-JASON-
Jayda and I had been torn between anxiety that Salim had gone to the asylum without us, admiration for having Eric's back, and relief that he had returned to us. We couldn't stay mad at him for long. We never could be with each other, and even then, Jayda had picked up on something from Clarice and Eric that had thrown her off.
We'd discussed long ago that we would work to resolve whatever issues we had to not overwhelm her. I'd left something unsaid months ago when I hadn't been used to talking about things, and we learned an odd twist about her powers around Salim, and I-she's more in tune with us, but she could control it, as opposed to other people and she felt it tenfold.
My hesitation kept her from sleeping, worrying about it. We didn't understand it until she blurted things out during dinner, and she told us how intense it was for her. It wasn't anyone's fault, but we didn't want to cause Jayda any more stress. So we made that pact.
Jayda always used weed to level out, but between that and Salim trying to quit smoking, I asked for a compromise. She stuck to edibles when she had access to them. She took one after we spoke to Salim, and they went to wash up as I smelled the tobacco on him, too.
As soon as the bathroom door shut, Billy appeared. I suggested that we speak outside. I wanted some fresh air.
From the cabin balcony, I saw that Jayda was right: once you look beyond the shit that wanted to kill you, it's beautiful here. The air is crisp and bracing, letting me slightly clear my head.
Glistening snow covers the landscape, and if you ignore the bloody history of the place, you can understand why people choose to vacation here. The tall evergreen trees stand proudly, their branches adorned with delicate frost.
Above, a vast starry night sky stretches endlessly, studded with twinkling stars that seem to hold secrets. When this was over, I meant what I said: I'm going off the grid for a while in a place like this.
Hidden deep within the woods reminds us of why we're here: the abandoned asylum is a haunting reminder of its troubled past and the present that's still hurting people.
The once imposing structure now exudes a sense of decay and despair, its crumbling walls adorned with overgrown vines and broken windows that whisper chilling tales of abandonment.
I remember how I felt when I had gone inside...a feeling of foreboding envelops you, and a bone-chilling wind seems to whisper in my ears. The air is thick with unsettling energy, and you can't help but sense the presence of evil spirits lingering within its forsaken walls.
Unseen eyes seem to watch your every move as you cautiously step inside. The asylum's interior is a labyrinth of decaying hallways, tattered curtains swaying with an otherworldly breeze, and peeling wallpaper that reveals grotesque murals long forgotten by time.
Amidst the darkness, the shadows seem to twist and contort, giving birth to shapeless figures that evoke a primal fear within you. Being a Marine and a hunter means that you're equipped to handle shit like this, but I'm still human...and something about this place felt worse than anything I've ever faced.
When you walk around the place, the echoing of distant footsteps and eerie cries resonate through the lonely halls, stirring a feeling of dread that you can't shake off. They want you to feel their pain.
Deep within the asylum's bowels, I thought about the Wendigos - ancient, evil spirits of the wilderness - their haunting howls sending shivers down my spine. Their presence instills a sense of primal terror as if you've stepped into nightmares.
I'd be a godamn liar if I said I hadn't had my fair share of those dreams. I'm not sure what's mine or what's Billy's, and that made it worse. It's not his fault, of course. We didn't know that this shit would happen.
It's been a blessing and a curse. Learning the things I do now, I know that the older man was fighting literal demons, and he lost. That doesn't make it any better, but I at least had some clarity about the situation.
With each step I took in the place, it's as if I uncovered fragments of dangerous secrets hidden within the asylum's grim history. The walls bear faint scratches, remnants of desperate souls trapped within.
Rusty chains hang ominously from the ceiling, hinting at the asylum's dark experiments and the torment endured by those unfortunate enough to have crossed its threshold. Blackwood is a sick fuck. I saw that firsthand.
"Jason!" Billy hailed me, snapping his fingers in front of my face.
"Mm-what?" I mumbled.
"I've been calling you," Billy explains with a frown.
"Uh, I spaced out," I sighed.
"I figured," he nods. "It happens to me, too, sometimes."
I clear my throat, and I decide to change the subject. I didn't particularly appreciate where my thoughts were going. I came out here to clear those thoughts, and it didn't work.
"What happened to make Eric run down there like that?" I ask him.
"CENTCOM," he sighed. "They were poking around the place."
"I could have sworn we sent 'em off," I scoffed.
"That's what confused me," Billy admits, tapping his temple.
"What were they doing?" I ask next.
"I assumed they were looking for the patient files from my group," he croaked. "I saw myself turn into one of those things...why aren't I one now?"
"When a Wendigo is killed, the spirit possessing it is freed," I explained. "So you're just...you...now."
"I don't remember any of it," Billy claims.
"Maybe you oughta be thankful for that," I shrugged.
"After what I've seen, I am," he agrees.
"H-how did you react?" I asked. "I mean, I felt the shock, but..."
"I guess I could compare it to seeing people turn into vampires," Billy points out.
"...Fair enough," I sighed. "It's fuckin' crazy, learning that our families are meant to fight shit like this."
"I've been curious about my brother," Billy admits.
"So have I," I admit. "Alice hasn't been able to find the ship."
"I've been thinking that what happened there kept him from coming home," he surmised. "That's when they must have gotten to your father."
"Yeah," I hedged, not wanting to go any further.
Billy nods before asking, "How did it go out there?"
"We got the files, but no one's figured out why CENTCOM returned-"
A knock on the door cut me off.
"It's open," I tell whoever it is.
Jayda opens the door, and Salim joins her.
"What's up?" I ask her.
"The mayor is asking to see me," she announced. "Hi, Billy."
Billy gave her a nod, and I couldn't help but notice that he was warming up a bit to her and Salim. I'm not going to mention it, of course. I know how stubborn my family is.
"Just you?" I frown. "At this hour? What about Alice or, uh..."
"I don't know," Jayda shrugs. "But I'll find out."
"We're going with you," Salim and I insist in unison.
-AERIN-
I know that I'm the one who suggested the break between Clarice and me. I know that I'm the one who wanted her to figure out whatever was going on with her and Eric. But that doesn't make it hurt any less. It's not like Eric was going out of his way to sabotage our relationship. He admitted feeling terrible for how much Clarice had done for him.
How do you react to that? How the hell am I supposed to be angry when I see how much pain he's in and how he's damn near killing himself, trying to atone for the sins he feels that he's committed?
They'd met long before I came around. I remember how distraught she had been when she thought he had betrayed her. How worried she had been when he was found in the desert. She stayed by his bedside for days. Maybe I've been naive. Perhaps she's been in denial.
He hoped to reconcile with Rachel...only to learn of her affair and lose her. Then their world went to hell, and they joined us. I'd rather be her friend than make her feel like she has to make a choice. Whatever happens, I don't want to pressure her, and I think I am. I saw how she jumped out of her skin when I saw her with Eric. She walks on eggshells around me.
This is on me. She's been emotionally conflicted from the start, and while I don't believe she played me, I don't think she was fully ready for a relationship. I need to get my head straight, and when I feel prepared to try again...go for someone more available. But before I go down that road, I need to talk to Eric. I found him sitting in the living room, poring over whatever he found in the asylum.
"Hey," I greet him.
He jumps a bit before turning around to face me.
"Uh, hey," he responds before clearing his throat.
"Looks like you need a coffee break," I offer.
"You're right," he sighs, getting up to stretch.
"I'll put some on," I tell him. "We need to talk."
His brows knit, and he runs his fingers through his hair, which I realize had gotten a bit longer, almost to his shoulders, curling at the end.
"Okay," he yawns. "What do you need to talk about?"
He follows me to the kitchen as I start the coffee. I heard his stomach snarl, so without giving him a choice, I grabbed a plate of leftovers to heat up for him. He gives me a sheepish grin and-
"Aerin?" he frowns.
"Yeah, nope, let me get your food," I deflect. "Sit."
"Yes, ma'am," he chuckles as he obliges.
"You need to take better care of yourself," I admonish. "When's the last time you got a haircut?"
"Oh," he huffed. "That was a conscious choice. Why does it look bad?"
"I-well, no, but you don't seem the type to-"
"Okay, so tell me," Eric challenged me. "What type of guy am I?"
"Just. Put together," I hedged. "Preppy."
He let out what I'd like to think is a genuine laugh. He even seemed surprised to hear it. That's a shame.
"That might have been me, once," he admits. "Not anymore. My ambition caused a lot of pain."
"It's also done a lot of good," I argued.
"You think so?" he asks, thanking me as I set the plate before him.
"I know so," I countered. "You'd have put all your energy, focus, and intellect into the wrong side! The guilt you've been feeling now would have been much worse!"
"That's one way of looking at it," he murmurs.
As he began to eat, I needed to figure out how to word what I wanted to say to him.
"What did you need to talk to me about?" Eric asks after clearing half his plate.
"...I'm going to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me," I request.
"Is this about Clarice?" he asks shrewdly.
"Yes," I confess. "But it's not in the way you're thinking."
"What is it, Aerin?" he asks, setting his fork down.
"I know you want to avenge Rachel, but...do you...Are you still hanging on to her, in a way?" I rushed.
"I've made peace with her death," he admits after the shock eased from his face. "My struggle has been that my negligence cost her again."
"...Is that why you've been hesitant around Clarice?" I asked next.
"She was infected on my watch," he laments. "She trusted my data...and even after all that, she's still putting up with me."
"You and I both know why that is," I tell him. "You didn't deny it. It's okay, honestly. I need to make some peace with things, too."
"Aerin, I'm...I'm sorry," he sighs. "I've been where you are, and-"
"It's okay," I gently cut in by touching his arm. "You two didn't sneak around behind my back or anything. It's different. I don't want either of you to feel awkward around me."
"Have you spoken to her about this?" he asked.
"Not yet," I shook my head, trying to clear it.
I don't know if it's the intense eye contact he's giving me or the revelation I had earlier, but I feel off-balance for some reason.
"You should finish your-" A shadow out of the corner of my eye stops me from finishing my sentence.
"Billy?" I call out.
No answer. The sigils in the house burn bright, and I realized that whatever I saw wasn't him. The others run downstairs as the sigils burn more brilliantly, and they emit a loud noise.
"What the hell is going on?" Nick demands.
"Wait, where are Jayda, Salim, and Jason?!" Mai asks.
"They were called to the Mayor's house," Joey explained.
"At this hour?" Clarice frowns.
"I think we have more pressing matters to attend to," Alice nods to the windows.
"Demons," Greg comments.
"Aerin," Eric cautions me, pulling me away from the window I was closest to.
There must have been dozens of them. They surrounded the house, blocking out the natural light. All we could do was arm ourselves and fight.
-HUNTER-
When we returned to the cabin, I grabbed a few hours of rest before I decided to keep watch again. I've been a sniper for so long that it's the only way I can function on a job. When we took the time off, I'd gotten more sleep than usual.
It used to worry Joey until he saw that my internal clock worked this way. I didn't need eight hours of sleep, so I used my time wisely. If I'm not spending it with him, I watch over our team. They call me Hawkeye for a reason.
I knew Eric was hellbent on destroying CENTCOM and anything associated with them. We've been worried about him. So I kept an eye out for him. I made it my mission to watch out for all of them. They've become the family I didn't have growing up. That seems to be the norm with some of us.
But I haven't been honest with them. In the shadows of secrecy, I've been conflicted by the truth: My biological family, whose ties I can't seem to shake, have been working with CENTCOM.
Even though I know we're on opposite sides, what my uncle had done has nearly killed me, and I haven't been ready to let go of them. That's fucked up. It kills me to keep this from them-from, Joey-but I'm not prepared to face this yet. We've had bigger fish to fry, and it feels like I'd add more stress to the team. I'll handle it alone for now.
Jayda knows, I'm sure. But having her powers doesn't mean it's her responsibility to out people. It's not in her nature, and I respect and love her even more for not doing so. I want to tell them. I do...I'm just not sure how. I hear something in the wind...it's not normal, even as the woods are haunted. I've been watching our cabin from another one a few yards away. I see what looks to be hundreds of demons making their way to my friends. I jump down from my perch to help them out.
-JAYDA-
As I walked through the snow-covered streets of the quaint, seasonal town, a sense of unease settled within me. The winter wind whispered secrets as I approached the mansion that seemed to materialize out of nowhere. This shouldn't be happening...right? Jason and Salim are with me. Or have I relied so much on being an Empath that I'm still having trouble sorting out my feelings and instincts and not the intent of other people? Shit.
Maybe it's the mansion. Its grandeur contrasted starkly against the humble cottages that dotted the landscape. Pillars adorned with intricate frost patterns stood tall, and ivy-clad walls stretched toward the gray sky. I don't remember the place looking like this in brochures. This must have been recent.
The mansion exuded an eerie elegance, its windows aglow with an unnatural warmth that defied the cold. I couldn't shake the feeling that this opulent structure didn't belong here, as if it had been plucked from another world.
As I hesitated at the threshold, a shiver ran down my spine. The imposing double doors, adorned with elaborate carvings, beckoned me forward. With each step, the sensation that something was amiss grew stronger. My heart quickened its pace as I imagined the mayor within.
"Jayda?" Jason frowns. "What's wrong, darlin'?"
"...I don't know," I admit. "Something feels wrong."
"That's your intuition as a hunter and a Marine," Salim nods. "Jason and I will search the perimeter while you speak to the mayor."
"Got it," I nod, letting out a deep breath.
Despite the inviting firelight that spilled from the windows, a chilling sensation gripped my senses. The mansion's opulence felt like a mask, hiding secrets darker than the winter night. And so, with cautious curiosity mingling with trepidation, I knocked on the door; it swung open to reveal a middle-aged woman with an expression rivaling the smiling travel brochures.
"Come in," she beckons me.
When I do, the door closes, and the sound echoes throughout the house. Despite the warmth, I still feel a chill.
"What did you need to talk to me about?" I asked without preamble.
"I've spoken to Alice and Greg, but I wanted to speak with you, as well," she informs me. "I'm off the clock. You can call me Candace."
"Okay," was all I gave her. I still can't shake the dread I've felt since approaching the house.
"There hasn't been much progress in purging the asylum; I see," Candace continues.
"No," I agree. "Whatever's in there isn't like anything we've dealt with. But we have a plan."
"Oh, do you?" she murmurs. "That's good. We need to end this as soon as possible."
"I agree," I answer her carefully, casting my eyes around the foyer.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Candace asked. "I've just had the place remodeled."
"Yeah," I nod. "It is."
"You haven't been able to settle down into a home, have you, Jayda?" she asks next.
My head snapped back to her, and a nagging suspicion crept in. Her choice of words seemed to carry a hidden agenda, and I found myself deciphering the double meaning behind her inquiries, wondering if there was more to this situation than met the eye.
"How do you know that?" I asked.
Alice wouldn't have spoken to anyone about us, not on that level, no matter how close she was with someone. What the fuck is going on here? Why am I having this much trouble piecing this together?
"I've heard so much about you, Jayda," Candace murmurs. "I've wanted to meet you for so long."
"Why?" I asked.
Before she could answer, Jason and Salim broke down the front door, weapons first.
"Back the fuck up!" Jason roared.
"What the hell are you-"
"-The mayor is dead, Jayda," Salim informs me. "You couldn't tell?"
"I...no," I shook my head to clear it.
"Sigils," the other woman laughed. "Mine are subtle...they make you doubt yourself the moment you think you've figured it out."
"Who are you?" I demand as Jason and Salim guard me on each side.
"...I'm the one who's going to end your bloodlines," she laughs as her eyes burn red. "Once and for all!"