Against the odds . Five Hargreeves fanfic

Chapter nineteen

The van's tires crunched over the gravel as we approached the house—a dilapidated structure perched on a remote hill, its windows grimy and ivy crawling up the walls. I felt a knot of anxiety twist in my stomach. This place felt both ominous and promising.

Five and I exchanged determined glances before stepping out of the van. Viktor and Diego stayed behind, their eyes scanning the area with a mix of curiosity and concern.

The door creaked open before we could knock. A wiry man with a long, unkempt beard and piercing eyes peered out. His gaze flicked to Five, then to me.

"I'm Evangeline," I began, trying to keep my voice steady. "I need answers about what's been happening to me. I was told you might know something."

The man's eyes narrowed as he assessed me. "You and your friend can come in. The others stay outside."

Five stepped slightly in front of me, his posture tense. "We'll go in. The rest stay here."

The man nodded curtly and stepped aside. Inside, the house was dimly lit, with dusty furniture and an air of ancient mystery. The man led us through a cluttered living room to a small study, its shelves lined with old books and strange artifacts.

He gestured to two chairs in front of an old wooden desk. "Sit," he instructed. Five and I took our seats, and the man settled behind the desk.

"I need to explain everything," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Lately, I've been getting these sudden, severe bouts of sickness. I'll be fine one moment, and then the next, I'm fainting and feeling drained. I've seen this terrifying figure in my dreams—a spider-like creature with no eyes and a massive, jagged mouth. It seems to drain my energy, and I wake up feeling weak and disoriented. It's happened multiple times, and it's getting worse. I don't understand what's happening to me or why this thing is tormenting me."

The man listened intently, his expression serious. After I finished, he leaned forward, his eyes intense. "From what you've described, it sounds like you're being haunted by a creature named Nyx. Nyx is a monster of darkness that feeds on light—specifically, the light within you."

I blinked, trying to process his words. "What is Nyx? And why is it targeting me?"

"Nyx seeks to absorb your light to become nearly invincible," he explained. "By doing so, it aims to plunge the world into eternal darkness. It's a creature of darkness with no eyes and a gaping mouth filled with jagged teeth. It feeds on light and grows stronger as it drains it."

I felt a shiver run down my spine. "How do I stop it? Why is it making me sick?"

The man continued, his tone grave. "Nyx regenerates by absorbing light, making it difficult to harm. Light alone can't destroy it, only slow it down. The key to killing Nyx lies in its heart, which is the only part that can't heal. You need to trap Nyx using mirrors to force it into its solid form, expose its heart with light and silver, and then destroy the heart with a silver weapon."

My mind raced with the implications. "And the sickness? Why does it drain me?"

"Nyx drains your light, weakening you with each encounter," he said. "You must defeat it quickly before you lose all your strength."

The weight of his words was crushing. I could barely manage to stay upright, the exhaustion and fear overwhelming me. Five's presence next to me was a small comfort amidst the chaos. His usual coldness seemed to have softened, if only slightly.

"Thanks for the information," I said, my voice trembling. "I need to get back to the Academy and plan this out."

The man nodded. "Be careful. Nyx is a formidable enemy."

As we left the house, Five's gaze was fixed on me, his expression unreadable. I could feel the tension between us, an unspoken understanding hanging in the air. We returned to the van, where Viktor and Diego awaited us.

We drove back to the Academy in silence, the weight of what I had learned pressing heavily on my shoulders. The journey ahead was daunting, but having Five and the others with me was a small measure of comfort. I glanced at Five, who was staring out of the window, his expression contemplative. Despite the tension, his presence was oddly reassuring. We were in this together, even if neither of us fully understood our feelings yet.

The road ahead was fraught with danger, but each mile brought us closer to confronting Nyx and stopping it from casting the world into eternal darkness.