CHAPTER 14 – The Man in the Glass
826 Words
Kezia’s hands trembled long after she left the greenhouse.
No matter how hard she tried to steady her breathing, her chest refused to loosen.
The cold touch she felt inside—the silent warning—it replayed in her mind over and over.
She wasn’t alone.
Not in the mansion.
Not in the greenhouse.
Not even now.
The thought made her walk faster across the backyard.
Halfway to the house, a voice called out—
“Miss Kezia?”
She flinched.
Turning around, she saw a man she didn’t recognize walking toward her from the gravel path. He was holding a clipboard and a ring of keys, his uniform slightly dusty from travel.
He stopped a few steps away and bowed respectfully.
“Sorry if I startled you. I’m Noren Calder.”
He lifted the clipboard.
“The estate’s maintenance inspector. Levi sent me to check the broken windows and the basement power lines.”
Kezia blinked, trying to calm her heartbeat.
Finally— a normal person. A human.
She forced a small smile.
“Ah… I didn’t know Levi would send someone today.”
Noren chuckled softly.
“He said you’ve been experiencing strange power fluctuations. And with this place being… well, old—” he glanced at the mansion’s cracked windows “—I figured you’d need help.”
Kezia nodded, relieved.
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
Noren studied her face for a moment, noticing how pale and shaken she looked.
“Are you alright, Miss Kezia? You look like you saw a ghost.”
The air around her shifted.
A cold shiver crawled up her spine.
Her eyes flicked toward the greenhouse—
The silhouette was gone.
Kezia swallowed.
“I’m fine. I just… I saw something in there. Something strange.”
Noren followed her gaze and frowned.
“The greenhouse? Miss, that place hasn’t been opened in years. The locks were rusted shut when I checked last month.”
“I opened it today,” she whispered.
“That’s impossible,” he muttered.
But then—
His radio crackled loudly, making Kezia jump.
A voice buzzed through:
“Calder? We need you to check the east wing fuse box first.”
Noren sighed.
“Duty calls. If you need anything at all, please tell Levi or me directly.”
She nodded.
“Thank you, Mr. Calder.”
“Just Noren,” he said with a warm smile.
Then he headed toward the mansion, leaving her alone again.
Almost alone.
Because the moment he disappeared inside the house…
the wind changed.
The warmth around her slipped away.
Kezia froze.
The greenhouse door—
closed earlier—
was now open.
Slowly… silently… swinging back and forth.
No wind.
Her pulse hammered in her ears.
“Kezia.”
She stiffened.
It was faint.
Soft.
Like someone speaking beside her ear without breath.
She turned—
but no one stood there.
“Kezia…”
A whisper—
woven with sorrow.
Her throat tightened.
Her lips parted.
“H-hello?” she said shakily. “Who are you? Why are you following me?”
Leaves rustled beside her though nothing had touched them.
Then, from the greenhouse mirror-like glass, a faint reflection appeared.
A young man.
Barely visible.
Transparent around the edges—
like moonlight shaped into a human form.
His posture was gentle, hesitant…
as if afraid to frighten her again.
Kezia’s heartbeat thundered, but her feet didn’t move.
“You…” she whispered.
“You’re the one I keep seeing.”
The reflection flickered—
not threateningly—
but softly, like he was trying to hold his shape for her.
Kezia stepped closer to the glass wall.
Her trembling hand lifted slightly.
Not to touch him—
but to confirm he was real.
The reflection of the young man lifted his hand too…
but he didn’t reach for her.
He placed his palm on the glass,
as though creating a barrier so he wouldn’t get too close.
A voice drifted through the cold air—
still soft, still fragile:
“…I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Kezia’s breath hitched.
Her voice cracked.
“Then… what do you want from me?”
For a moment, the reflection only stared at her—
sadly, deeply—
as if searching for the right answer.
Then, slowly, carefully…
He formed a single word on the fogged glass behind him:
PROTECT
Kezia’s eyes widened.
Her heart stuttered painfully.
And before she could speak—
before she could ask anything—
the reflection flickered violently.
Shadows swept across the greenhouse interior.
Something else was coming.
Something not gentle.
The young man’s reflection snapped toward the darkness as if guarding her.
Kezia staggered back.
“Wait—! Don’t go—!”
But the glass shattered.
The silhouette disappeared.
The cold vanished.
And the greenhouse went still.
Kezia was alone again…
but this time, she knew:
The ghost was not hurting her.
He was protecting her
from something worse.
- Writer
