM ME!"
She screamed.
The crowd gasped in confusion, many thought it was part of the act.
Until she shrieked.
A raw, blood-curdling scream that echoed through the stadium.
Liya turned, looking at her backup dancers as if they were monsters, their faces now overlaid with the haunting visages of the dead.
She lunged at one of them-Marcuk's face flickering over the dancer's.
"YOU! YOU DIED! STAY DEAD!"
She shoved the dancer to the floor, clawing at the air like she was trying to tear the ghosts from her mind.
Chaos erupted.
Fans began screaming. Some stood in shock, filming. Others rushed for the exits.
Liya turned again, flailing at another dancer. "YOU WANT TO TAKE IT BACK, DON'T YOU? YOU CAN'T! IT'S MINE!"
She was losing it. Completely unraveling.
One dancer tripped and fell off the edge of the stage. Another ran screaming into the wings. Security burst onto the platform.
Backstage, her manager Julian cursed under his breath.
"Damn it...she's snapping."
He charged onto the stage, motioning for the guards.
"Get her OFF!"
Two guards grabbed her arms. She shrieked, flailing like a madwoman. "No! Let me go! They're HERE....they're all HERE!"
Her makeup was smeared. Her perfect image, shattered.
"They're in the lights....they're in my skin! They're in ME!"
Julian's face was tight with fury and fear. He leaned close and hissed, "Pull yourself together! You're destroying everything!"
Liya spat at him, eyes wild. "I MADE EVERYTHING! I AM EVERYTHING!"
The ghosts still hovered at the edge of the stage, invisible to everyone but her-Marcuk at the center, his expression hollow and mournful.
"You could've been better," he whispered into her mind.
"I don't want better!" she screamed into nothing. "I want MORE!"
They dragged her off-stage, kicking and crying, her body twisting violently in their grip.
The crowd was stunned. Whispers of possession, breakdown, or publicity stunt rippled like wildfire.
The music had stopped.
The queen had fallen.
And in the silence that followed, only the ghosts remained watching.
Back at Adrian's place…
Cassie lay on the couch, a blanket pulled over her, still unconscious but alive.
Adrian sat beside her silently, arms crossed, watching the slow, steady rise and fall of her chest.
A flicker of something something human passed through his eyes.
And for a moment, the silent guardian closed his eyes and murmured under his breath:
"You're safe now."