The glow from the book pulsed like a beating heart, filling the chamber with an otherworldly light. Maya’s eyes darted across the mirrors, searching for answers in Aiden’s fleeting image. His voice, distant and strained, echoed through the chamber once more:
“Maya… It’s not over.”
Dante stood at her side, his hand gripping hers tighter than ever. “What does that mean?” he asked, his tone sharp with urgency.
Maya’s lips quivered. “He’s alive,” she whispered, barely believing her own words. “Aiden’s alive.”
Dante’s grip stiffened. His expression darkened, the soft warmth she had come to rely on replaced by something colder.
“Maya,” he said slowly, his voice low, “you saw him die. Don’t let this… thing… mess with your head.”
But Maya couldn’t shake the feeling deep in her chest. Every instinct screamed that Aiden was out there, somewhere, waiting for her.
---
That night, Maya returned home, the echoes of Aiden’s voice haunting her. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Finally, she sat up, grabbed the book, and opened it once more.
A single line glowed on the page: *"He is trapped where the truth is buried."*
Her mind raced. She thought of the underground chambers, the hidden levels beneath the unfinished building. “The third floor…” she murmured.
The next morning, Maya stood before Dante, her resolve unshakable. “I need to go back to the underground floors.”
Dante’s face hardened. “You’re risking too much for a ghost, Maya.”
“He’s not a ghost!” she snapped, surprising even herself. “I felt him, Dante. He’s alive, and I need to find him.”
For a moment, Dante said nothing, his jaw tightening. Then he sighed, his shoulders slumping in apparent defeat. “Fine. If it means that much to you, I’ll help.”
---
They returned to the unfinished building under the cover of night. Maya led the way, clutching the book tightly. Dante followed closely, his steps unusually heavy.
When they reached the third underground floor, Maya’s heart pounded. The room was just as she remembered—bloodstained walls, a suffocating air of dread. But now, something was different.
The walls seemed alive, pulsating faintly as if breathing. And in the center of the room, a figure lay slumped on the ground, chained to the floor.
Maya’s breath caught in her throat. “Aiden.”
She rushed forward, falling to her knees beside him. His face was pale, his body bruised and battered, but his chest rose and fell in shallow breaths.
“Aiden, it’s me,” she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
His eyes fluttered open, and when they met hers, the faintest smile touched his lips. “Maya…”
---
Before Maya could process the relief washing over her, a slow clap echoed through the chamber.
She turned to see Dante standing by the door, his face twisted into a chilling smile.
“Well, isn’t this touching?” he drawled, his tone dripping with mockery.
Maya’s blood ran cold. “Dante… what’s going on?”
Dante stepped closer, his movements predatory. “Oh, Maya. Sweet, naive Maya. Did you really think this was all a coincidence? The shadows, the rift, Aiden’s supposed death? I’ve been orchestrating this from the beginning.”
Her heart sank. “No… you’re lying.”
“I wish I were,” Aiden croaked weakly, his voice pained. “He… he’s the one who trapped me here, Maya.”
---
Maya stared at Dante, her mind reeling. “Why? Why would you do this?”
Dante’s smile faltered, his expression growing darker. “Because I was tired of being invisible. Tired of watching you and Aiden have everything while I got nothing. I wanted you, Maya. And I was willing to do whatever it took to make you see me.”
Her stomach churned. “This isn’t love, Dante. This is obsession.”
“Call it whatever you want,” he snapped. “But now, you have a choice. You can stay with me, or you can die with him.”
Maya’s hands trembled, but she stood her ground. “I’ll never choose you.”
Dante’s eyes blazed with fury. “Then I guess this is goodbye.”
---
As Dante advanced toward her, the book in Maya’s hands began to glow, its warmth spreading through her. The pages flipped on their own, landing on a spell she hadn’t seen before.
Aiden, sensing the shift, whispered, “Use it, Maya. Trust the book.”
She began to chant the incantation, her voice growing stronger with each word. The room shook violently, the walls cracking as a bright light filled the chamber.
Dante recoiled, shielding his eyes. “What are you doing?!” he shouted.
Maya didn’t stop. The light enveloped her and Aiden, severing the chains that bound him. He staggered to his feet, leaning heavily on her.
“I won’t let you win, Dante,” Maya said, her voice steady despite the tears streaming down her face.
---
The spell reached its climax, and a surge of energy erupted from the book, throwing Dante across the room. He slammed into the wall, his body slumping to the ground.
Maya and Aiden clung to each other as the light began to fade.
When it was over, Dante was gone, the shadows that had clung to him dissipating into the air.
---
Outside, the first rays of dawn broke through the horizon. Maya and Aiden stood together, battered but alive, the book clutched tightly in her arms.
“Is it over?” Aiden asked, his voice raw.
“For now,” Maya replied, looking at the rising sun. “But we’ll face whatever comes next. Together.”
And as they walked away from the building, hand in hand, Maya couldn’t help but feel that this was only the beginning of a new chapter in their lives—one forged in pain, but also in hope and love.
YOU ARE READING
Beneath the Shattered Sky
RomanceIn the heart of a bustling city, Maya finds herself caught between two worlds-one filled with passion, secrets, and betrayal, and another yearning for freedom and clarity. When she meets Aiden, the charming but mysterious boy from her design school...
