Chapter 30

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The warmth and peace from the beach seemed like a distant memory as Scarlet and I returned to the house, laughing softly as we talked about the evening. We headed directly to my room, still carrying the lightness of the night, but the moment I opened the door, everything shattered.

The walls, once clean and bright, were streaked with blood. Dark, sticky streaks ran down from the ceiling, and the words "Happy Birthday" were scrawled across the floor in thick, smearing letters. The coppery smell hit me instantly, filling the room like a nightmare brought to life. My heart pounded, but my legs were frozen in place, fear clawing up my throat.

Scarlet let out a choked gasp beside me. We took a step inside, trembling, trying to comprehend the horror before us. Then I saw him—L—sitting casually on my couch in the corner of the room, his gaze piercing, a sinister smirk twisting his mouth.

He stretched out his arms in a mocking embrace, leaning back like he was welcoming us to a party. "Happy birthday, Evan," he hissed in a slow, guttural tone. "Didn't I surprise you?"

I felt Scarlet tense beside me, and my body went cold. I didn't know what to say or do. I could only look around the room, my eyes drawn to a gruesome sight right next to him. There was Mrs. Maeve—Scarlet's mother—hanging from a chain hooked through her mouth, her eyes gouged out, blood dripping down her face in rivers, pooling beneath her. Her limbs were limp, swaying slightly, her once-warm presence now nothing but a brutal, lifeless husk.

Scarlet's knees buckled, and she crumpled to the floor. "Mom... no, no, no..." Her voice cracked as she began to sob, her whole body trembling. I dropped to my knees, pulling her into my arms as she wept. She clung to me, her hands gripping my shirt tightly, as if trying to hold on to something real.

L just sat there, watching us with a sick satisfaction before fading out of sight, like a shadow sinking back into darkness. But even with him gone, Mrs. Maeve's body remained, hanging grotesquely, a stark reminder of the horror he had left behind.

"No... no..." Scarlet's voice was barely a whisper, and then her grief morphed into rage. She tore herself from my arms and turned to me, her eyes filled with an intensity I'd never seen.

"This is your fault, Evan!" Her voice cracked, echoing through the room. "You let him come into our lives! If I hadn't met you, this wouldn't have happened! My mom is dead because of you!" Tears streamed down her face, and I could see the pain in her eyes, mixing with the hatred and despair.

The weight of her words struck me hard, and for a moment, I couldn't breathe. She was right. All of this started because of me, because of L, because I couldn't rid myself of the darkness I carried. The guilt crushed me, sinking me to my core, but I couldn't find the words to make it right.

"Scarlet, please..." I reached out, but she stepped back, her face twisted in pain.

"No, Evan. I can't... I can't be with you anymore. Leave. Get out of my house." She pointed toward the door, her voice trembling but unwavering. The finality in her words hit me like a punch.

I stood there, frozen, my heart in pieces, but she didn't give me another chance. Her voice grew louder. "Evan! I said, get out!"

Tears blurred my vision as I turned and walked toward the door, my body numb, my heart shattering with each step. This was supposed to be a happy night, a moment of peace, and now everything was destroyed, ruined beyond recognition.

As I left the house and stepped into the cold night air, a hollow emptiness filled me. I made my way to a nearby hotel, feeling like a shell of myself. I barely noticed the receptionist's concerned look as I checked in, barely felt the warmth of the room as I entered. I sank onto the bed, my body collapsing under the weight of grief and guilt.

I couldn't stop the tears that flowed, couldn't stop the silent screams that echoed in my mind. Scarlet's words played on repeat, piercing through me like a knife. She was right. I was evil. I'd brought nothing but pain to the people I cared about. Kayla, my family, and now Scarlet and her mom—everyone I loved had suffered because of me.

In that dark room, I felt more alone than I ever had, my heart a gaping wound, bleeding out everything that once made me whole. L's shadow lingered in my mind, a haunting reminder that I would never be free, that he would never let me go.

And in that moment, I realized that I couldn't keep running from him. The only way forward was to face him, to confront the darkness that had taken everything from me.

But as I sat there, sobbing into the silence, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was too late.

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