Expelled Souls

The awakening

Noah woke up with a sharp gasp, his lungs heaving as if he had been drowning. Cold air filled his chest, burning as he struggled to sit up. He blinked, trying to clear the haze from his eyes, only to find himself in an unfamiliar, gloomy room. The walls were dark, the air damp with the faint scent of decay, like something ancient and untouched. The room was small, lit by a single flickering candle on a worn-out table.

He swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. Where was he? How had he gotten here?

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he saw a figure in the corner of the room—a woman, older, sitting perfectly still in a wooden chair. Her presence was unsettling, as if she’d been waiting for him to wake up. She slowly turned her head, and though her face was lined with age, her eyes remained closed.

“Who are you?” Noah’s voice was hoarse, his throat dry as if he hadn’t spoken in days.

The woman’s lips parted in a thin smile, her voice soft but firm. “My name is Alethra,” she said. The way she said it was like a whisper carried on a dark wind, ancient and strange. “I am the one who saved you, boy.”

Noah stared at her, confused and disoriented. His mind was spinning, flashes of memory coming back to him. He had been with Ivy. They were at the hospital. There was something wrong, something dark. And then—he had vanished. His mind raced to piece it together.

“Saved me?” he rasped, his pulse quickening. “From what?”

Alethra’s eyelids fluttered, but they did not open. He realized then that she was blind. She crossed her arms over her chest, her fingers lined with silver rings, each one adorned with strange symbols. “You were close to becoming lost, just like her,” she murmured. “Just like all the others. But I brought you back.”

He blinked, her words stirring something deep inside of him. He could remember flashes—being pulled away, fading into nothing. But now, here he was, back in his body. Alive.

The thought jolted him upright. He was *alive*.

“How did I get here?” Noah demanded, his voice growing steadier. He needed to know how this woman had brought him back from the other side. “And Ivy... where’s Ivy?”

Alethra tilted her head, as if considering her next words carefully. “You were lost, but I found you in time. I am part of an ancient community, one that serves the Revelation. We have devoted ourselves to stopping the dark forces that haunt this world, the ones that your dear friend Ivy has stumbled upon.” Her voice lowered, becoming more sinister. “The Casiddy family has long been part of a much darker secret than you realize.”

Noah’s blood ran cold as he heard Ivy’s last name. His mind flashed back to the basement—the noise, the strange sounds. That’s how he’d ended up in this mess in the first place. *The basement.* The memory struck him like lightning. He had been making noise, searching for something, and that’s when he heard it—the whispers, the hum of something wrong. *Ivy had been pulled into this because of me.*

His heart sank. He was the reason Ivy had gotten involved. His chest tightened as guilt washed over him.

He needed to get to her. Now.

“Ivy—she’s still in the hospital. I have to find her,” he said, his voice laced with urgency. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, but his body was weak, his muscles trembling. It was like he hadn’t moved in days. He forced himself to stand, swaying on his feet.

Alethra remained still, her blind eyes seeming to follow him despite her lack of sight. “You are not strong enough yet,” she said calmly. “If you leave now, you may not survive.”

“I don’t care,” Noah snapped. “Ivy’s in danger. I have to go.” He stumbled toward the door, every step a battle against the weakness in his limbs. He didn’t have time to sit around and wait. Ivy was all that mattered now. He had to get to her.

Alethra sighed, her voice softer now. “You do not understand what you’re up against, Noah. The Casiddy family is deeply connected to forces far beyond your comprehension. If you rush in blindly, you will only make things worse.”

Noah clenched his jaw. He didn’t care about the Casiddys or their dark secrets. Ivy was the only thing that mattered. “I’ll figure it out,” he said stubbornly. “I’m going to the hospital.”

Without waiting for a response, he pushed open the door and staggered out into the cold night. His body protested with every step, but he forced himself to keep moving. He had to find Ivy. He had to make sure she was okay.

The journey to the hospital felt like a lifetime. By the time he reached Ivy’s bedside, his body was screaming in exhaustion, but he ignored the pain. He stood over her, his breath catching in his throat as he saw her lying there, still trapped in her coma.

His heart broke all over again. She looked so fragile, so small. He reached out, his fingers trembling, and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face.

“I’m here, Ivy,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I’m here.”

The weight of everything crashed down on him—the guilt, the fear, the overwhelming love he felt for her. He had to protect her, no matter what it took.

As he stood there, watching her chest rise and fall with the rhythm of the machines, his mind raced with the words Alethra had spoken. The Casiddys were hiding something, something dark, something connected to the basement and the noises he’d heard.

But none of that mattered right now.

He leaned down, his lips hovering near her forehead, and whispered, “I won’t lose you, Ivy. Not again.”

And in that moment, Noah vowed to do whatever it took to protect her—even if it meant facing the darkness head-on.