(A/N):
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The hours passed slowly.
Too slowly for the four trapped inside Jenny's house.
Outside, the sky remained calm and bright, sunlight pouring through the windows as if nothing supernatural was happening at all.
Jojo's mansion...
Inside Jojo's mansion, however, the atmosphere was far from relaxed.
The surveillance monitors continued displaying every camera feed from Jenny's house.
Jojo had set them up so nothing inside would escape notice.
The screens showed different angles:
• The living room
• The hallway
• The kitchen
• The guest bedroom
The audio played quietly through the speakers.
From time to time, someone would glance up at the monitors.
They didn't watch constantly.
But they never stopped checking.
Rosalie sat on the couch with a tablet in hand.
"Grant's ego is still bruised,"
She commented while glancing at the screen.
On one monitor Grant could be seen pacing again.
Alice leaned against the wall beside her.
"He's the weak point," she said quietly.
Caroline looked up from the armchair.
"You think she'll go for him?"
Alice nodded slowly.
-Nod
"If one of them breaks the rules… it'll be him."
Across the room, Inadu remained calm, seated cross-legged on the couch.
Her eyes were half closed. But she was listening to everything.
Jojo stood near the monitors, arms folded.
He didn't speak much. He simply watched.
Meanwhile — Inside Jenny's House...
Hayley, Paige, Paxton, and Grant sat around the living room.
Food containers from breakfast sat half-empty on the table.
They were trying to talk. Trying to pretend the house wasn't haunted. Trying to pass time.
But every laugh sounded forced.
Paxton tapped his fingers nervously.
"So… three days seems to be passing very slow."
Grant scoffed at his response.
"More like three years."
Hayley tried to steer the conversation somewhere normal.
"What were you guys planning to do after the trip?"
Paige gave a weak smile.
"Graduate."
Paxton chuckled hearing her tired response.
-Chuckle!
"Same."
Grant leaned back in his chair.
"If we survive."
They fell silent again.
"...."
"...."
"...."
What none of them realized—They were not alone.
Inside the House — Unseen
In the corner of the ceiling where shadow met light—A faint silhouette watched them.
Ilona. Her form was barely visible.
Thin. Distorted.
Invisible to human eyes. She observed quietly. Patiently.
Her amber spirit eyes moved from one target to another.
Hayley — determined but exhausted.
Paige — fragile and frightened.
Paxton — nervous but loyal.
Grant — angry… unstable.
Her gaze lingered on Grant.
"...."
Yes. There it was. Frustration. Pride. Doubt.
A perfect fracture line.
She could feel the presence of the scary man she had bargained with.
Jojo.
Watching. Monitoring.
If she attacked now—He would intervene.
He would save them.
She understood that clearly.
So instead—She waited.
She drifted silently through the house like smoke.
Studying their behavior. Their habits. Their fears.
Her voice whispered softly through the walls.
Not loud enough to hear clearly. But enough to unsettle.
Enough to plant thoughts.
'Why stay here… Why trust strangers… Why wait for death…'
Grant rubbed his temples suddenly.
"What the hell…"
Paxton looked up.
"You okay?"
Grant frowned confused did he once again heard the same voice.
"Yeah… just a headache."
Hayley stared toward the hallway.
For a moment she thought she saw something move.
But when she blinked—Nothing was there.
-Blink!
"...."
Soon Night Two...
Evening faded into darkness.
The forest outside grew quiet again as the sun dipped behind the mountains of Forks.
Right on schedule, Leah Clearwater returned.
She entered the house briefly with another set of food carriers, placing dinner on the dining table just like before.
The four survivors barely spoke while eating. Exhaustion had settled deep into their bones.
None of them had slept the previous night.
When they finished eating, Leah stood up.
"Eat, sleep, repeat," she said dryly. "Still two days, remember."
She stepped out again and locked the door behind her.
Outside, the wolves took their positions again.
Inside the house, the tension slowly returned.
The four drifted back into the bedroom.
They didn't even argue this time.
Two beds pushed together. Four people. One room.
Paxton muttered quietly while lying down.
"Still can't believe we're living inside a horror movie."
Grant didn't respond.
"...."
Hayley stared at the ceiling for a long time.
Paige clutched the blanket tightly.
Eventually—Exhaustion won.
One by one, they drifted into sleep.
Midnight...
The air inside the room turned colder.
A faint shadow moved across the ceiling.
Ilona emerged slowly from the corner of the room.
Her figure was faint and distorted, barely visible even to supernatural senses.
She stood beside the bed where the four slept.
Watching. Waiting.
Her ancient eyes studied them carefully. Still together. Still following the rules. Still protected.
Her gaze narrowed.
-Frown!
"If I attack… he will stop me,"
She whispered to herself in furestration.
She had felt Jojo's presence watching through the house.
He was waiting for her to make a move.
So instead—She lifted one hand.
From her palm, dark smoke slowly began to seep out.
Thin. Cold. Silent.
"...."
"...."
"...."
The smoke drifted downward like fog and slipped gently into the air around the sleeping four.
Then—It entered them.
Through breath. Through skin. Through dreams.
One by one.
Hayley shifted slightly in her sleep.
Paxton frowned like something disturbed him but not enough to wake up.
Grant's breathing grew heavier.
Paige murmured softly.
Ilona lowered her hand.
Now—She would not attack their bodies.
She would attack their minds.
Dreams were the perfect battlefield.
No wolves. No Jojo. No protection. Only fear.
Inside their dreams she could whisper.
Influence. Tempt. Break their will.
Push them to make mistakes when they woke.
Grant's Dream...
Darkness. Grant opened his eyes.
Cold wind brushed past his face. He frowned.
-Frown!
"Where the hell…"
He looked around.
He was standing in the middle of a forest.
Tall trees surrounded him, their branches tangled like skeletal fingers against the moonlit sky.
It was midnight.
The forest was silent except for one thing—Owls.
Low, ominous hoots echoed through the woods.
Hooo… hooo…
Grant rubbed his arms.
"What is this place?"
He took a few cautious steps forward, boots crunching softly on fallen leaves.
The moonlight barely reached the ground, leaving most of the forest buried in shadows.
Then—He heard it. A whisper. Soft. Rhythmic.
Someone chanting. The words were strange.
Ancient. A language he didn't recognize.
"…venari fatum… sanguis vocat…"
Grant's heart began beating faster.
"What the hell…?"
He slowly moved toward the sound.
Branches snapped beneath his feet. The chanting grew louder.
"…mortis rota… destinum ligatum…"
Grant pushed through a cluster of bushes, And froze.
"...."
In a small clearing ahead stood a figure.
Tall. Still.
Facing away from him.
Grant's stomach twisted.
He recognized that silhouette immediately.
"Jojo?"
The figure slowly turned.
Moonlight fell across his face.
Half of it—Was burning.
Flames crawled across bone where flesh should have been.
A skull wreathed in fire.
The other half of the face remained human.
Jojo. Or something wearing him.
Grant stepped backward.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
Jojo said nothing.
"...."
In his burning hand—A chain dragged across the ground.
But Grant's attention snapped to something else.
Behind him. Three bodies lay scattered across the clearing.
Hayley. Paige. Paxton. All motionless.
Grant's stomach dropped.
"No…"
Jojo slowly walked toward him.
Each step crackled with flame.
Grant shook his head.
"You said you were protecting us!"
Jojo stopped a few steps away.
The human half of his face twisted into a smile.
Not warm. Not reassuring. Cruel.
"You believed me."
Grant's breath caught.
Jojo lifted his burning hand—And pointed directly at him.
"You were always last."
Grant turned and ran.
Branches whipped past his face as he sprinted blindly through the forest.
Behind him—Chains rattled. Flames roared.
Grant could hear footsteps chasing him.
Fast. Too fast.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!"
He ran harder. His lungs burned.
The chanting voice from before now echoed around the forest.
"…fate cannot be escaped…"
Grant stumbled. A root caught his foot.
He crashed to the ground.
Before he could get up—A flaming chain wrapped around his ankle.
He screamed. The chain dragged him backward across the dirt.
Grant clawed at the ground desperately.
-Crash! -Crash!
"No—no—NO!"
The chain yanked him into the clearing again.
Jojo stood above him.
Flames burned brighter around his skull.
Grant looked up in terror.
"You said you'd protect us…"
Jojo crouched slowly. His burning skull leaned close.
The smirk returned.
-Smirk!
"I never said you would live."
Grant screamed.
The chain tightened around his throat—And in one brutal motion—Jojo snapped his neck.
Darkness swallowed everything.
Jenny's House — Reality...
Grant jerked violently in bed.
His eyes shot open. He gasped for breath. His hands flew to his neck.
The room was dark.
Hayley, Paige, and Paxton were still asleep beside him.
Grant sat up, drenched in sweat.
His heart pounded like a drum.
"…just a dream…"
But his hands were still shaking.
Paxton's Dream...
Sleep should have been rest.
Instead—It became a maze.
Paxton opened his eyes slowly. He was standing inside Jenny's house.
The living room looked normal.
Same couch. Same table. Same covered mirrors.
Morning sunlight filtered through the windows. He frowned.
-Frown!
"Wait… wasn't it night?"
Hayley stood in the kitchen.
Paige sat on the couch.
Grant leaned against the doorway.
Everything looked ordinary. Too ordinary.
Paxton relaxed slightly.
"Hey… you guys couldn't sleep either?"
Grant looked at him.
But something about his expression felt off.
Flat. Cold.
Hayley turned slowly.
"We talked."
Paxton blinked hearing her response.
"About what?"
Paige answered without hesitation.
"About you."
Paxton frowned once again.
-Frown
"What?"
Grant walked closer.
"You're the weakest one."
The words landed strangely.
Paxton laughed nervously.
-Hehe
"Very funny."
But no one laughed back.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Hayley stepped forward.
"You panic too much."
Paige stood up from the couch.
"You'll get us killed."
Grant cracked his neck.
-Crack!
"So we decided something."
Paxton's chest tightened.
"...."
"What are you talking about?"
Grant pulled a knife from his jacket.
Paxton froze looking at it while his face turned pale.
"Wait… what the hell?"
Hayley's voice was calm.
"If one of us dies first, the curse might stop."
Paige nodded as if it was the normal thing to do.
"You're the safest option."
Paxton backed away slowly.
"You guys are joking… right?"
Grant shook his head.
"Sorry."
They rushed him like he was a golden goose.
Paxton ran. He burst through the hallway and slammed into the bathroom door.
Locked. He turned.
They were coming.
Grant's knife gleamed under the light.
Hayley grabbed his arm.
Paige held his shoulders.
Paxton screamed.
"STOP!"
Grant drove the knife forward—
Paxton gasped. Now he was standing outside the house.
Night again.
Grant stood beside him.
"You can trust me," Grant said.
Relief flooded Paxton.
"Thank god…"
Hayley and Paige stood a few steps away.
"Let's stick together," Hayley said.
Paxton nodded quickly.
-Nod
"Yeah… yeah, okay."
Grant patted his shoulder.
"We've got your back."
Paxton turned toward the house.
The moment he did—Pain exploded through his chest.
He looked down.
A knife blade protruded from his ribs.
Grant stood behind him. Smiling.
"You trusted too easily."
Paxton collapsed with a look of disbelief on his face.
The Scene Changed Again...
Now Paige was helping him up.
"You're safe now," she whispered.
Paxton clung to her.
"Thank you…"
Paige's face slowly twisted.
Her eyes turned black.
"Wrong choice."
She shoved him down a staircase.
Paxton fell—Fell—Fell—
Reality — Jenny's House...
Paxton jerked violently in bed. His breath came in short bursts. His body trembled uncontrollably.
"…no…"
Beside him, the others still slept.
Paxton wiped sweat from his face.
His heart pounded in his ears. His mind replayed the dreams over and over.
Every version ended the same way.
Trust. Betrayal. Death.
He looked toward the others lying beside him.
"...."
Hayley. Paige. Grant.
His chest tightened.
For the first time—A horrible thought crept into his mind.
'What if I really can't trust them…?'
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(Author's POV)
(A/N):
[New Fan fic: Star Entertainment: Building An Empire. Check it out.
There will be two chapters a week(Monday and Tuesday)
If delayed I would post it on Wednesday or Thursday.]
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review and power stone!!!