Serena shut the book hard, the sound of the cover slamming shut echoing through the quiet corner of the library. Her hands trembled slightly as she stacked the books into a neat pile, a cold sheen of sweat gathering along her hairline.
" I think I have had enough reading for today," she said quickly, her voice not as steady as she hoped. " Maybe we could... continue tomorrow, yeah?"
Elsie looked at her for a while before given her a warm smile. " Sure as long as you are okay."
Serena hesitated.
She wanted to tell her. She really did. About the vision. The voices. The fire and the ghostly whispers that she could not make out. But the words wouldn't come. Something, deep in her gut,in her bones urged her to keep it hidden, at least for now.
She forced a smile. " Yes I am."
Elsie nodded." Alright then. I would take these with me" she said, gesturing to the stack of books. " This is a huge milestone in my research and I really want to see if I could find anything else out of place."
She stood up, carefully bundling the ancient tomes into a surprisingly stable to tower. "Let me see if I can clear these with the attendant I will be right back."
Serena nodded again, her mind distant, her eyes staring at the now empty table. She could not get the woman's words out of her head.
" You belong to him..."
Who?
Who was he?
And what had the voice meant by " how many lives she had stolen?" That part terrified her most. She hasn't stolen anyone's life. She wasn't a monster. Was she?
Across the room, just out of view behind a tall shelf, the girl in the pale blue shirt watched her. Her dark hair framed a pale, unreadable face and her eyes were narrowed with quiet satisfaction. Her voice, hushed and venomous, slipped past her lips like smoke.
" I guess you are as gifted as that bastard.... little Serena," she murmured. " Let's pray you're not as stupid as well."
She turned away before Elsie returned, her footsteps silent as shadow.
Elsie came back with the leather bag filled with all the books. " Alright, these must be returned before Thursday, which is more than enough time for me. Library mission accomplished!"
Serena forced a small smile, but her grip tightened around the strap of her own bag.
They left the library side by side, the cold evening air brushing against their cheeks as the sky turned golden, evening setting in. The lamps lining the campus pathway flickered to life one by one, casting golden halos on the sidewalks.
They walked in silence for a while, Elsie humming a tune softly, Serena caught in the storm of her own thoughts.
Neither of them noticed the girl trailing behind them at a careful distance, her gaze fixed on Serena's back like a dagger waiting to strike.
They reached the dormitory wing, the warm glow of the hallway lights spilling through toward her door, flashing a grin. " See you tomorrow then, neighbor," she said cheerily, lifting the heavy bag in a mock salute.
" Good night Elsie," Serena said with a faint smile. Her fingers tightened around her doorknob.
She opened the door to her room, expecting the quiet solace of her small, undecorated dorm room but, what she saw made her freeze at her doorway.
The room had changed.
No, not all of it, just one side. The bed across from hers had been completely transformed. The plain pink sheets were gone, replaced with dark violet ones stitched with strange cryptic symbols that shimmered faintly in the dim light. The pillowcases matched, almost appearing black at first glance, but up close held the same unusual markings, runes, maybe, sigils. The walls close to the bed were plastered with unsettling images portraits of figures dressed in old world robes, their faces partially distorted. One had piercing eyes that seemed to follow her. Another looked more beast than human, it's mouth agape in a voiceless scream. Beneath the images were cutouts of unfamiliar landscapes,moons over twisted forests, blackened castles, skies the color of bruises.
Serena stepped inside like a stranger trespassing in someone else's space. Her eyes darted from the strange drawings to the unfamiliar bedding, her heart picking up pace. She turned slowly, scanning the entire room, taking in every shift in energy. Even the air felt heavier.
The bathroom door slammed shut behind her, jolting her so hard she nearly dropped her bag. She spun around just as it creaked open again.
A stunning girl stepped out, her short, dark brown hair clung wetly to her neck, the ends curling slightly as water trickled down her skin. A towel hung casually around her shoulders, gripped by both hands. She wore a black sleeveless round neck top, clinging snugly to her toned frame, and a pair of soft brown shorts that sat low on her hips. Her arms were sculpted, not in the heavy,bulky way, but lean and tight, like someone who moved with purpose.
She hadn't seen Serena yet.
She rubbed the towl over her hair , droplets of water splashing the floor beneath her bare feet. A sliver pierced the lower right side of her lip, catching light just as her other hand brushed over a matching brow piercing. She looked up. Hazel eyes meeting brown.
" Hey," she said casually, lips quirking into a smile," you must be my roommate."
Her voice raspy and rich with just the right edge. It suited her. Her presence. Her face. Her entire look.
Serena blinked. She wasn't sure what she had expected, but it wasn't.. her.
" I... yeah," Serena finally managed. " I'm Serena."
The girl stepped forward, still drying the ends of her hair. " Tisha," she replied tossing the towel onto the bed with one hand. " I moved in while you were out. Hope you don't mind the redecorating."
Serena's gaze flicked once more to the unsettling pictures. " No...no, it's fine. Just wasn't expecting uh,art."
Tisha chuckled under her breath and collapsed onto her bed with effortless ease, stretching out like she owned the place. " Yeah I get that a lot."
There was something about the way she said it. Serena wasn't sure whether to laugh or slowly back out of the room. Just outside the dormitory , hidden behind tall trees, the mystery girl watched the light from Serena's room flicker through the curtains, her jaw clenched tightly.
She reached into her pocket taking out a cell phone. " Yeah, Simon. Everything is going as planned. Tisha's in."