**Halia's POV**
My fingers tightened around the newspaper.
"This… this isn't possible."
The pages were old, yellowed with age—but the images were still clear.
Sixteen girls.
Dead.
Every year.
Always the same pattern.
My chest tightened as my eyes scanned the article again.
They all died on the night of a red moon.
Maggie leaned closer, her breath hitching as she stared at the pictures.
"Oh my God…"
She quickly pulled out her phone and started taking pictures of the page.
"They all died at eighteen…" I whispered.
My voice didn't sound like mine anymore.
It sounded distant.
Detached.
Like I was already slipping into something I didn't understand.
My eyes moved lower.
Details.
Cause of death—unknown.
But there was one thing repeated over and over again.
Bleeding.
From between their legs.
My stomach dropped.
"They were found in their rooms the next morning…" I continued, my throat tightening. "No signs of struggle. No wounds… except…"
I stopped.
Except that.
That same thing that had happened to me.
I swallowed hard.
"Maggie… was there a red moon last night?"
She froze.
Then slowly looked at me.
"…Yeah," she said quietly. "I actually forgot to tell you."
Silence fell between us.
Heavy.
Suffocating.
My mind started racing.
Red moon.
The dream.
The blood.
The pain.
"I'm eighteen…" I whispered.
The words felt like a death sentence.
Maggie's expression shifted—fear creeping into her eyes.
"Does that mean—"
"I should be dead."
The words came out before I could stop them.
But I wasn't.
I was standing here.
Alive.
My hand slowly moved to my neck.
The mark.
"They didn't have this…" I murmured.
According to the article, none of the girls had marks on their necks.
Just the bleeding.
Just the death.
So why was I different?
"Maggie, check online," I said quickly. "I need to know if this is real."
She nodded and started searching immediately.
A few seconds passed.
Then—
"Halia… look."
She turned the phone toward me.
Same case.
Same deaths.
Same mystery.
But worse.
Every investigator who tried to uncover the truth—
Disappeared.
Or died.
A chill ran down my spine.
"This has been happening for years…" Maggie whispered.
I stared at the images again.
The girls looked…
Peaceful.
Like they were just asleep.
Not dead.
"Do you think you're connected to this?" Maggie asked softly.
I didn't answer.
Because I didn't know.
But something inside me—
Knew this wasn't a coincidence.
Then—
I smelled it.
Something… off.
My body went still.
The air had changed.
Someone was here.
My head snapped up.
"Maggie…"
My voice dropped instantly.
"We need to leave. Now."
I didn't wait for her to respond.
I grabbed the book and the newspaper, then seized her hand and started pulling her toward the exit.
"Halia, calm down—"
"No," I cut in sharply. "Someone's here."
My heart was racing again.
But this time—
It wasn't confusion.
It was instinct.
Pure.
Raw.
Danger.
We quickened our pace.
Then—
I saw it.
A figure.
Behind us.
My breath caught.
It was moving.
Following us.
At the same pace.
"Run."
That was all I said.
And we ran.
Out of the library.
Into the empty road.
"Who the hell is that?!" Maggie shouted, trying to keep up with me.
"How am I supposed to know?!" I snapped back, my legs pushing faster.
But I could feel it.
He was still behind us.
Fast.
Too fast.
No normal person moved like that.
We passed a deserted house, turned a corner—
And suddenly—
He was gone.
I slowed down, my chest heaving.
Maggie bent over slightly, trying to catch her breath.
"What… the hell… was that…?" she panted.
Then—
Pain.
Sharp.
Burning.
"Aah—!"
My hand flew to my neck again.
Blood.
Fresh.
"Halia—!" Maggie rushed toward me. "You're bleeding!"
Her hands hovered near my neck, panic written all over her face.
"We need to get out of here—now."
"No," I said quickly, grabbing her wrist.
She froze.
"Maggie, listen to me."
I shoved the book and newspaper into her hands.
"Take these. Go home. Call my mum. Tell her everything."
Her eyes widened.
"What? No—"
"They're not after you," I cut in. "They're after me."
That much was clear now.
"I'm not leaving you!" she snapped. "Are you crazy?! We go together!"
Then—
A whisper.
Soft.
Right behind me.
*He's coming.*
I froze.
My blood ran cold.
"Maggie…" My voice dropped to a whisper. "You need to go. Now."
She hesitated.
I pushed her.
"GO!"
She stumbled back, tears in her eyes.
"You better not die," she said, her voice shaking, before she turned and ran.
I didn't wait.
I ran in the opposite direction.
My legs moved fast, but my body felt heavier.
The main road.
I just needed to reach people.
Safety.
Then—
Pain.
Explosive.
My neck burned like it was being torn open.
"Fuck—!"
I stumbled.
Fell hard onto the ground.
I tried to push myself up—
But my body wouldn't cooperate.
"Aah—!" I cried out, my vision blurring.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Slowly—
I turned my head.
And saw him.
Standing there.
Watching me.
A smirk on his lips.
My heart stopped.
Then—
Darkness swallowed everything.