SECRETS OF EVERCREST (BOOK 2)

Chapter 25: "Choices and Consequences"

Chapter 25: "Choices and Consequences"

December 24, 2024 - 6:00 AM

Jane woke up slowly, her head pounding as she regained consciousness. The unfamiliar room was dimly lit, and for a moment, she forgot where she was. The memories of the previous day came flooding back—the confrontation with Gregory, the revelation of her origins, and the surge of power she had unleashed.

She stood up and walked toward the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her, but something was different. Her eyes seemed darker, filled with a determination she hadn’t felt before. Jane knew what she had to do. No more running, no more waiting for others to protect her. She had made her choice.

Quickly, she changed her clothes and packed a small bag. Her movements were swift and quiet as she prepared to leave. She scribbled a note and left it on the pillow before slipping out of the room, heading for the lab. She had no intention of staying. She would end Lilith’s threat on her own terms.

By 7:00 AM, everyone had begun to stir. William was the first to check on everyone, but when he knocked on Jane’s door, there was no response. Pushing the door open, he found the room empty. Panic immediately surged through him. He rushed to the others, asking if anyone had seen Jane, but they all shook their heads, confused.

Sol was the next to enter Jane’s room. Her eyes scanned the space until they landed on the note resting on the pillow. She picked it up and read the words: "Don’t find me, Sol."

Sol’s heart sank. Jane had known that Sol would search for her no matter what, but the note was a clear message. Jane didn’t want to be found. Sol showed the note to the rest of the group, and Susan’s face turned pale with worry.

“She can’t be out there alone,” Susan whispered. “It’s dangerous, especially with Lilith still out there.”

Gregory, standing silently in the corner, finally spoke up. “We can’t force her to stay, but Jane… she needs protection. Sol, I’m asking you to keep an eye on her, wherever she goes.”

William turned to his father, his voice tense. “How did you find Jane in the first place? She never told us the full story.”

Gregory sighed deeply, as if the weight of the truth was too much to bear. “Jane was only six years old when I found her. She had already lost her mother, Lilith, to the darkness, but she still had her father.” He paused. “His name was Henry."

“Henry cared deeply for Jane, loved her more than anything,” Gregory continued. “But one day, he died in his sleep. It was an unidentified death, at least at first. I had a theory that Lilith was responsible, and over time, I found evidence that proved it. Lilith, despite her corruption, tried to communicate with her daughter through the body of her husband. She possessed him, and it ultimately killed him.”

William was horrified. “How do you know all this?”

“I spoke to Jane after it happened,” Gregory said quietly. “She was only a child, but she told me she saw her mother, Lilith, standing in the room the night Henry died. It wasn’t just a vision. Lilith was trying to get to Jane, even then.”

The room fell into a heavy silence. Sol’s hands clenched into fists as she confronted her grandfather. “Why did you experiment on Jane? Why turn her into one of your lab subjects?”

Gregory’s face tightened, his voice defensive. “I did it to protect her. Jane needed to be able to defend herself. One day, she would have to face her mother, and it wouldn’t be the Lilith she knew as a child—it would be the Lilith who had been corrupted by darkness.”

Sol’s voice rose with anger. “She suffered because of you! She thinks she’s nothing more than a lab rat you used to further your research!”

“It wasn’t about research,” Gregory snapped, his eyes flashing with frustration. “It was for her own good. I was trying to protect her from a fate worse than death. Lilith appeared in my dreams, threatening me. She told me I needed to surrender Jane to her when the time was right. If I didn’t, she would kill my entire family. I had no choice.”

Tears welled up in Gregory’s eyes as he spoke. “Everything I did, I did to protect all of you—from Lilith, from the darkness, from death.”

The room was tense. No one spoke for a long moment. Gregory’s shoulders sagged as he walked out of the room, leaving the others behind in stunned silence. The weight of his revelations hung heavily in the air.

Later, as the morning stretched into the afternoon, Susan found herself thinking about something she had almost forgotten—Christmas Eve. Despite everything happening around them, Christmas was still today, and it felt surreal that, in the midst of this war against darkness, the holiday was still approaching.

“We almost forgot…” Susan said quietly, her voice breaking the silence. “It’s Christmas Eve tonight.”

The others looked at her, their faces grim.

“We need to talk to Gregory,” Susan said, her voice trembling with emotion. “Christmas is about family, and despite everything, we’re still a family. We’ve been through hell, and we might be facing worse in the days to come, but we have to remember that.”

Max nodded, standing up. “She’s right. We can’t let this darkness consume everything. Not tonight.”

The others slowly agreed. They knew the battle ahead was coming, but for tonight, they needed to hold onto the one thing that could still ground them—each other.

End of Chapter 25, Book 2