Chapter Two: Eyes in the Dark
990 Words
The figure took a step forward, slow and deliberate.
“Seer,” it said again, its voice a whisper carried by the wind. “You are the one who sees.”
Aria’s throat tightened. No one had ever called her that so directly before. Even in the village, they only muttered it behind her back, as if saying it aloud would bring them bad luck.
“Stay back,” she warned, brandishing her dagger.
The figure halted, tilting its head. “You fear me.”
“Of course, I do,” she snapped. “You’re lurking in the woods in the middle of a storm, whispering strange things. That’s not exactly comforting.”
A low chuckle rumbled from the figure, though it carried no warmth. “You misunderstand, Seer. It is not I you should fear.”
A sudden gust of wind howled through the trees, and the figure vanished.
Aria’s heart slammed against her ribs.
Gone.
Just like that.
She spun in place, searching the darkness, but there was nothing—only the rain, the trees, and the distant glow of lightning flickering across the sky.
Had she imagined it?
No. She knew what she saw.
And she had seen him.
But what had he meant? It is not I you should fear.
A shiver crawled down her spine.
She didn’t wait to find out.
Tucking her dagger back into its sheath, she hurried down the road, her pulse still racing. She needed shelter. A place to gather her thoughts.
There was an abandoned barn not far from here, if she remembered correctly. If she could just make it there, she could rest, dry off, and—
The air shifted.
A presence.
This time, it wasn’t the figure from before.
This was something else.
Something wrong.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
Slowly, she turned.
At first, she saw nothing but the rain-soaked trees.
Then—
Eyes.
Not human.
Too many.
Gleaming in the darkness, watching her from the shadows.
A guttural clicking noise filled the air, something neither fully animal nor human. It sent a pulse of raw fear through her body.
Aria didn’t hesitate.
She ran.
Her boots pounded against the muddy path as she sprinted toward the barn, her breath coming in sharp gasps. Behind her, the clicking grew louder, faster, moving in tandem with her own frantic steps.
It was following her.
She could feel it.
Lightning flashed, illuminating the forest for a split second—just long enough for her to see it.
A twisted, gaunt figure, its body unnaturally long, its fingers stretched into claws, its skin a patchwork of deep, jagged scars. It moved in bursts, flickering between the trees, impossibly fast.
Her stomach turned.
She wasn’t imagining this. This wasn’t a vision.
It was real.
The barn came into view—a dark silhouette against the stormy sky.
She pushed herself harder, her legs burning with effort.
Almost there—
A shriek tore through the air behind her.
Aria stumbled, but she didn’t stop. She flung herself toward the barn door, yanking it open just as another bolt of lightning split the sky.
She threw herself inside, slamming the door shut and pressing her back against the wood, her chest heaving.
Silence.
Only the rain and her own ragged breathing.
Had it followed her?
She strained her ears, listening.
Nothing.
Slowly, she peeled herself away from the door, taking in her surroundings. The barn was old, its wooden beams warped with time. Hay littered the floor, and a few rusted tools were scattered about.
It wasn’t much.
But it was safe.
Or so she thought.
A faint scratching noise broke the silence.
Not from the door.
From above.
Aria’s blood ran cold.
She tilted her head back, her breath catching in her throat.
A shadow shifted in the rafters.
Not alone.
A low, wet breathing echoed in the darkness.
Then—a drop of black liquid landed on her cheek.
Aria’s heart stopped.
The thing was above her.
She reacted on instinct, diving to the side just as something heavy crashed to the floor where she had been standing moments before.
The impact shook the barn.
Aria scrambled to her feet, eyes wide as she finally saw the creature up close.
It was worse than she had imagined.
Its limbs were too long, its head tilted at an unnatural angle, its mouth lined with rows of needle-thin teeth. Dark liquid oozed from its body, staining the floor beneath it.
And its eyes—
Its many, many eyes—
They were all locked onto her.
Aria clenched her fists.
She was terrified.
But she wasn’t helpless.
Reaching into her satchel, she pulled out a small vial of crushed herbs—one of the few things her mother had left her. It wasn’t much, but if this thing was a spirit or some cursed being, it might be enough.
She threw the powder at the creature.
For a split second, nothing happened.
Then—
The thing screamed.
A shrill, unnatural wail that sent a sharp pain through Aria’s skull.
It thrashed, its many eyes blinking wildly, its body convulsing as the powder burned through its form like fire.
Now was her chance.
Aria bolted for the back door, fumbling with the rusty latch. It stuck for a moment before finally giving way, and she stumbled into the storm once more.
She didn’t look back.
She just ran.
The rain pounded against her skin, her breath sharp and shallow.
She had no idea where she was going, only that she had to keep moving.
Because tonight, she had seen something different.
Not just death.
Not just fate.
But something worse.
Something hunting her.
Something that might not stop until it had her.
And for the first time in her life, Aria wondered—
Had she really been seeing death all along?
Or had she been calling it to her?
- Writer
