Asteria
The morning was painted in soft, endless shades of blue, fog curling like ethereal fingers through the trees. The air bit at my cheeks, sharp and cool, and I welcomed it. I leaned my face into it, letting it stir the small thrill inside me. A kind of excitement that had been absent for far too long.
Julian had surprised me with a spa retreat. Mountains, massages, treatments, and a rare freedom that made me laugh like a child.
I giggled, raising my camera to capture the shades of mist curling over the treetops. Every image felt like a fragment of a dream I didn't want to forget. Julian, meanwhile, wrestled with the luggage, his strong hands moving with careful precision.
"You feeling well enough to drive, love?" he called over his shoulder, a mix of concern and care threading his voice.
I nodded, chest puffed up, hair whipping around my face.
"I've got this. I promise I'll pull over if I get tired."
I climbed into the driver's seat, Julian sliding beside me, his warmth a constant comfort. We wound our way through the mountains, curves twisting and turning like a giant serpent. Trees blurred past in streaks of green and gold, the mist curling through their branches like drifting silk.
The wind teased strands of my hair, and I leaned into it, letting it play across my face.
Julian reached over and turned on the radio, the soft crackle giving way to a slow, familiar melody. I relaxed into the seat as the sound filled the car, steady and low, threading itself through the curves of the road.
I didn't even think before I started singing along, quietly at first, then with more confidence as the chorus rose.
♪And if I only could ♪
The words slipped past my lips.
♪ I'd make a deal with God ♪
Something tightened in my chest, sharp and inexplicable.
♪And I'd get Him to swap our places ♪
Julian glanced at me, amused. "You really love this one."
"Oh no," I said. "You're not about to pretend you don't know every word."
He glanced at me, offended. "Pretend? I absolutely know every word."
"That's not what you said in college," I teased.
He sighed dramatically. "College was a dark time. There was karaoke. There were bad decisions."
"I knew it," I laughed. "You absolutely sang this."
"I did not sing," he protested. "I endured."
The sound of his laughter was warm and grounding, filling the car like sunlight. I caught his hand across the console, and he squeezed it, eyes crinkling in delight.
We sang together, voices knitting, reckless and imperfect.
The melody swayed between us, loose and unpolished, rising and falling with our breath. He sang a little too loud, I a little too soft, but somehow it fit. It always did.
The wind threaded through the trees in time with us, leaves whispering along like a distant chorus.
I let the song carry me, let the weight in my chest loosen just enough to feel light again.
The morning itself seemed to witness us, suspended in perfect happiness. I wished, fleetingly, that I could freeze this moment forever.
But fate, as it always did, had other plans.
Everything changed in the blink of an eye.
Something stepped into the road.
I slammed the brakes.
The tires screamed, the world jolting violently as I wrenched the wheel to the side. The car spun, weightless and horrifying, everything blurring around us. My heart slammed against my ribs as the vehicle lurched, skidded, and finally shuddered to a stop, facing the opposite direction.
Silence crashed down.
The radio cut off mid-note.
My hands were locked around the steering wheel, knuckles white, breath coming in sharp, panicked gasps.
"Oh my god—Julian!" My voice shook as I turned toward him, fingers trembling as I reached for his arm, his chest, his face. "Julian, are you okay?"
He blinked, disoriented, breathing hard.
"Yeah. I—yeah. I think so." He looked around, confused. "What the hell just happened?"
Relief hit me so hard my vision blurred. "You're sure? Nothing hurts?"
"I think I'm more offended than injured," he said weakly, trying to joke. "What did you—"
I pressed my fingers to his lips shushing him instantly as my eyes landed on the rearview mirror.
In the middle of the road a figure, cloaked in black, stood tall and unmoving.
Not even a breath disturbed around it.
My stomach dropped.
Something was wrong. Deeply, violently wrong.
"Julian," I whispered, never taking my eyes off the mirror. "Stay in the car."
"What? Why?"
I didn't answer.
My hand slid beneath the seat, fingers closing around cold metal. The emergency bat scraped softly as I pulled it free. My pulse thundered in my ears as I shoved the door open, lunging outside.
The figure should have been there.
But there was nothing. No footsteps. No shadow. No trace.
Only the road stretching empty and quiet, mist drifting lazily across the asphalt as if nothing had happened at all. The wind brushed my face, soft and cool, almost gentle.
Too gentle.
The silence pressed in on me, thick and suffocating.
I spun in a slow circle, heart hammering, bat raised high as if daring the world itself to answer me.
"Show yourself!" I screamed, my voice tearing out of my throat. "I know you're here!"
The words echoed uselessly into the trees. Leaves rustled overhead, branches swaying lazily as the wind moved through them, indifferent and cruel.
Rage surged up, sharp and uncontrollable.
"Come out, you motherfucker!" I shrieked, swinging the bat through empty air. "You think this is funny? You think you can just—just watch?"
I paced the road like a caged animal, boots scraping against gravel, breath ragged. Every direction felt wrong. Every shadow too deep. Every movement too slow. My chest burned as I hurled threats into nothingness, voice cracking with every word.
"I'm not afraid of you!" I lied to the trees, to the fog, to whatever had stood there moments ago. "You hear me? I'm not—"
Arms wrapped around me from behind.
Warm. Solid. Real.
I jerked, a sharp gasp ripping from me as Julian grabbed me gently by the shoulders and turned me to face him. I could see the pain in his eyes, and my heart dropped.
"Asteria," he murmured softly, his voice steady despite the tremor I felt run through him. "Hey. It's me. I've got you."
My knees buckled.
I collapsed back against his chest, the strength draining out of me all at once as sobs tore free, violent and unrestrained. His arms tightened, holding me as if he feared I might vanish if he loosened his grip.
"I'm not crazy," I choked, fists clutching at his jacket. "I swear to you, Julian, I'm not. I saw it. I saw it standing there!"
"I know," he said quietly, pressing his forehead to the side of my head. "I know you did."
My breath hitched, tears soaking into his clothes as I shook.
"It didn't move. It just—just waited. Like it wanted me to see it."
His hand slid up and down my arm, slow and grounding. "You're safe right now," he whispered. "You're here. I'm here."
"I would never do this," I sobbed. "I wouldn't make this up. I wouldn't scare us like that."
"I know," he repeated, firmer this time.
"Well, isn't that romantic?" A mocking voice startled us, and I felt my heart stop for a moment.
My entire body went rigid.
"Who said that?" Julian stiffened, his grip tightening protectively on me.
I watched him scanning the area, and for a split second I felt relief. Relief that I wasn't crazy. That I hadn't imagined it. That he heard it too.
But that feeling didn't last as waves of realization washed over me. That only meant the danger was real.
I tried to steady my breathing, taking in my surroundings.
There was nothing. Nothing more than the whispers of the leaves and the cracking of the empty branches. Nothing more than the fog curling slowly around us like a warning.
Julian shouted into the trees, fury breaking through his fear. "Show yourself! Now!"
"Oh, hush," the stranger said gently, with a hint of mockery. "This moment isn't for you."
I could feel his presence, not in front of me, not behind me, but everywhere, like needles sliding beneath my skin.
"You feel it, don't you?" the voice whispered, dangerously close to my ear. "The pull. The missing pieces scraping at your ribs."
My knees nearly buckled.
Julian pulled me closer. "Get the hell away from her!"
A pause.
Then the voice sharpened, laced with venom.
"She was never yours."
The words cut deeper than any threat.
"She is wearing borrowed time," the shadow continued quietly. "Borrowed fear. Borrowed love."
My chest burned as I realized he was talking about me. Although unseen, his presence was suffocating me in an inexplicable way.
"You are bleeding memories, my sweet lost one" he said, almost tenderly. "Dreaming of shadows that whispered your name. Screaming in the night for things you don't remember losing."
"N-no..." I managed to whisper, shaking my head violently.
How could he possibly know my nightmares?
How could he feel the burning in my chest?
The pull of my soul? The ache that never leaves?
"Oh, little star," he whispered with amusement. "I know you better than anyone."