(Lavinia Reni's POV)
I lost count of the days.
The house still smelled like Mama's favorite jasmine incense, but it was cold. Not the kind of cold that made you shiver, but the kind that crept into your bones and sat there, heavy and unmoving. The caskets were still in the living room, surrounded by white flowers already wilting at the edges. People came and went, offering their condolences in soft voices and heavy eyes.
Now, only a few relatives remained.
I sat in a corner chair with my knees tucked close to my chest. My eyes were puffy and dry. I hadn't cried today, not because I didn't want to, but because there were no tears left.
In the far end of the room, near the shadow of the fireplace, she stood.
The doll.
Three meters tall. Made entirely of glistening ice. She looked like a twisted, broken version of a woman in a flowing dress. The left side of her face had six eyes that blinked at different times, slowly, unnervingly.
The right half was covered in twisted thorns that looked like wild roses blooming from her frozen skin. Her limbs were long and thin, unnaturally so with four slender arms dangling like ropes.
No one else could see her.
But I could.
She never moved. Never spoke. Just stood there, silent and watching, as if waiting.
Aunty walked past, carrying a tray of untouched sandwiches. Her eyes fell on me, then the empty space where the doll stood.
"What are you doing sitting there, Vina?"
"I'm talking to her."
"…Her?" My aunt stopped, blinking.
"The doll."
I pointed at the space beside the fireplace.
A few of the other relatives turned to look, confused.
"There's no one there, sweetheart," Uncle said, frowning.
"Yes, there is!" I stood up quickly. "She's been here for days. She follows me everywhere."
Everyone fell quiet. I saw the look in their eyes.
Pity.
Fear.
They weren't looking at me like a child anymore.
"…Poor thing," whispered by someone to her husband. "She's completely lost it."
"She's talking to air."
"Grief's got her head all tangled. That... thing she keeps mentioning…"
I clenched my fists. "She's real! I'm not lying!"
But they just exchanged glances. A quiet, uncomfortable silence settled in the room before someone turned the radio on to cut through it.
Later, I overheard them in the kitchen.
"We can't take her in," someone said. "That doll talk? It's not right. Gives me the chills."
"She needs help."
"She needs a therapist."
"No. She needs a place that deals with this kind of… thing."
"Don't look at me. I've got three kids already."
"I live in a dorm."
"She's a sweet girl, but I can't deal with this haunting stuff."
They thought I couldn't hear. But I did.
They all wanted to go home. Back to their own lives. None of them wanted to keep me.
Later that night, most of them had left. Only one cousin was asleep on the couch, snoring lightly, and Aunty was finishing a phone call in the kitchen.
I slipped out the front door quietly, hugging my coat tighter. The night was cold, but not unbearable. I walked along the path near our old garden. The moonlight painted silver streaks across the pavement. I liked it out here. No whispers. No fake sympathy.
Only her.
The doll followed me silently. Her ice dress made no sound against the grass, though her large form towered behind me. She always walked at a distance. Like a guardian. Or a shadow.
I stopped by the old bench and looked up at her.
"You're not just in my head, are you?"
She tilted her head again, the six eyes blinking one by one. The roses on her face glowed faintly in the dark.
I sat down with a soft sigh. "I don't want to be alone."
"…You're not alone, child."
A voice, soft yet clear, cut through the night like wind through leaves.
I turned my head quickly and saw them.
An elderly woman in long violet robes and a pointed witch hat stood on the stone path, her posture perfectly straight, her expression calm but sharp. Her eyes glinted with something I couldn't place like she could see far more than just the surface of things. She had silver hair braided over one shoulder, and wore glimmering earrings and several jeweled rings.
Beside her stood a young girl about my age, dressed in gothic purple clothes. She had sharp eyes, pale skin, and a quiet confidence about her that made her seem older than she was.
The older woman gave me a knowing smile.
"I see her too," she said, glancing toward the doll behind me. "Though I doubt many others can."
"You… you can see her?" I stood slowly, unsure.
I looked at the strange old woman and the quiet girl standing next to her. Something about them felt… off. But I didn't move. Not yet.
The woman smiled gently, eyes glimmering like glass in the moonlight.
"Come closer, child. I want to show you something special," she said softly. "Something only someone like you can see."
I hesitated.
"Don't be afraid," she said, tilting her head. "You've been so lonely, haven't you? No one believes you… but I do. I've been watching over you for a long time."
My heart skipped. "You… were watching me?"
She nodded slowly, her rings catching the light.
"Yes, sweet girl. Ever since you first saw her." She glanced at the doll behind me with a knowing look. "That doll of yours… she's not ordinary. Neither are you."
I bit my lip. My shoes shuffled in the dirt.
"But why would you watch me?" I asked. "I don't even know you."
"Because I care," Augusta said gently. "And because… there is something beautiful inside you. Something special. Come, I'll show you."
She held out her hand.
I didn't want to go, but something about her voice made me move. My feet stepped forward before I really meant to. Just one step. Then two. Her hand was still there, waiting. My fingers were shaking as I reached out.
Then suddenly.
Sharp pain.
Like ice sinking into my head, crawling deep into my thoughts.
"Nn—!" I gasped and stumbled, clutching the side of my head. "W-What is that?!"
Augusta's smile widened. "Oh, you felt that? Good. You're sensitive. That'll make this much easier."
"Wh… What?" My breath came out shaky. Something wasn't right. I turned, meaning to run.
CLANK!
Thick, glowing chains burst out of the ground and wrapped around my arms and legs. I screamed, falling onto my knees as the chains pulled me down. They burned. Not hot, but heavy so heavy. I couldn't move.
"No! Let me go! Let me go!"
Behind me, I heard the sound of cracking ice. The doll tried to move forward, her arms lifting.
But then came the purple flame.
A giant ring of fire burst around her like a cage, and she was trapped inside. She slammed her arms against it
BOOM!
But it didn't budge.
"She can't help you now," Augusta said, her voice still soft, almost motherly.
Walburga laughed under her breath. It was sharp and cold.
"Why are you doing this?!" I cried. "You said you were here to help!"
"Oh, sweet child…" Augusta knelt beside me, brushing my hair from my face. Her hand was cold. "I am helping. Just not in the way you thought."
Tears filled my eyes. I tried to crawl away, but the chains held me tight.
"I couldn't get inside the house," Augusta continued calmly. "That Devil child placed a powerful barrier around it. It would've taken me hours to break them, and I didn't want to be rude."
Her smile twisted a little. "But you… you stepped out all on your own."
I stared at her, shaking my head.
Augusta said cheerfully. "Very clever man. His barrier was well-made. If I had tried to force it, he would've known. But you made it so easy."
She gestured to Walburga, who snapped her fingers. A strange shimmer pulsed in the air. A barrier.
"Why… why are you doing this?" I whispered.
Augusta's eyes sparkled.
"Because you have something I want," she said.
"I don't understand…"
"Of course you don't," Augusta cooed. "That's what makes it so lovely. You have the perfect body for it and I…" Her smile widened.
"I want to live a little longer."
The cold sank deeper into my chest.
"What… what do you mean live longer?"
She leaned in, eyes wide with hunger.
"I mean, I'm going to become you."
I screamed, pulling against the chains.
"No! No, no, please! Stop! I don't want this!"
The doll slammed again against the flame cage. Her arms were cracking. Melting. The ice hissed under the purple heat.
Walburga watched with a cruel grin. "She's still trying? Pathetic little thing."
Augusta ignored her and touched my forehead. Her fingers glowed with purple light. "Shh… don't worry, Lavinia. When I wake up… I'll be you. You won't feel a thing. You'll just… go to sleep. Forever."
I whimpered.
My body shook.
My mind raced, trying to understand trying to believe this wasn't a dream.
"You… lied to me…"
"I did," Augusta said sweetly. "But that's what adults do, dear."
Then the magic in her hand began to glow even brighter.
I closed my eyes.
All I could think about was Mr. Gremory.
Please… help me…
The chains were cold. They wrapped around my arms and legs, keeping me still. I couldn't even lift my head. My heart thumped too loud in my ears. I wanted to cry, but nothing came out. I felt like I couldn't even breathe.
The doll tried to move. I saw her arms twitch. But that fire, purple and mean-looking trapped her like a cage. She pressed one of her hands against the flame, but it didn't break. She couldn't reach me.
Then—
CRACK.
Something smashed into the street.
Dust flew everywhere. I flinched.
A person hit the ground. When the dust cleared, I saw her.
A witch. Her clothes were torn. Blood ran down her cheek. She looked angry and tired.
Augusta stared at her. "Glenda?! You were supposed to distract that devil!"
Glenda wiped her mouth and spat on the ground. "You dumb bitch. I told you it wouldn't work! Now that monster's brother is here!"
Walburga crossed her arms. "So what? He's just a devil. He doesn't even have destruction magic."
Glenda pointed a shaky finger. "You don't get it! He's—"
Snap.
It was quiet. Just a soft sound. But the air changed.
The sky turned red.
A glowing red barrier spread out in all directions, like glass. It trapped us all inside.
Click. Clack. Click. Clack.
Footsteps.
I turned my head.
Someone was walking toward us. A boy. Maybe my age or a little older.
He wore a familiar red suit. His hair was bright crimson, and he had cat ears on top of his head. They twitched as he walked. His eyes were bright… but calm.
He smiled at me.
"I heard you calling my name, Mrs. Reni," he said. "Hope I'm not too late."
I blinked.
My mouth opened, but no words came.
He looked like a kid… but I knew that voice.
"…Mr. Gremory?" I said quietly.
He nodded a little, still smiling.
My chest felt tight again, but in a different way. I didn't understand why he looked like this, but somehow… it felt safe.
The witches stepped back. Even Augusta didn't say anything.
He walked toward me, slow and careful, like I might break.
When he got close, he knelt beside me.
"Let's get these off," he said.
He touched the chains.
Snap. Snap. Snap.
They vanished like sparks.
I fell forward, but he caught me.
"I got you," he said, holding me up.
I grabbed his coat without thinking. My hands shook.
"Sorry I'm late, Lavinia."
When he called my name… everything broke.
The tears came all at once. Big ones.
I didn't mean to cry like that. It was messy and loud. But I couldn't stop. I hugged him tight and sobbed into his shoulder.
He didn't move away.
He just held me and rubbed my back.
"There, there," he whispered. "It's all going to be alright now."