Woven in Shadows (agatha x rio)

Death's Soul Keeper

Chapter twenty: Death's soul keeper

The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows through the trees surrounding the house. Inside, the air was unusually tense. Breakfast had been quite a stark contrast to the usual banter. Agatha and Rio had stolen glances at one another, still grappling with the kiss they had shared the night before, but neither brought it up.

Nessa sat at the kitchen table, absently running her fingers over the rim of her coffee cup. Her eyes had a far-off look, and the faint bruise-like shadows beneath them suggested a restless night.

"You okay, kid?" Rio asked, leaning against the counter, though her sharp eyes betrayed a flicker of concern.

"I'm fine," Nessa mumbled, but her voice lacked conviction.

Agatha frowned, moving to sit across from her. "You've barely touched your food. What's going on?"

Nessa hesitated, then finally spoke. "I feel... off. Like someone's watching me. It's probably nothing, but..."

Rio stiffened slightly, her casual demeanor replaced with something colder, sharper. "That's not 'nothing,' sweetheart. Start talking."

Before Nessa could respond, a loud, echoing knock sounded at the front door. All three froze, their gazes snapping toward the source of the noise.

Agatha's chest tightened as an old, familiar dread clawed its way up her spine. The memory of that night in the woods the chase, the shadows, the feeling of being hunted flooded back like a tidal wave.

"I'll get it," Rio said, already moving toward the door. Her steps were deliberate, her hand brushing the hilt of the dagger strapped to her thigh.

"Rio, wait," Agatha whispered, standing. "It could be them."

Rio turned, her smirk ghosting over her lips. "Then they knocked on the wrong damn door."

But when she swung it open, there was no one there. Just an envelope lying on the porch, stark white against the dark wood.

Agatha joined her, her heart pounding. She picked up the envelope, her fingers trembling slightly as she turned it over. Her name was scrawled across the front in jagged black ink.

"Inside," Rio said firmly, her tone brooking no argument. They retreated back to the kitchen, shutting and locking the door behind them.

Agatha opened the envelope, her breath hitching as she read the single piece of parchment inside:

"The soul you stole does not belong to you."

Beneath the words was a symbol she recognized immediately a circle enclosing a twisted tree, its branches curling unnaturally.

"A Soul Collector..." Agatha whispered, her face pale.

"What?" Nessa asked, her voice trembling.

"They're after you...shit... I thought we had more time" Rio spit out, shooting her glare in Agatha's direction. "remember when i told you that you were an anomaly...a person between life and death?" Rio said, her tone grim. "They've been after you since the beginning."

Agatha sat down hard, the weight of her choices crashing over her. "They've been tracking her this whole time. I should've done more...hidden her better. I should've—"

"Don't," Rio interrupted, her tone uncharacteristically gentle. "This isn't on you, Agatha. You kept her safe."

"Safe?!" Agatha snapped, standing abruptly. "They found us. I failed her. I failed—"

"Stop," Rio said sharply, grabbing her shoulders. "This isn't the time to fall apart. We deal with this. Together."

Nessa stood as well, her voice rising in panic. "What's a Soul Collector? What do they want with me?"

Agatha turned to her, her expression pained. "They take souls that don't belong in this world. When you were born... I used magic to hide you from them. It's why your powers are so unstable and it's why they want you. To correct what they see as a mistake."

Nessa's face went pale, and she stumbled back. "You mean I wasn't supposed to be alive?"

"No," Agatha said quickly. "You are supposed to be alive. You're my daughter. I'd do it all again if I had to."

Rio interjected, her voice steady and commanding. "This doesn't change anything. We'll protect her. But first, we need a plan."

Agatha hesitated, her gaze dropping. "If I didn't give her up... none of this would be happening."

Rio stepped closer, her voice dropping to a near growl. "Don't you dare. Don't you dare think for a second that giving her up was ever an option. You did what any mother would do."

The room fell silent, the weight of the moment settling over them.

Then, the windows rattled. A low, guttural sound like wind, but more menacing as it crept through the cracks of the house. The lights flickered.

"They're here," Rio said, drawing her dagger.

Agatha grabbed Nessa's hand, her voice urgent. "We need to move. Now."

"Move where?" Nessa asked, panic lacing her words.

"Somewhere they can't follow," Agatha said.

But before they could make it to the door, the sound intensified. Shadows began to creep across the walls, pooling unnaturally in the corners of the room.

Rio stepped in front of them, her dagger glowing faintly as she muttered an incantation under her breath. "Get ready. This is going to get ugly."

The shadows coalesced into a humanoid form, its eyes glowing an eerie white. Its voice was deep and resonant, filling the room like a bell.

"You cannot run from this death" it said, its gaze fixed on Rio. "You are one of us, how dare you let this anomaly live to see another day"

Agatha stepped forward, her hands trembling but glowing with magic. "She's not yours."

The creature tilted its head, as if amused. "She doesn't belong to you either."

Before anyone could react, the shadow lunged, its form stretching and twisting as it reached for Nessa.

Agatha threw up a magic shield, the force of the impact knocking her back. Rio leapt forward, slashing at the shadow with her glowing blade, but it seemed to absorb the strike, reforming almost instantly.

"Agatha, do something!" Rio shouted, dodging another attack.

Agatha's mind raced, her heart pounding. She grabbed Nessa, pulling her behind her as she chanted a spell. Light erupted from her hands, forcing the shadow to retreat if only for a moment.

"That won't hold it for long," Rio said, panting as she readied herself for another attack.

Nessa clung to Agatha, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

Agatha turned to her, her expression fierce. "None of this is your fault. Do you hear me? None of it."

The shadow began to reform, its glowing eyes locking onto Nessa once more.

Rio glanced at Agatha, her voice low and urgent. "We can't fight this thing here. We need to get her out."

Agatha nodded, gripping Nessa's hand tightly. "Hold on."

With a final burst of light, Agatha created a portal, its swirling edges glowing with an otherworldly hue.

"Go!" she shouted, pushing Nessa toward it.

But as they stepped through, the shadow's voice echoed behind them, chilling and final:

"You can run, but you cannot hide."

And then, darkness.