Chapter 14
The room seemed to pulse with an energy that was both suffocating and electrifying. Olivia's breath came in short, shallow gasps as she tried to steady herself, her body trembling with the weight of the man's words. He had left her no room to breathe, no space to escape. The shadows clung to her, thick and suffocating, like a blanket that smothered her very being.
James's voice cut through the tension, but it felt distant, muffled, as though he were speaking from the other side of a thick, soundproofed wall. "Olivia… please, look at me. We're getting out of here. We're going to fix this."
But Olivia couldn't pull her eyes away from the shadows, from the place where the man had vanished, leaving only the lingering echoes of his words. The walls seemed to close in on her, tightening with every breath she took. She felt as though the house itself were pressing against her, urging her to listen, to give in.
And yet, somewhere in the deepest part of her mind, she knew this wasn't real. It couldn't be. She wasn't the person he said she was. She wasn't like him. She wasn't like Lila.
But the house was relentless. The shadows moved and shifted, their dark forms swirling like tendrils, reaching for her, wrapping around her thoughts, tugging at the edges of her mind. The whispers returned, faint at first, but growing louder with each passing second.
You belong here. You always have. You're one of us.
Olivia's hands shook as she pressed them to her ears, trying to block out the voices, but they only grew stronger. There's nowhere to run. You're already inside. You've always been.
"Olivia!" James's voice was closer now, desperate. He was by her side, his hands gripping her arms, trying to shake her out of her trance. But she couldn't tear herself away from the pull of the shadows. She couldn't escape the feeling that something was calling her, something ancient and hungry, something that wanted to consume her from the inside out.
"Olivia, listen to me," James pleaded. "You're stronger than this. You've always been strong. You're not alone. You have us. You have me."
But even his words felt distant, lost in the overwhelming rush of darkness that surrounded her. The house seemed to breathe in time with her heartbeat, the pulse of it vibrating through her entire body. The air was thick, oppressive, and the walls seemed to shift, closing in tighter with each breath.
Her head spun. She couldn't think. She couldn't see clearly. Her vision blurred, and her body swayed as though the floor was moving beneath her.
And then, through the fog, she heard another voice. A voice that was familiar, but not. It was soft and low, like a whisper that echoed from deep within her mind.
You're one of us, Olivia. You always have been.
She flinched, her breath catching in her throat. The voice was so real, so close, it felt as though it were right next to her. She turned quickly, searching the shadows, but there was nothing there.
Except for the feeling. The feeling that the house was waiting for her to give in.
"Olivia!" Henry's voice broke through the haze, and this time, his hands were on her shoulders, holding her firmly, as though trying to ground her in reality. "Look at me. Please. You're not alone in this. We won't let it take you. We won't let it take any of us."
Olivia blinked, her vision clearing for a moment. She looked up at Henry, seeing the raw fear in his eyes. But there was something else there, too. A determination. A spark of something she hadn't seen in him before. It was as if he was ready to fight, to do whatever it took to get them out of this place.
Her chest tightened, and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the voices, the shadows, the house itself. No, she thought. I won't let it win. I won't let it control me.
But the darkness inside her stirred again, and she could feel the pull, the call. It was so strong, so overwhelming. It felt like the house had been a part of her all along, that it had been waiting for her to remember, to embrace what she truly was.
"I… I don't know what's real anymore," Olivia whispered, her voice barely audible.
Henry's grip on her shoulders tightened, his face softening with concern. "Olivia, don't say that. You're real. This is real. We can get out of here, together. Don't let it win. Don't let it take you like it took Lila."
Her heart sank at the mention of her sister's name. The image of Lila, twisted and broken, flashed through her mind. But there was something else there, too. Something that hadn't been there before. A flicker of understanding, a small spark of clarity.
She wasn't just fighting the house. She was fighting herself. The darkness within her. The part of her that had always been there, buried deep beneath the surface. It was calling to her now, trying to bring her back to where she had started. To where it had all begun.
But she couldn't give in. She wouldn't.
"I'm not her," Olivia whispered fiercely, her voice trembling with determination. "I'm not like her. I won't let it take me."
James stepped forward, his face filled with resolve. "We're in this together, Olivia. We won't leave you. Not now, not ever."
The house groaned, a low, rumbling sound that vibrated through the floor beneath them. The shadows seemed to recede for a moment, the tension in the air easing slightly, as if it were holding its breath. But Olivia knew better. This wasn't over. It wouldn't be over until she faced the darkness within her and found a way to break free.
And with that thought, something inside her clicked. The fog in her mind began to lift, slowly but surely. The whispers faded into silence. The shadows retreated, just for a moment. And Olivia felt a new sense of clarity rise within her. She didn't know how, but she knew she had to fight. She had to break the cycle.
"Let's end this," she said, her voice steady, her resolve hardening.
Henry and James exchanged a look of relief, but their expressions were still filled with uncertainty. The house, however, seemed to tremble with anticipation, as if it, too, knew that the real battle was just beginning.