into the shadow

Chapter Four : The Voice in The Dark

“Elara.”

She froze.

Her fingers tightened around the edge of the wooden box as she stared into the darkness of her bedroom.

For several seconds, she couldn't breathe.

Someone had said her name.

Not her mother.

Not Julian.

Not Kiara or Nina.

A stranger.

A calm, deep voice that seemed to come from somewhere inside the room.

Her eyes moved slowly toward the corner beside her wardrobe.

Nothing.

She looked toward the window.

Nothing.

The curtains were still.

The room was completely silent.

“Auren?”

There was no answer.

Elara swallowed.

Maybe she had imagined it.

Maybe she was just tired.

Maybe she had wanted someone to answer so badly that her mind had created a voice.

She lowered her eyes to the wooden box.

The strange symbol on its lid seemed darker than before.

Then—

“You called me.”

Elara's head snapped up.

Her heart jumped.

The voice was closer this time.

She slowly turned around.

A man was standing beside her bedroom window.

Elara couldn't move.

He looked young, but there was something about him that made him seem much older than he appeared. His dark hair fell loosely over his forehead, and his clothes looked strangely old-fashioned compared with everything in her room.

His skin was unusually pale, almost as though the light refused to touch him properly.

But it was his eyes that frightened her most.

They were calm.

Far too calm.

He simply watched her.

“Elara,” he said again.

She scrambled backward until her back hit the wall.

“Who are you?”

The man tilted his head slightly.

“You already know.”

Her eyes widened.

“Auren?”

A faint smile appeared on his face.

“Yes.”

Elara stared at him.

She had expected something terrifying.

A monster.

A shadow with glowing eyes.

Something that would make her regret ever touching the box.

Instead, there was a mysterious man standing quietly in front of her.

That somehow made it worse.

“How did you get in here?”

“I didn't.”

Elara frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“I wasn't outside your window.”

She looked at the window again.

The curtains moved slightly.

A cold breeze brushed against her face.

Elara looked back at him.

Auren was still there.

“You summoned me,” he said.

“I didn't know if it would actually work.”

“It did.”

Elara's eyes dropped to the box.

“So you're a ghost?”

Auren didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he looked at the wooden box.

“You shouldn't have opened it.”

Elara's expression changed.

“You told me to call you.”

“I didn't.”

She looked at him.

“The note said—”

“I know what the note said.”

Elara reached for the paper that had been inside the box.

She unfolded it carefully.

The old paper was yellowed with age, its edges fragile and worn. The words on it were written in faded black ink.

She had read the first sentence before.

But there was more.

Something she hadn't noticed properly the first time.

At the top, written in larger letters, were the words:

THE SHADOW CONTRACT

Beneath it was the sentence that had caught her attention before:

“If you need someone who will never leave you, call upon the shadow.”

Elara's eyes moved lower.

There were instructions beneath it.

“Speak the name of the one who waits beyond the veil.”

Her heart began beating faster.

And beneath that:

“Offer your heart freely, and the shadow will answer.”

She continued reading.

There was one final line.

The ink was so faded that she had to bring the paper closer to the light.

“Once the bond is formed, the living and the dead shall be connected until the contract is fulfilled.”

Elara stared at the sentence.

“What does that mean?”

Auren remained silent.

She looked up at him.

“You know, don't you?”

His expression gave nothing away.

“What did you think the note meant?”

“I thought…” She hesitated. “I thought you were supposed to protect me.”

Auren looked directly into her eyes.

“Perhaps I am.”

Elara's fingers trembled around the paper.

She remembered everything that had happened that day.

Vanessa laughing while everyone watched.

Tara knocking her things to the floor.

Chloe pretending she hadn't done anything.

The whispers.

The humiliation.

And then coming home only to be treated like another problem that needed to be dealt with.

Her father accusing her of lying.

Her mother's cold words.

Being told to stay in her room as though her existence itself was an inconvenience.

She had held everything inside all day.

She had smiled when Kiara and Nina were around.

She had pretended she was fine.

She had swallowed every insult.

Every accusation.

Every hurtful word.

But when she had finally closed her bedroom door, she couldn't hold it anymore.

She had sat on the edge of her bed and stared at the floor.

Then the tears came.

She had cried because she was tired of pretending.

Tired of being strong when she didn't feel strong.

Tired of being treated like she didn't matter.

She had cried because she wanted someone to choose her for once.

Someone who wouldn't laugh at her.

Someone who wouldn't make her feel unwanted.

Someone who would stay.

And then she had remembered the note.

If you need someone who will never leave you...

That was why she had called him.

Not because she wanted power.

Not because she wanted revenge.

She simply wanted someone.

Elara wiped her cheek quickly.

Auren noticed.

“You've been carrying a lot.”

She looked away.

“I'm fine.”

“No, you're not.”

She frowned.

“You don't know me.”

“I know enough.”

Elara looked at him again.

“How?”

“The contract heard what you wanted.”

Her expression hardened.

“So it knows everything?”

“Not everything.”

“Then what does it know?”

“That you were alone.”

The words hit harder than she expected.

Her eyes filled again.

She quickly looked down.

“I wasn't alone.”

“You had friends.”

“Kiara and Nina.”

“Yes.”

“They're good friends.”

“I know.”

“They care about me.”

“I know.”

Elara swallowed.

“But they can't be everywhere.”

Auren said nothing.

She continued quietly.

“Sometimes I just want someone who will still be there when everyone else leaves.”

Auren's gaze softened.

“Then you called me.”

Elara nodded.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

She hesitated.

Then she finally admitted it.

“Because I wanted someone to protect me.”

The room fell silent.

Auren took a slow step toward her.

Elara immediately tensed.

He stopped.

“I won't hurt you.”

“You're a ghost.”

“I know.”

“That doesn't make me feel better.”

A faint smile touched his lips.

“Then I'll have to earn your trust.”

Elara stared at him.

“You can do that?”

“I can try.”

For some reason, those words made her feel a little less afraid.

She looked down at the note again.

“What happens now?”

Auren's gaze moved to the paper.

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“You called me.”

“And?”

“And I answered.”

“That can't be all.”

Auren's smile returned.

“You ask a lot of questions.”

“And you avoid answering them.”

“Perhaps we're even.”

Elara rolled her eyes.

“You're annoying.”

“So I've been told.”

She almost smiled.

Then she remembered something.

“Wait.”

Auren looked at her.

“You said the contract has to be fulfilled.”

“Yes.”

“What does it mean?”

His expression became unreadable.

“You'll understand eventually.”

“I don't like that answer.”

“You don't have to.”

Elara folded the note and placed it beside the box.

“I still don't understand why me.”

Auren watched her quietly.

“Neither do you.”

“What?”

“You think you found the contract.”

Elara frowned.

“Didn't I?”

Auren's eyes remained fixed on her.

“You found it.”

He paused.

“But finding it and being chosen by it are two different things.”

A chill ran through her.

“What does that mean?”

Auren didn't answer.

Instead, he looked toward the clock.

“It's late.”

“I know.”

“You should sleep.”

Elara hesitated.

Then she asked the question she had been afraid to ask.

“Are you leaving?”

Auren looked at her.

“You want me to stay?”

Elara looked down.

After everything that had happened that day, she didn't want to be alone.

So she nodded.

“Yes.”

Auren smiled faintly.

“Then I'll stay.”

He moved toward the chair beside her bed and sat down.

Elara climbed into bed, still watching him.

“You're really staying?”

“I said I would.”

She pulled the blanket over herself.

For the first time that night, she felt safe.

It didn't make sense.

Auren was a ghost.

She knew almost nothing about him.

She didn't know where he came from.

She didn't know why the contract existed.

She didn't know what he wanted.

But he was there.

And tonight, that was enough.

Her eyes slowly became heavy.

Just before she fell asleep, she heard his voice.

“Goodnight, Elara.”

She smiled beneath the blanket.

“Goodnight, Auren.”

The room became quiet.

But Auren didn't disappear.

He remained beside her bed, watching her sleep.

His expression was no longer playful.

He looked at the wooden box.

Then at Elara.

The contract had chosen her.

And now that she had called him...

There was no turning back.

Outside the window, the wind grew stronger.

The curtains moved.

And somewhere beneath the floorboards, something old seemed to awaken.

Auren's eyes narrowed.

“She doesn't know yet,” he whispered.

He looked at Elara again.

“She doesn't need to.”

Then the faint smile returned to his face.

Because for the first time in a very long time, the shadow had someone to protect.

And Auren had no intention of letting anyone take her away.