Page 19 of A Touch of Darkness

It’s all so confusing.

The words cling to me like an anchor, sinking me deeper into a sea of doubt and fear. How is it possible? All my life, I’ve been nothing more than a regular girl, ordinary and unremarkable. That’s not even entirely true, I suppose. I’ve always been the weirdo. The one who can’t stand on her own two feet. The shy, quiet one who only thrives in her sister’s shadow. I always thought I was meant to be part of the background. But now… now everything has changed.

If what they’re telling me is true.

Isabel. Nicole. Rebecca. They all said the same thing—there’s something inside me that I don’t understand. A legacy. A connection to a world I can’t fathom. And then there’s the Solstice Society, that shadowy group with their endless schemes and dark power. They seem to be connected to everything, pulling the strings behind the scenes.

I feel like I’m being jerked in so many different directions. Isabel is calling me to her group, but Rebecca and Nicole are saying they don’t trust her or what she stands for. How can I possibly know, for sure, what the right choice is?

I can’t ignore the pull I felt when they spoke of Professor Lucian Draedon. The way Nicole said,He’s going to be able to give you more information than either of us can. Her words linger in my mind, like a message I can’t escape.

A warning.

But it’s not just that. There’s something else about Lucian Draedon that draws me. The way his presence lingers even when he’s not around, like a shadow in my peripheral vision. I feel it in the pit of my stomach—a strange, hypnotic pull. He’s dangerous. That much I know. His presence feels so much older than he looks, and his aura screams of secrets buried so deep I don’t think anyone could ever pry them out. And yet, despite every instinct screaming at me to run in the opposite direction, I almostwantto see him again.

The decision feels almost inevitable.

I need answers. The Solstice Society. My past. My sister, Lara—gone and with no answers about why. I’ll never have peace until I understand all of this. Until I understand me.

And until I get my sister back—and Iwillget her back.

I stand from the bed, decision made. I’m going to attend one of his classes. I don’t know how I’ll approach him or what I’ll even say, but I’ll figure it out when I get there.

Something pulls me toward the small desk at the far corner of our dorm. I don't know why I do it—I just find myself standing in front of it, my fingers reaching out to the familiar objects scattered across the surface.

I pick up the hairbrush. It’s Lara’s, the one she used every morning without fail, the one I would always steal for myself when she wasn’t looking, just to feel closer to her. It’s a simple thing—nothing ornate or special about it—but in my hands, it feels like a tangible piece of her, something so familiar. I trace the smooth wooden handle with my thumb, the worn grooves where she gripped it, where the pads of her thumbs and fingers once were, and for a brief moment, I’m transported back to when everything was normal. When we were together, before she disappeared.

A tightness rises in my throat, and I can feel the tears starting to sting at the corners of my eyes. My sister is gone, all I have left are these little remnants—these objects, these fleeting memories that seem to slip through my fingers no matter how hard I try to hold onto them.

I close my eyes for a moment, trying to steady my breathing, but all I can hear is the echo of her laughter, the warmth of her voice calling my name. It’s so painful—this hole inside of me that she used to fill.

With a shaking hand, I place the hairbrush back on the desk. It’s a small gesture, but it feels like a betrayal. As though by letting go of this tiny part of her, I’m letting go of her entirely.

But I won’t. I will not rest until I find Lara and bring her home. I can’t hide behind her, like I always have, that’s for certain. I have to figure out who I am now, who I’m supposed to be in this weird new world, so I can get her back.

I stand for a long moment, trying to gather myself. I have to find a way to move forward, to stand on my own and be strong enough to do whatever it is that I need to do. For me. And forLara. If I allow myself to start feeling too much, I’m going to break down. I have to stop, have to lock my sadness away until I have the answers I need.

I refuse to keep dwelling on things I can’t change, so I decide to lock up and head toward the professor’s classroom before I lose my nerve.

The walk there is almost unbearable. My footsteps echo in my ears, the weight of my uncertainty pressing down with every step. It feels like the world has shifted beneath me. My senses feel… sharper, more attuned to the people around me. I can hear the low hum of conversations from students passing by, see the flicker of movement in the trees as they sway in the wind. The sounds are too loud, the smells too distinct. It’s disorienting, and I want to scream for silence, but I don’t. I can’t.

Focus, Sylvie.

Holy fuck.

Holy fucking fuck.

My mind spins as the words repeat in my head.

Focus, Sylvie.

Only…they aren’t my words. Not my inner voice.

They’re Lara’s.

I swear that washervoice inside my mind, urging me to focus, reaching out to me, but how could that possibly be?

I’m going insane. That is legit the only reasonable explanation.

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