My grandmother, Thalassa Graves, came to visit my mother like a thunderclap. She told me flatly that I should visit my other grandmother—my mother's side of the family—Agatha Nightfall, the previous head of the Nightfall clan.
"Why, Grandma?" I asked.
She stepped closer, her expression grim. "She knows the reason, honey."
I was shocked. I hadn't said a word to her about what had been happening lately. Seeing my stunned silence, her expression softened into worry. She placed a hand on my cheek and whispered, "Your Grandma Agatha has the answers, so don't waste time. Go visit her." With that, she left.
I hurried home, packed the essentials, and called Jax. The two of us headed north toward Crowhill Village, driving 128km out of the city and deep into the forest. Suddenly, I slammed on the brakes; a massive tree had fallen, completely blocking the road.
Jax and I stepped out of the car to search for an alternative route. As we looked around, a tall, black figure appeared silently behind Jax. I froze in shock and gestured for him to come toward me, but when he turned, the figure vanished.
Suddenly, I heard Jax call my name from behind me—but Jax was standing right in front of me.
"Theo, run toward me!" the Jax in the forest urged. I stood there in disbelief, looking between the two of them. Which one was my friend?
The Jax in front of me began to drop to all fours. His limbs lengthened unnaturally, his elbows snapping backward with a sickening crack. His fingers stretched into needle-thin shadows that stitched into the dirt. I bolted toward the Jax in the forest. As I reached him, a hand grabbed me and pulled me back—it was the real Jax. I looked back at the creature in the forest; it was smiling at me with a blank, hollow stare.
"We should leave. Now," Jax said. We hopped into the car and accelerated away as fast as we could.
Suddenly, a familiar car appeared, driving right toward us. It was Grandma Agatha. "Follow me," she commanded. We followed her onto a side path marked with a sign: Crowhill Village. The fog there didn't just sit on the ground; it seemed to breathe, curling around our ankles like a living thing.
When we arrived at the residence, I rushed to my grandmother and hugged her.
"Long time no see. Welcome, Theo," she said warmly. "Come inside, boys. Are you okay? The fog is strong today, but it will pass soon."
We entered the manor, where we were greeted by two maids and a butler. One of the maids showed us to our rooms, and we finally began to settle in.
We let out a sigh, washed up, and went to look for my grandma. The butler led us to the study.
My grandma asked, "How are you? It's been a long time. I last saw you 11 years ago; you have grown into a handsome boy."
I replied, "I'm fine, Grandma, but I came to ask you about something that's happening to me."
She looked at me and asked me to describe every tiny detail. Jax also explained things from his point of view. Grandma whispered in the silent room, "It started earlier than it should have." She looked me in the eyes, then suddenly opened the balcony curtains slightly and stood still for a minute. she said, "Go eat."
The butler took us to the dining area and we ate. In the heat of the situation, we had forgotten how hungry we actually were.A maid came in and whispered something to the butler. He then turned to us and said, "Madam has gone outside; she will be back by this evening, sir." We went to our room to wait for Grandma.
In the evening, Grandma returned and checked on us. She said, "It all started because of the will in your name, Theo."