(A/N):
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Hayley's Dream...
Darkness. Heavy. Suffocating.
Hayley's eyes snapped open. She couldn't move.
"...."
Her arms were bound to a chair. Rope dug into her wrists. Her legs were tied tight.
Her breath hitched.
"Hello…?"
No answer. The room around her slowly came into view.
It was the same house in Boston.
The one they had rented.
The one where it all started.
The basement. Cold. Damp.
The faint smell of mold and something metallic lingered in the air.
Her heart dropped.
"No…"
A light flickered on above her.
Buzzing. Unstable.
Then—Footsteps. Slow. Dragging.
-Thud. -Thud.
-Thud. -Thud...
Someone stepped into the light.
Hayley's eyes widened.
"Elise…?"
Her friend stood there. Alive. Unharmed.
But something was wrong. Her eyes were empty. Her smile too wide.
"You started it," Elise said softly.
Hayley shook her head.
"No… no, I didn't—You opened the box."
Her voice echoed unnaturally.
Hayley's breath quickened.
"We all agreed—"
"You insisted."
Another voice spoke.
Hayley turned her head.
The second friend.
The one who had died after isolating himself.
He stood in the shadows, stepping forward slowly.
"You said it would be fun."
Hayley's eyes filled with panic.
"I didn't know—You didn't listen."
Elise's voice sharpened.
"We told you to stop."
The second friend moved closer.
"But you laughed."
The room grew colder.
Hayley struggled against the ropes.
"I didn't think it was real!"
Silence.
Then—A third figure appeared.
Someone she hadn't even realized was there.
Another friend. Another victim. All of them.
Standing around her. Alive. But wrong.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Their eyes hollow. Their faces pale.
"You wanted answers," one whispered.
"You wanted excitement," another added.
"You wanted control," Elise said.
Hayley shook her head desperately.
"No! That's not true!"
Elise stepped closer.
"And now we're dead."
The words landed like a hammer.
Hayley's voice broke.
"I'm sorry…"
No response.
Instead—Elise suddenly grabbed her own throat.
Her eyes bulged. Just like before.
The exact same way she died.
Hayley screamed.
"No—STOP!"
Elise collapsed lifeless.
Then the second friend staggered.
Grasping at nothing. Choking. Suffocating. Falling.
One by one—They died again.
Right in front of her.
Each death replayed. Each one looking directly at her. Blaming her.
"You did this."
"You caused it."
"This is your fault."
The voices overlapped.
Louder. Sharper. Closing in.
Hayley screamed looking devastated.
"I DIDN'T MEAN TO!"
Silence.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Then—A new voice. Cold. Ancient. Right behind her ear.
"But you chose to begin."
Hayley froze hearing the cold voice it belongs to Ilona.
"You drew the cards," the voice whispered.
"You invited fate."
Hayley's breathing became uneven.
"I didn't know… That does not absolve you."
The ropes tightened. The room darkened.
Her dead friends stepped closer again.
All of them staring. Waiting. Judging.
"You must finish what you started."
The words echoed.
Hayley's head shook weakly.
"No…"
The shadows closed in.
"You must accept the end."
"...."
Paige's Dream...
Paige blinked. She was standing. Not in the bedroom. Not in Jenny's house.
But somewhere… familiar.
A living room. Soft yellow lighting.
Warm. Comfortable. Her chest loosened slightly.
"…home?"
It looked like her apartment.
The one she shared with friends back in college.
The couch. The coffee table.
Even the half-finished assignments scattered around.
She took a step forward.
"Guys?"
Voices came from the next room. Relief flooded her.
"They're here…"
She hurried toward the sound—And stopped at the doorway. Hayley. Grant. Paxton.
All three of them were there.
Laughing. Talking. Like nothing had ever happened.
Paige smiled weakly.
"Hey, I—"
She froze. No one responded. She stepped closer.
"Guys?"
Nothing. No reaction. It was like she wasn't there.
Her smile slowly faded.
"…okay, not funny."
She reached out and touched Hayley's shoulder—Her hand passed through.
Like smoke.
Paige stumbled back slightly.
"What…?"
Her breathing grew uneven.
She tried again. This time at the table.
Her fingers slipped through it.
No resistance. No contact. No existence.
She wasn't there. Not to them. Her heart started racing.
"What's going on…?"
Then—She heard it.
Grant's voice. Lower. Serious.
"I'm telling you… she's a liability."
Paige froze. They were talking.
But not to her.About her.
Paxton nodded seriously.
-Nod
"Yeah… she panics too much."
Hayley sighed like she was giving up.
"She slows everything down."
Paige's chest tightened.
"…what?"
Grant leaned back in his chair.
"If we want to survive this… we can't keep dragging her with us."
Paige shook her head slowly.
"No… no, that's not true…"
She stepped forward desperately.
"Hey! I'm right here!"
Nothing. They didn't see her. Didn't hear her. Didn't feel her.
Hayley spoke again.
"She's the type who breaks first."
Paxton added quietly,
"And when she does… she'll get us all killed."
Paige's eyes filled with tears.
"I wouldn't…"
Grant laughed mockingly.
-Haha!!!
"She already is."
The words cut deep.
Paige tried to grab him—Her hands passed through him again.
She staggered backward.
"No… please…"
Hayley's voice softened slightly.
"Maybe we should just leave her."
Paige's breath hitched.
"Leave… me?"
Grant nodded accepting Hayley's suggestion.
-Nod
"Yeah. Let the curse take her first."
Paxton didn't argue. He just looked away. Agreement.
Silence. Betrayal. Paige's world cracked.
"I trusted you…"
Her voice broke. They kept talking.
Ignoring her completely. Like she never existed. Like she never mattered. Like she was already gone.
The room slowly darkened.
Their voices became distorted. Mocking. Echoing.
"You're weak…"
"You're nothing…"
"No one needs you…"
Paige dropped to her knees. Hands shaking. Tears falling.
"I'm right here…"
No one answered.
The light flickered—And the three of them slowly turned toward her.
This time—They could see her.
But their eyes were wrong.
Empty. Cold. Disgusted.
"You were never part of us."
The words echoed unnaturally.
Paige screamed loudly.
Day Two...
Morning didn't arrive gently.
It crawled in. Thin light slipping through the curtains like it didn't want to be there either. The room was quiet. Too quiet.
All four of them were awake. No alarms. No voices. Just… silence.
Hayley sat at the edge of the bed, fingers tightly clasped together, staring at the floor.
Paige leaned against the wall, knees pulled to her chest, eyes hollow.
Paxton rubbed his face repeatedly, trying to shake something off that refused to leave.
Grant stood near the window, arms crossed, jaw tight.
None of them spoke. But all of them knew. Something had changed.
Hayley was the first to look up.
Her eyes moved from one face to another.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Searching. Measuring.
'Do they blame me…?'
Her throat tightened.
She quickly looked away.
Paige noticed. And that alone was enough.
'She won't even look at me…'
Her grip around her legs tightened. Her mind replayed the dream.
'They said I was a burden…'
Her eyes flickered toward Grant. Then Paxton. Then Hayley.
A small, almost invisible distance formed.
Paxton exhaled sharply. Too loudly.
-Sigh
"...."
"...."
"...."
It broke the silence—But no one reacted.
He glanced at the others.
'If I trust them… I die.'
The thought came uninvited.
Unwelcome. But it stayed.
His gaze lingered on Grant. Then Hayley. Then Paige.
Suspicion. Quiet. Growing.
Grant finally spoke.
"Did anyone… sleep?"
His tone was casual. Too casual. Forced.
No one answered immediately.
Then Paige gave a small shake of her head.
Hayley followed. Paxton didn't respond.
Grant clicked his tongue.
"Yeah… same."
But his eyes narrowed slightly.
'They're hiding something.'
A pause.
Then—Hayley spoke, carefully.
"…Did anyone… have a dream?"
The question hung in the air like a blade.
Paige stiffened hearing the word dream.
Paxton's hand stopped mid-motion.
Grant's expression hardened.
"No."
Too fast. Too sharp.
Too defensive. Paige swallowed.
-Gulp!
"…I did."
All eyes turned to her.
She instantly regretted speaking. Her voice lowered.
"It was just… weird."
Grant scoffed hearing her.
"Of course it was weird. We're in a locked house waiting to die."
His words were blunt.
But underneath—Fear.
Hayley hesitated. Then said quietly,
"…mine too."
Paxton looked between them.
"…same."
Now three.
Grant was the only one left. Silence pressed in again. He exhaled slowly.
"...."
"…fine. Yeah. I had one too."
Another pause. No one asked. No one explained.
Because somehow—They already knew.
Paige looked at Hayley.
Hayley looked at Paxton.
Paxton glanced at Grant.
Grant avoided all of them.
The connection was unspoken.
Uncomfortable. Dangerous. They didn't share details.
But their eyes did. Doubt. Blame. Fear.
Each one wondering—
'Was it just a dream… Or was it how they really feel?'
Outside—The sun shined.
Normal. Warm. Alive.
Inside—The air felt colder than the night before.
Heavier.Like something invisible sat between them.
Breathing. Waiting.
Above the ceiling—Unseen. Unheard.
Ilona lingered.
Watching them like pieces on a board.
Not attacking. Not rushing. Just… waiting.
Because she knew—The strongest chains weren't forged in darkness.
They were built quietly. Inside people.
One thought at a time.
And now—The four weren't united anymore.
Not truly. Cracks had formed. Thin.
Invisible. But real.
And Ilona only needed one of them to break.
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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!!!