Chapter Nine
402 Words
Chapter Nine: Another One Gone
The lights flickered violently, buzzing like a swarm of angry insects.
The air felt thick, pressing against Milo’s skin like invisible hands.
Elena froze, gripping the table. “It’s starting.”
Milo’s stomach twisted. “Who is it this time?”
A deep, low hum filled the room. The papers on the desks began trembling.
Then—Milo’s phone rang.
His heart nearly stopped.
He fumbled to grab it, hands shaking. Daniel’s name flashed on the screen.
He answered immediately. “Daniel?”
At first, there was nothing but static.
Then—
A ragged breath.
A voice, distant and hollow. “It’s here.”
Milo’s blood ran ice cold. “Where are you?”
Another shaky inhale. Then—
The line went dead.
Milo’s pulse hammered. He turned to Elena. “We need to get back. Now.”
She didn’t hesitate. They ran.
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Milo’s Apartment – 11:09 AM
Milo slammed open the door.
The apartment was dark. The windows rattled. The air hummed with unnatural energy.
“Daniel?” Milo called, voice hoarse.
No response.
He rushed forward—then froze.
Daniel stood in the middle of the room, his back to them.
Something was wrong.
His body was unnaturally stiff. His fingers twitched at his sides.
“Elena,” Milo whispered.
She gripped his arm. “Something’s already happening.”
Milo swallowed hard and took a cautious step forward. “Daniel?”
Daniel’s head twitched. Then, slowly, he turned.
Milo’s breath caught.
His eyes were wrong.
They weren’t just dark. They were voids. Deep, endless, pulling.
Like there was something inside him, looking out.
His lips parted. And in a voice that wasn’t entirely his own, he whispered—
“It’s awake.”
The lights exploded.
A shockwave of cold air blasted through the room.
Milo hit the floor hard, ears ringing.
Elena let out a sharp gasp. “Milo—”
Milo’s vision blurred. He scrambled to his feet, blinking rapidly.
Daniel was gone.
The room was silent.
And in the center of the floor, where he had been standing—
A new marking was burned into the wood.
A symbol neither of them recognized.
Elena’s breathing was shaky. “He’s… he’s gone.”
Milo clenched his fists, his whole body shaking. “No.”
Elena turned to him. “Milo—”
Milo’s jaw tightened.
“We’re going to get him back.”
- Writer
