READ THE WARNING

Chapter fifteen

!TW!~ Implied eating disorder, breaking and entering, blood, panic attack, mentioning of emotional abuse

After the two cried for a bit, Marina stood up.

"I should probably go. Sorry for staying so long." She said.

"It's okay." Said Alex, also standing up.

The two hugged and Marina started heading out.

"You're welcome back whenever you want." Said Alex. "Will you be okay tonight?"

"Probably. He hasn't done anything yet, hopefully that won't change tonight."

Alex nodded. After Marina left, he went up to his room, where Sarah and Damien were sitting cross-legged on Alex's bed across from each other, talking in the same language they had been before Marina came over.

They turned to look at Alex in sync. Alex was still trying to figure out if they were a threat or not. 

"She was cool." Said Sarah.

"Yeah." Said Alex.

"We should probably go." Said Sarah. "Adrianus will get hungry soon, so we have to make sure he has something to eat. Good luck!"

"Thanks." Sighed Alex, unenthusiastically, as he watched them enter his closet.

He heard the closet open again that night, which he had expected, but it still scared him. He heard someone leave his closet and start walking around his room, but the footsteps didn't feel as heavy as normal.

The person stopped beside his bed. He heard them breathing, which wasn't normal. He didn't think demons could breathe. Sarah and Damien didn't breathe, and the man who traveled through closets didn't seem to breathe either.

A large hand brushed hair out of Alex's face before resting on his cheek. Alex was still scared, but not as much as before. He didn't think this was the man in his and Marina's closets. This was someone else.

"You'll be okay." Whispered the man beside him. "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you."

Alex instantly recognized Erebus's voice.

A moment later, the hand moved and Alex heard walking, but the closet didn't open or close. Erebus was still in the room.

Alex didn't hear him leave all night, but in the morning, he was gone. Alex definitely fell asleep at some point, so he supposed Erebus had left while he was asleep.

Alex heard Caroline singing downstairs. She wasn't often awake this early. She must not have slept well.

He walked downstairs and saw her sitting on the couch, doing something on her phone, probably either scrolling through pinterest or old messages, knowing her.

Alex sat beside her and saw that she was scrolling through old messages with Marina. Marina had Caroline removed as a contact, but Caroline kept her as one so she could look through messages from when they were friends. She had no interest in talking to Marina, but she liked revisiting the good memories she had with her.

"I really wish we would've just stayed friends." Said Caroline, sighing.

"I wish so too." Said Alex. "And I'm sure she does as well. It's annoying how awkward things have to be now."

"I know. I like how things happened last night, though. If you two ever want to hang out, just let me know, and if she's not comfortable with me being around, I'll go to your mom's room."

Alex smiled. "I like how things happened last night too. I doubt Marina has a problem with you being around, she just doesn't want to talk to you. The mere sight of you isn't triggering to her."