“Peace?” Spencer curled his lips in bitter disdain as he repeated the word. He shook his head and laughed ferociously. “Hahaha. Sorry to break it to you, Blair Wilson, but you will never have peace. Whether you fight until your last breath or cower in silence, the storm will inevitably find you.”

  As he spoke, something in his eyes shifted—something deeply unsettling. The usual playful green and brown hues that characterized his carefree demeanor darkened, igniting with an amber intensity. It was as if molten gold had been set ablaze, churning with a fierce, otherworldly light that sent a chill racing down her spine. His gaze pierced through her, each flicker of light within his irises a silent taunt.

  “So, do me a favor, Blair. Try to recall the incident from your childhood when you were kidnapped. And you'll understand exactly, what we're after.”

  Blair’s mind scrambled in response to his demand, but before she could articulate her thoughts, his expression changed. His jaw tightened, and his smile transformed into something colder and sharper, as if a cruel decision had just solidified in his mind.

  “No,” he muttered, almost to himself, his tone dark and resolute. “You wouldn’t remember anything by yourself.”

  Without warning, he lunged forward, yanking her off balance. She barely had time to gasp before he scooped her up effortlessly. She struggled instinctively, but he only tightened his hold, his gaze never leaving hers as if daring her to resist.

  “Enough of this,” he growled, his voice low and menacing. “We’re doing it my way.”

  Disregarding her protest, he carried her easily to his car. And without a warning, the engine roared and unleash like a thunder. The tires screeched against the asphalt, propelling them onto the road with a force that made her stomach drop.

  Blair clutched the edge of her seat, her knuckles white as her heart thundered in her chest, buckling herself with a seatbelt. Every speed bump they crossed without slowing sent a jolt of anxiety coursing through her body.

  “Spencer! Please stop the car!” her voice cracking with terror as the speedometer needle climbed ruthlessly.

  The faintest curl of a grin tugged at his lips—too amused, too unhinged as he responded, “Think of this as a reenactment of your kidnapping incident.” He spoke like his voice tinged with lunacy.

  “Are you out of your mind? You’re putting us in danger!” She cried, as she didn’t know how to convince the devil.

  She was nearly driven to the brink of insanity; her fear growing with every passing second. An unfamiliar, desolate path replaced the familiar city view. Moment later, tires trotted over the gravel, rocking them violently inside the car. The tall trees loomed overhead, their branches spreading out like skeletal hands, blocking the moonlight and casting the road in eerie shadows.

  She nearly going insane from fear that engulfed her as she noticed that the city view vanished, replaced by unfamiliar desolated path. The tires crunched over the gravels and they were jolted violently inside the car. “Whatever you are planning, please stop. I am begging you,” she cried, gripping her seatbelt as the car stumbled over another big rock.

  The faint glow of the dashboard cast sharp shadows across his handsome face, distorting his expression into something ruthless.

  “I remember you flaunting how your family saved thousands of people.” The edges of his words were almost hypnotic, like a predator toying with its prey. “Well, one thing you should know about mine… we killed countless just to achieve our goals.”

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  Her mouth opened, but no sound emerged. She could only stare at him, her mind racing to comprehend the horror he had just revealed.

  Before she could find her voice, his intense gaze shifted toward her as the car slowed down.

  “Unbuckle,” he commanded, his hand moving to the seatbelt.

  She hesitated, her fingers trembling, but his sharp glance silenced any protest. Slowly, she complied, the click of the unfastening belt unnervingly loud in the tense silence.

  He leaned closer, his expression a mask of cold calculation, and his voice dropped to a chilling whisper. “This is only a reenactment,” he said. “But what will happen to you next… it’s what happened in the past. Except back then, it wasn’t me in the driver’s seat.”

  His lips twisted into a humorless smile as he added, “It was Nathaly Taylor driving down this very path—a plan to bury your body at the bottom of this lake.”

  Blair clung to the door handle, her knuckles white and her breaths coming in short, frantic gasps. Her voice trembled as she muttered, “Nathaly Taylor… Nathaly Port…” The name spilled from her lips repeatedly, like a mantra, her mind fixated on it.

  “Ezra’s mom… Nathaly…” The words grew louder, more desperate, each repetition a fractured plea for clarity or salvation. She was shaking uncontrollably now, her voice cracking under the weight of her terror. “Nathaly Port Taylor…” The world around her dimmed, the oppressive darkness closing in. She didn’t even notice the tilt of the car as it slipped further into the lake. The water rising past the windows and slowly seeped inside as the sound lapping against the car until it sank faded into the background.

  Everything went black.

  —————

  As something warm and rough touched her cheek, Blair opened her eyes to a blurry world. She blinked a few times, her surroundings slowly coming into focus, and there he was—Chuchu, perched on her chest. His worried, wide eyes met hers as his tongue darted out to lick her face once more.

  “Chuchu?” Her hoarse voice was barely a whisper. He let out a low-pitched meow, as if he sensed something was wrong with her.

  The moment she moved as she tried to sit up, a sharp, jabbing pain shot through her head, forcing an inhibited cry from her lips. Her hands flew to her temples, fingers digging into her scalp as a torrent of fragmented images surged through her mind. The memories came like a flood—vivid, relentless, and agonizing, each one a shard of glass tearing through her consciousness, leaving her gasping for breath.

  Chuchu let out a high-pitched meow, pacing restlessly beside her. His tiny paws pattered on the blanket as he nuzzled her arm, his cries growing more insistent, as if pleading with her to stop the pain.

  Tears streamed down her face as she gritted her teeth, desperately trying to push the memories away, but they surged back with an uncontrollable force. The sound of the car plunging deeper into the lake echoed in her mind, deafening and relentless.

  And then, she was there—six years old, small, and terrified. Her tiny hands trembled as they clawed at the door handle, pushing and pulling desperately, her delicate fingers slipping on the slick metal. The fabric of the seat pressed against her knees as she scrambled, sobbing uncontrollably. Her high-pitched voice cracked as she screamed, “I don’t want to die! Please, Aunt Nathaly! Open the door! Let me out!”

  From the driver’s seat, Nathaly turned her head ever so slightly, her face illuminated by the dim light filtering through the murky water outside. Her expression was eerily calm, almost serene, as if the surrounding chaos did not exist. Her pale blue eyes, so still and detached, locked onto Blair’s wide, tear-filled ones.

  “It’s okay, my child,” her voice was unnervingly steady, almost soothing, as though she were tucking Blair into bed instead of guiding them both into the depths of a watery grave. “This is our fate. You and Mommy Nath will never be alone forever.”

  Her smile was faint, yet there was something unnervingly unnatural about it—a subtle curve of her lips that never reached her cold, empty eyes. “You and I, forever,” Nathaly whispered, her tone serene but imbued with an unsettling finality.

  The calmness in her demeanor was a chilling contrast to the terror that consumed little Blair. Tears streamed down the child’s face as she trembled, her tiny fists pounding against the window in desperation.

  Nathaly tilted her head slightly, her expression almost tender yet devoid of humanity. “I promise to take good care of you... in another world,” she murmured, her voice soft but laced with an unsettling conviction.

  Unable to endure it any longer, Blair collapsed onto her small couch. Her chest heaved as she gasped for air, her hands clutching the cushions for support. The world around her seemed to spin and fade, drawing her deeper into the recesses of her mind.

  And then darkness enveloped her, pulling her back into the past.

  The flashback struck her like a tidal wave.