Lethal Lilac

CHAPTER 4

Shiver

Nakatitig ako sa bintana, pero wala akong talagang tinitingnan. The glass was cold against my fingers, and the faint glow of the moon outlined the sprawling grounds. Everything outside looked frozen, still, like the mansion itself had consumed all life within its grasp.

I was used to the silence by now. It hung heavy in the air, like an unwanted guest that refused to leave. Pero ngayong gabi, iba ang pakiramdam. There was something about the quiet that felt… wrong.

A soft creak broke the stillness. Napalingon ako, ang mga mata ko’y naghanap ng pinagmulan ng tunog. The room was the same as it had been for days—unchanged, unmoving. But for the first time, I felt it. A tiny, fleeting sensation running down my spine.

I straightened up, unsure if it was real or just my mind playing tricks on me.

“Nothing’s there,” I whispered to myself.

But as the words left my lips, I noticed the faintest shift in the air, like a whisper I couldn’t quite hear. Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit bigla akong nakaramdam ng kakaiba. It wasn’t fear, not exactly. It was… something else. Something colder.

I turned back to the window, hoping the sight of the grounds would distract me. But the view seemed darker now, as if the shadows had crept closer since I last looked. The trees swayed gently in the wind, their branches scratching against each other, producing an eerie sound that reached my ears.

Shaking my head, I stepped away from the window. My feet met the cold marble floor, and a chill shot up my legs. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, pero parang lumalamig ang kwarto. I glanced at the fireplace in the corner—empty and unlit, just like it had been since I arrived.

I grabbed the blanket from the bed and draped it over my shoulders. But even as the fabric hugged my skin, the cold remained, burrowing deeper, refusing to leave.

What was wrong with me?

Naglakad ako papunta sa pinto, thinking maybe a change of scenery would help. But the moment my hand touched the doorknob, a sudden noise stopped me. A faint tapping—soft and irregular.

Tok… Tok… Tok.

It wasn’t coming from the door. My breath hitched as I realized it was coming from the window. Slowly, I turned around, my eyes landing on the glass.

Nothing.

The grounds outside were the same, empty and lifeless. But the sound didn’t stop. It was like someone—or something—was trying to get my attention.

“Hello?” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Of course, there was no answer.

My grip on the blanket tightened as I took hesitant steps toward the window. The tapping continued, growing softer the closer I got. By the time I reached the glass, it had stopped completely.

I stared out into the night, searching for any sign of movement. But there was nothing—just the swaying trees and the endless shadows.

Maybe I was imagining things. Maybe the cold was messing with my head.

But just as I turned away, I saw it.

A faint outline, barely visible against the darkness. It was standing near the edge of the garden, unmoving, its figure obscured by the trees.

My breath caught in my throat. For the first time since I arrived here, I felt it. A shiver.

It was subtle, barely noticeable, but it was there—a tremor that started in my chest and spread outward. I didn’t know what it was. Fear? Unease? Something else?

“Who’s there?” I called out, my voice steadier than I expected.

The figure didn’t move. It didn’t respond.

I waited, but after a few seconds, I blinked—and it was gone.

My chest tightened, but not from fear. It was something more confusing, more frustrating. Parang may gumagapang na damdamin sa ilalim ng balat ko, something I couldn’t name. I clenched my fists, trying to shake off the sensation, but it lingered.

I turned away from the window and returned to my bed. I sat there for what felt like hours, staring at the same spot on the floor, trying to convince myself it didn’t matter.

It’s nothing.

But deep down, I knew it wasn’t nothing.

The cold was still there, wrapping around me like a second skin. And that shiver—that tiny, fleeting moment of weakness—refused to leave.

Sa isang saglit, biglang sumagi sa isip ko ang letter kahapon.

And, for the first time in a long while, I felt something.

And I didn’t know if I hated it or if I wanted more.