Seven Ways To The Abyss

THE SILENT MANIFEST

The air in the car was thick with unspoken words, the hum of the engine the only sound cutting through the tense silence. Amaline’s knuckles gripped the steering wheel tightly, her brow furrowed in worry as she occasionally glanced at Sofia.

Sofia sat stiffly in the passenger seat, her hands clenched into fists in her lap. Though her breathing had steadied, her mind was anything but calm. She stared blankly ahead, the memory of the oppressive aura still fresh and vivid.

They’re watching me. Strong people. But they don’t want to kill me... not yet.

A chill ran down her spine as she replayed the sensation of their presence. Her chest tightened as a darker thought emerged.

I felt Damian’s aura too. Is he with them? Or are they following him?

Her brows knitted together as she tried to unravel the possibilities, each scenario more ominous than the last.

They have a motive. If they wanted me dead, they would have done it right there. But why hesitate? Who are they? Jagreels? Or something worse?

The questions churned in her mind, each one clawing for her attention, until Amaline’s voice cut through the fog.

“We’re here.”

Sofia blinked, shaken from her thoughts. She looked out the window to see the familiar façade of their house. It felt surreal, as though the world had continued moving while she had been frozen in her own turmoil.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Amaline asked again, her voice soft but insistent.

Sofia forced herself to nod, swallowing the lump in her throat. “I’m fine,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

The words felt hollow.

---

The day passed in a blur.

Sofia drifted through, her mind too preoccupied to retain anything. The oppressive memory followed her, like a shadow that refused to fade. She couldn’t recall what she ate or even who spoke to her. Everything was drowned beneath the weight of her unease.

Amaline noticed the change. Her eyes followed Sofia as she shuffled through the house later that evening, her movements slow and mechanical. Concern gnawed at her, though she said nothing. Whatever Sofia was dealing with, Amaline hoped it would pass soon. Tomorrow would bring the exam results, and Sofia’s future would hinge on what lay in that sealed envelope.

---

The next morning, Amaline was up before dawn. Her nerves were too frayed to wait. She left the house in a rush, driving to the school’s administrative office with a growing knot in her stomach.

By the time she tore open the envelope, her hands were trembling. She unfolded the paper carefully, her eyes scanning the numbers.

91.

Her breath caught. The highest score.

A laugh burst from her lips, unbidden and joyous. The administrative officer glanced at her, startled, but she didn’t care. She felt like she could leap into the air. Her heart swelled with pride as she clutched the paper, a grin splitting her face.

She did it.

Amaline practically floated home, her emotions bubbling over.

---

When she walked through the front door, she froze.

Sofia was setting plates on the table, the scent of freshly cooked food filling the air.