The Alchemy Of Shadows

chapter 3

He’s coming.

I can hear his footsteps—heavy, deliberate—echoing against the asphalt. He’ll be inside any moment now.

The TV hums faintly in the living room. They’re all out there—my parents, vulnerable, completely unaware of the danger that’s closing in. I have to warn them. I have to do something.

But I can’t move.

My eyes adjust to the suffocating darkness, and I realize where I am. I’m stuffed inside one of the kitchen cabinets. My knees are drawn up tightly to my chest, and the cramped space squeezes the breath from my lungs.

I try to speak, to scream, but nothing comes out. My voice is gone. I claw at my throat, panic setting in, but the words stay trapped inside me.

Then, through a thin gap between the cabinet doors, I see it. I see him.

The doorbell rings, slicing through the tension, and my dad moves to answer it. My heart pounds against my ribs. No, don’t open it! Don’t let him in! My lips form the words, but they dissolve into silence before they reach the air.

The door creaks open.

There he is, stepping into the house like he belongs here, a menacing smile curling his lips. The sight of him sends shivers racing down my spine. My mother’s face drains of color as she takes a step back, her hands trembling.

And my dad—my stubborn, brave dad—moves to confront him.

No, Dad. Don’t. You can’t fight him. He has a gun!

I want to scream the words, to beg him to stop, but all I can do is watch, helpless, as my dad squares his shoulders, his voice rising in anger.

Then my mom turns to me. Her lips are moving, but I can’t hear her. I don’t understand what she’s saying. She glances back toward the living room, and dread curls tight in my stomach.

No, Mom. Don’t go back out there!

I want to grab her, hold her, keep her safe, but she’s already gone.

And then I hear it—the sound of her scream. It pierces through the house like a blade, raw and unrelenting. I push against the cabinet doors, desperate to get out, but they won’t budge.

When I look through the gap again, my parents are lying on the floor, motionless. Blood pools around them, the crimson stark against the carpet.

And then he turns toward me.

I can feel his gaze slicing through the shadows, searching, finding me. My breath catches as his footsteps grow louder, closer. He’s calling my name now, his voice harsh and dripping with malice.

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to make myself smaller, trying to disappear. But it’s no use.

The cabinet doors fly open, and in one swift motion, he drags me out.

“No!” I scream, my voice finally breaking free. “Let me go! Please, don’t—”

But he doesn’t stop. He doesn’t listen.

My parents’ lifeless bodies lie just feet away, their eyes empty, their faces pale. I break free from his grip and throw myself to the floor beside them, clutching at them desperately.

“Mom, Dad, please wake up,” I sob, shaking their still forms. “Please, you have to help me. He’s coming—he’s going to take me!”

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrap around me, pulling me back. I thrash wildly, panic overtaking reason.

“No! Let me go! Don’t take me away from them! Please, don’t kill me!”

“Thea.”

The voice is different. Softer. Familiar.

“It’s me,” he says, his tone soothing. “You’re safe, muneca. I’m here. No one is going to hurt you.”

I stop struggling, my sobs slowing as I let his words sink in.

“He’s coming,” I whisper, clutching at him like a lifeline. “Please, just take me away.”

“Thea, baby, listen to me,” the voice says again, steady and grounding. “It’s just a dream. Open your eyes, muneca. He’ll be gone the moment you do.”

A dream? Could he be right? I don’t want to believe it, but his voice is so sure, so steady.

I slowly pried my eyes open, but the sudden burst of brightness made me close them immediately. I blinked and opened them again.

This time, I didn't close them. I couldn't. I was lost in the depths of ocean green hues staring back at me. His eyes were steady, looking into the depths of my soul, holding me captive in his stare. I don't want to leave the safety of them. I don't think any demon of mine can reach me when I am in here.

Time seems to stretch, my fear melting away with each second.

Finally, the real world snaps into place, and I realize where I am. I’m in my room, wrapped in Aaron’s arms. Embarrassment floods through me as I try to pull away, but his hold tightens.

“Aaron, I’m fine now,” I mumble, avoiding his gaze.

“I know,” he says, his voice soft but firm.

I swallow hard, shifting awkwardly. “How did I get here?”

“You fell asleep on the couch,” he explains. “I didn’t want to wake you, so I carried you to bed.”

“Oh.” My cheeks flush with heat. “Thank you. And... I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb your sleep.”

“You didn’t disturb me, Thea,” he replies, his tone unreadable. “But this wasn’t just a bad dream. It was a nightmare, wasn’t it?”

I nod hesitantly, unable to meet his gaze.

“Thea,” he continues after a pause, his voice gentle, “does this happen often?”

My throat tightens. I can’t lie to him, but the truth feels too raw, too heavy to share. So, I nod again.

His sharp intake of breath cuts through the silence, and I feel the tension radiating from him.

“You don’t have to stay,” I blurt out, my voice cracking. “I’m sorry you had to see that. I understand if you want to leave.”

Aaron shifts, his movements deliberate. “Look at me, Thea,” he says firmly.

I can’t. I keep my eyes locked on his shirt, afraid of what I’ll see if I look up. But then he tilts my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.

What I see makes my breath catch.

There’s no pity in his eyes. No disgust. Instead, there’s something raw, something almost painful.

“I’m not leaving, Thea,” he says, his voice steady and unwavering. “Not now, not ever. Do you understand?”

Tears spill down my cheeks as his words sink in. “Thank you,” I whisper.

“You don’t have to thank me for being here,” he says, brushing a tear away with his thumb. “It’s my responsibility.”

I lean into his touch, the weight of his words wrapping around me like a blanket.

“Thea,” he begins hesitantly, “can we talk about it?”

I hesitate, the memories of the nightmare clawing at the edges of my mind.

“It’s just a dream,” I say weakly, trying to convince both of us.

“It’s more than that,” he counters gently. “Is it the same every time?”

“Yes,” I admit, my voice barely audible.

“It’s about your parents, isn’t it?”

I nod, my hands trembling.

“But your parents died in an accident, Thea,” he says carefully. “Who is the person you were talking about?”

“I don’t know,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “I don’t understand why I see him. It’s like... it’s like my mind is trying to tell me something, but I don’t know what. It’s just there, every time I close my eyes. He won’t leave me, Aaron. He won’t leave me alone.”

Tears stream down my face as the words pour out, years of pain and confusion spilling into the open.

Aaron pulls me closer, his arms a solid anchor against the storm inside me. “It’s okay, Thea. You’re safe now. I’ve got you.”

For the first time in years, I believe him.

And as I drift back to sleep, cradled in his arms, I know he’ll keep his promise.

---

Aaron

Nightmares.

The word itself was no stranger to me.

I had lived with them for as long as I could remember.

In truth, I didn’t just dream them—I dwelled within them.

But fear?

Fear had never been my companion.

Not until tonight.

Watching her thrash against the horrors in her mind,

Her face twisted in pain, tears staining her cheeks—

That’s when I felt fear.

It hit me like a blow to the chest,

This helplessness, this ache.

Not being able to protect her,

Even from the monsters she couldn’t see,

Tore something inside me apart.

And in that moment, it became clear:

I’m meant to be her protector.

From the world and its cruelties.

From the battles in her mind that leave her raw and vulnerable.

And maybe, if I have to, even from me.