The Fourfold Course

Chapter 3

I woke up with a pounding headache and blurry vision, unsure of where I was. Panic clawed at my chest, and the first thing I saw made me scream.

“Ghost! Ghost! Ghost!” I shouted.

The “ghost” screamed too, arms outstretched as if to hug me. I bolted in the opposite direction. But before either of us could react further, a sharp voice cut through the air:

“Can you both stop shouting?”

We froze, blinking. Zaryer stood there, clutching her head in irritation. Only then did it click—the ghost-like figure was Aumiree.

“Well, it’s not my fault!” I snapped. “And look at you, Aumiree—you really do look like a ghost. Wash your makeup; it’s smudged all over your face!”

Aumiree crossed her arms, shivering slightly. “Liar. I still look beautiful, Ayel.”

Zaryer rolled her eyes. “Honestly… look in the mirror. You’d see we’re not lying.”

I rubbed my temples, trying to calm the dizzy swirl of memories and fear. “How did we even get here? Weren’t we supposed to be dead—or at least… trapped with that wolf?”

Aumiree’s voice cracked. “I thought the same thing. And why are we still wearing the same clothes as last night? Is it even possible for three people to share the same dream?”

Zaryer paced a few steps, frowning. “Come to think of it… how did you know something was wrong, Ayel? And where were you, Aumiree? We were terrified, looking for you, and sensed something was off immediately.”

I swallowed hard, my fingers clenching. “I’ve been having these… visions ever since I blew out my candles yesterday morning. I saw blood everywhere. Later at the club, I saw it again, splattered all around. Then a green-eyed man appeared… and suddenly attacked the guy I was dancing with. I don’t understand it myself, and I felt… strange. Did you feel it too, Zary?”

Zaryer’s gaze flicked away. “Maybe… but let’s hear Aumiree first.”

Aumiree shivered again, hugging herself. “I felt it too. Something kept pulling me toward the upper part of the club when we separated. I don’t know why. And when I opened the club door, it felt like a warning, a voice telling me to go back home. Then I saw him. The guy who was pestering me to dance. He… changed. He became a wolf, and I barely escaped. I don’t understand any of this.”

I shivered, my heart thudding. “And the wolves… humans turning into them? Is that even possible?”

Zaryer shook her head. “I don’t know. But we’re not in any normal situation anymore.”

I took a shaky breath. “I just hope our parents are fine… and my brothers. Something feels terribly wrong.”

Aumiree’s voice trembled. “And the pendants… ever since we bought them, I’ve felt… strange. Like something is drawing me to things I shouldn’t touch. Every time I try to investigate, something stops me. Maybe we should just throw them away.”

My stomach churned. “You didn’t tell me this before?”

Zaryer’s eyes widened. “I thought I was imagining it. But hearing you two… maybe we’re not.”

We instinctively reached for the pendants but they were gone. My fingers brushed only empty air. A cold shiver ran down my spine.

Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Questions whirled in my mind:

Who was the voice warning me?

How did we get home after fleeing the wolf?

Why did Zaryer feel nothing until now?

Why does Aumiree keep getting drawn to mysterious things?

And where the hell had our pendants gone?

I hugged my knees to my chest, my eyes flicking nervously around the room. Every shadow seemed alive, every creak a threat. The three of us sat in tense silence, aware that the danger was far from over and that the answers we sought were just beginning to reveal themselves.