The Veil of Glass

Triumph of Collapse

The noon sky hung heavy, cloaked in the same dreary gray that seemed to swallow Liora whole as she stood in front of the police station. The air felt thick, almost oppressive, and every breath she took lodged painfully in her chest. She stood still, staring at the large, foreboding building, the weight of the news sinking deeper into her bones. Clarissa Cavenhaugh was dead. The words kept repeating in her mind, louder and more distorted with each echo. The whispers, the gasps, the horror—it had spread like wildfire through the small town, suffocating everyone with a cold, brutal truth.

Liora's feet moved slowly, as though some unseen force dragged her toward the station doors. Her heart thundered in her chest, each step thumping in sync with her thoughts. Run—her instincts screamed at her. Run and don't look back. But it was too late. There was no escaping this now.

She hesitated just inside the entrance, scanning the room. And there they were. Clarissa's parents—the Cavenhaughs—sat on the worn leather chairs across the room. Mrs. Cavenhaugh was a mess, her sobs loud and unrelenting, her body shaking uncontrollably. Mr. Cavenhaugh, in contrast, was quiet, composed, though the hollowness in his eyes betrayed the depths of his grief. Liora swallowed hard, her hands trembling slightly at the sight. What would they say if they knew? 

No, no one knows...

But then, her gaze shifted, and her stomach lurched. Nathaniel and Azazel. Sitting together, their faces pale, somber, shaken. The boys hadn't noticed her yet, but Liora's knees nearly gave out beneath her. Did Clarissa tell them anything? Panic began to swirl, threatening to drown her right there.

"Liora!" Nathaniel's voice broke the silence as he spotted her, his eyes wide, dark circles forming under them. Azazel turned his head, his gaze locking with hers. And this time, he didn't look away. His piercing eyes held her in place, unreadable and intense, the way they always had.

"Thank God, you're alright!" Nathaniel exclaimed, rushing over to her with a sense of relief, his voice strained with the shock of the day.

Liora blinked, her heart hammering even faster. They don't know. Clarissa didn't tell them. She took a deep breath, willing herself to keep calm, to act as if nothing had happened.

"I'm fine," she replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. She glanced at Azazel briefly before sitting down next to Nathaniel. "What about you guys?"

"It's... it's all so sudden. I can't believe it," Nathaniel said, running his hands through his hair. His shock and confusion were palpable, his eyes darting around the room like he was trying to make sense of a nightmare.

Liora's mind raced. Keep up the act. Don't let them see.

"Yes, it's horrible," she said softly, trying to maintain her composure, though inside, she was fighting back a twisted glee. She's gone. Clarissa is gone. And no one knows. The realization began to settle over her like a dark, suffocating fog, but there was a part of her—a dark, hidden part—that felt light, free.

Azazel remained silent beside them, his gaze never leaving Liora. There was something different about him, something colder, more detached. His usual smirks and teasing smiles were gone, replaced by a quiet, unsettling calm. Liora could feel his eyes boring into her, watching her every move.

Before long, the officers called them in for questioning. Liora's pulse quickened as she followed Nathaniel and Azazel into the room. They sat down across from two detectives, their faces expressionless, all business.

"You were the last people to see Clarissa Cavenhaugh alive," one of the officers began, his voice low and authoritative. "Did she say anything unusual? Or anything that might help us understand what happened?"

Nathaniel spoke first, recounting the night of the prom, the joy and normalcy that had preceded the tragedy. Liora's stomach twisted as she listened, her thoughts a jumbled mess. When Nathaniel finished, all eyes turned to her.

"She was... fine," Liora said, struggling to keep her voice calm. "She said she had to leave early because something came up at home." She was shaking inside, barely holding it together. Breathe. Just breathe.

Azazel's voice broke the tension. "She told us to go dance while she took care of whatever it was."

The officer's eyes narrowed. "Did she mention what that was?"

Liora shook her head. "No, nothing specific."

"And after the prom? Did you go home?"

Nathaniel spoke up again. "We tried looking for her after her mother called, but we couldn't find her. So, we all went home eventually."

The officers exchanged a glance, jotting down notes. After a few more questions about Clarissa's personal life and relationships, they were dismissed.

The walk out of the station was silent. No one said a word as they left the heavy atmosphere behind. Liora kept her head down, her mind racing. She didn't know what to say to Nathaniel or Azazel, so she said nothing. Nathaniel looked drained, pale, and lost in thought. Azazel, however, was as unreadable as ever.

Azazel helped Nathaniel into his car, saying something Liora couldn't hear. She didn't linger, quickly heading to her own car. But the second she sat behind the wheel, something inside her snapped. A smile crept onto her face. Then, she began to laugh. Soft at first, but then louder, more unhinged. The sound echoed in the small car, filling the empty space with her madness.

She's gone. Clarissa is really gone.

The thought consumed her, twisting her mind into something darker, something monstrous. And the truth of it all—the horrible, glorious truth—was that she was free. Free from Clarissa's shadow, from her prying eyes, her threats. No one knew. No one could ever know.

The laughter grew, spilling out uncontrollably as she sped down the road, her hands gripping the steering wheel tight enough to make her knuckles white. It was a bizarre, exhilarating feeling, like a noose had been lifted from around her neck. She had feared Clarissa for so long, dreaded what she might do or say. But now? Now Clarissa was gone, her body cold, buried under the weight of the earth, and Liora... Liora was alive. 

More alive than ever.

This is fate, she thought, her mind unraveling with each passing second. 

This is beautiful.

She drove faster, her laughter punctuated by short, breathless gasps as the reality of it all sank in. Clarissa hadn't told anyone. She had died without revealing Liora's secrets. No one would ever know the truth. It was like a perfect puzzle, falling into place just for her.

The twisted joy coursed through her, warping her perception, her sense of right and wrong. She didn't care about Clarissa. She never had. And now, she was free to do whatever she wanted. Azazel... He was still within her reach, and there was nothing standing in her way anymore.

By the time she pulled into her driveway, her laughter had died down, but the madness lingered, humming beneath the surface. Her mind was no longer her own. It belonged to the darkness, the chaos. 

And she embraced it.