Chapter 6 — Terror

I woke up from my sleep with my head pounding, as if it was about to explode. The aftermath of a sleepless night, haunted by the words of that man. I rubbed my face, and once again, my senses were heightened. My hearing and sense of smell were unnaturally sharp—and it was unbearable. My stomach churned violently, and I felt something inside me push to be released. I ran to the bathroom and threw up everything I had. The burning sensation in my throat was nothing compared to how disorienting my sense of smell had become—it was overwhelming. Could this really be an early sign of pregnancy? But that didn’t make any sense… not to the point where I could hear sounds from behind these thick, soundproof apartment walls. I looked at my damp face in the mirror above the sink. I was deathly pale. “What’s happening to me?” I whispered. Staggering out of the bathroom, my body felt weak and unsteady. The nausea hadn’t faded despite emptying my stomach. My breathing was labored, my throat raw—but the worst part was my sense of smell. It was too sharp. I could smell floor cleaner from the hallway outside my apartment. Worse, I was sure I could smell gasoline… from the street four floors below. “This is insane...” I muttered, reaching for a glass of water on the small table by the bed. My hands trembled as I gulped it down. It’s been a week like this—morning sickness, sudden dizziness, and senses that felt almost... supernatural? I could hear the faintest things. Like dripping water from the neighboring unit. Or the muffled whispers from my neighbor’s television—when the walls here were supposed to be completely soundproof. I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at the curtain-drawn window. The city outside buzzed as always, yet I felt isolated. Alone. Could I be sick? Or worse—was this some kind of psychological breakdown from the stress of pregnancy? I stared blankly out the window, my mind racing about what to do next. I needed to file for divorce from Ronan. But then what? How was I supposed to live... and avoid that strange man—Caelan, the man who had planted this seed inside me? “What am I supposed to do with this pregnancy?” I sighed, the question sinking into silence with no answer in return. I laid back on the bed, trying to calm the pounding in my head. The sounds of traffic outside were faint—yet somehow clearer than they should be. I could hear the tires skidding on the asphalt, distant honking, even random conversations of pedestrians passing by the building. The pressure in my head intensified. I closed my eyes, hoping sleep would bring a moment of peace. But that’s when I felt it. A heartbeat. A soft, rhythmic thump deep within my belly. I shot up, wide-eyed. My hand instinctively reached for my stomach. Was that… the baby’s heartbeat? Already? That’s impossible. It’s only been a few weeks. I held my breath. “How am I even hearing this?” I whispered, trying to calm myself. “This has to be normal… right?” But how could any normal pregnancy make me smell blood in raw chicken sealed inside a fridge? Or hear an elderly couple’s conversation two doors down? And why... why did my body tremble every time I heard his name? Caelan. That name felt like a spell. I didn’t even know who he really was. A stranger who suddenly appeared in my life because of this pregnancy. I didn’t love him. I was terrified of him. Yet something inside me… missed him. His face lingered in my mind like a phantom, and I hated that it did. “Maybe I just need some fresh air... time to think about what I should do next.” I told myself, as if saying it out loud would give me strength. I got up and went to the bathroom to change. When I stepped out of the apartment, the sun was harsh against my skin, but it couldn’t thaw the chill that had settled deep in my chest since morning. I took a long breath, forcing myself to lift my head high. “This is my life now… I have to start over,” I whispered. My phone buzzed repeatedly in my bag. I ignored it. Again and again. I couldn’t handle one more explanation, one more lie. I was fed up. I headed toward my car in the parking structure. But something about the air made me feel uneasy. As if I was being watched—closely, from a distance. I tried to shake off the feeling, refusing to look over my shoulder. I just needed to get to my car. But then I heard it—a scraping noise, not far behind me. Like metal claws dragging across concrete. I froze. My eyes scanned the area. Empty. Still. Too quiet. Then, from behind a concrete pillar, five men stepped out. Strangers. Tall, muscular, and... wrong. Their eyes were a strange, gleaming silver that glinted under the dim parking lights. Their skin was pale, their smiles far too wide. Unnatural. Who were they? I stumbled back, my hands instinctively covering my belly to protect the unborn child. One of them hissed low, revealing sharp, gleaming fangs—something no human should have. “Who are you…?” I barely managed to speak. One of the men stepped forward. His nails grew into claws in an instant—sharp as blades. His voice was deep, distorted, like an echo from a dark abyss. “The seed inside you... it must be destroyed.” Thump. ***