The shadows of our town

chapter 21: adams realm

The group sat around the table iin the living room of Veronica's house, the weight of the last few days hanging heavy in the air. The ritual that had separated the demon from Thomas had brought them one step closer to defeating it, but they knew the real battle was only just beginning. The demon was far from gone, and now they had to figure out how to end it for good.

Billy, adam, Thomas, Veronica, and Carla had been brainstorming for hours, throwing out different plans and scenarios, but the longer they talked, the more they realized how many risks each idea carried. None of them could agree on a single approach—some suggested going after the demon directly, others said they needed to find the source of its power first. But none of them felt like they had a surefire plan, and time was running out.

"I can't keep doing this," Carla muttered, her voice breaking through the murmur of the group's conversation. "We need a plan that will actually work. We need something that definitely ends this."

"Agreed," Billy said, rubbing his face with one hand. "We can't keep going around in circles. We need to figure this out before more people get hurt."

After a long, tense silence, Veronica spoke up, her voice steady and determined. "We all have our theories, but we need to streamline it. If we don't make a decision soon, the demon's going to strike again—and we might not be so lucky next time."

Thomas, still recovering from the ritual that had separated him from the demon's hold, nodded slowly. "We need to stick together. Whatever we do, we have to stick together and make it count."

The room fell silent again as everyone contemplated the next move. Carla could feel the pressure mounting—there was no way they could afford to make another mistake.

"I think we need to split up," Veronica finally said, breaking the silence. "We need to check in with our families, just for a few hours, so we're not completely isolated. It's been tough on all of us, and the last thing we need is to draw attention to ourselves. Let's tell our parents we're having a sleepover. It'll give us some breathing room."

Carla, adam, Billy, and Thomas all exchanged uneasy glances. It made sense—after everything that had happened, it would be too risky for them to stay in one place for too long without raising suspicion. And the loss of Sam and Alisya still haunted them, threatening to consume their every waking thought.

"I'll talk to my parents," Billy said, breaking the silence. "We'll stick to the plan. Afterward, we meet back at Veronica's and finalize everything."

"I'll let my parents know, too," Carla said, her voice quieter. She couldn't help but glance at Thomas, her heart aching. We have to get this right. We have to.

The Separation
It wasn't long before they all set off toward their respective homes. They had agreed to return to Veronica's house by dusk, but the plan felt fragile in the wake of everything they had experienced. Their friends were dead, their lives had been upended, and the fear of losing more weighed heavily on each of them.

Adam was the first to make it home. He said goodbye to the group and headed toward his house, his thoughts swirling as he walked down the familiar streets. It's just a sleepover. Just a few hours. We need to keep our heads straight and stick to the plan. He tried to calm himself, to push aside the memories of the horrors they had faced. But it wasn't working.

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The air was too still, the sky too dark.

Suddenly, the world around him seemed to shift. One second, he was walking down the street, the next, he was surrounded by an unnatural mist. Thick, swirling fog that seemed to swallow him whole.

"Adam..."

His name echoed through the mist, carried on the wind like a whisper. He froze, his breath catching in his throat. The voice was familiar—but not quite right. The air around him grew colder, and a sense of dread filled him.

"Hello, Adam..." the voice purred, and Adam's heart dropped into his stomach. The Demon had him.

He looked around, trying to make sense of the impossible situation. His feet sank into the thick, wet ground, and the trees around him were twisted, their limbs clawing at the air like gnarled hands. The mist seemed to pull at him, forcing him deeper into the forest. Where am I? What is this place?

Images flashed in his mind, familiar faces distorted into nightmare versions of themselves. Sam, smiling as he always had, but then his face twisted into a grotesque mask of fear and pain. Alisya's laughter, replaced by the haunting sound of her voice screaming in agony.

"No!" Adam cried, covering his ears. "Stop!"

But the images wouldn't stop. Every corner he turned, another horrible flashback assaulted him. The demon knew his fears, knew his guilt, and it was using them against him.

Back at Veronica's House
Carla couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had settled in her chest as she made her way back to Veronica's house. Her conversation with her parents had gone as planned—nothing out of the ordinary. But as she reached the doorstep, her phone buzzed. It was a text from Adam.

Meet at Veronica's soon. Got a weird feeling... something's not right.

She frowned, typing back quickly.

Adam? What's going on?

The response came a moment later.

I'll be fine. Meet you there.

But the uneasy feeling lingered.

She quickly let herself into the house, finding Billy and Veronica already there. Thomas was sitting on the couch, lost in thought.

"Where's Adam?" Veronica asked, looking up as Carla entered.

"I just texted him. He's on his way, I think..." Carla hesitated. "But something's wrong. He's acting strange."

Before anyone could respond, the door slammed open, and the room grew unnaturally cold. A voice, twisted and dark, echoed through the house.

"You've made your choice," the Demon's voice snarled, sending a chill down their spines. "I have Adam now. If you want him back... you will have to come for him."

The air seemed to crackle with malicious energy, and the group stared at each other, fear creeping into their eyes. They had been expecting this, but it was still worse than they had imagined. The Demon was playing with them—taunting them.

Thomas stood up, his face pale. "Where is he? What did you do to him?"

The Demon's laughter echoed through the house. "He's trapped in a place you can't reach. But you'll try. You always try."

Carla's heart raced, her thoughts swirling. Where could Adam be? What place could the Demon trap him in?

Suddenly, the misty forest that Adam had found himself in flashed in her mind—a place he couldn't reach. Was it some sort of alternate realm? A world twisted by the Demon's power?

"We need to get him back," Thomas said, his voice shaking with anger and fear. "We need a plan."

Adam's POV: The Forest of Nightmares
Adam stumbled through the fog, his legs weak beneath him. The twisted images of Sam and Alisya haunted him at every turn. He saw flashes of their faces—Sam, covered in blood, reaching out to him with tear-streaked eyes. Alisya's body, sprawled on the ground, her hand reaching out as if to pull him into the nightmare with her.

"No!" Adam cried, falling to his knees. "Please! I didn't—"

But the Demon was relentless. Every time Adam thought he saw a way out, the mist grew thicker, the flashes more intense. The forest seemed endless, and the guilt gnawing at him felt suffocating. I couldn't save them. I couldn't stop this. I wasn't strong enough.

The Demon's voice whispered again, full of malice. "You couldn't save them. You couldn't save yourself."

Adam screamed, his mind unraveling, but in the distance, he thought he saw something—a faint glimmer of light. Could it be? Could someone be coming for him? He had to hold on—he couldn't let the Demon win.

Back at Veronica's house, the group gathered around the table once more. Fear and resolve burned in their eyes. They were not going to lose another friend. They would find Adam, and they would end the Demon—no matter the cost.

But as they began to discuss their next move, Carla's thoughts were consumed with one thing: Adam had to be saved. And they had to destroy the Demon once and for all.