Chapter 4

And in one second, the apartment door was totally closed.And in the next, it was wide open, and he was standing there a man with dark auburn hair, sharp cheekbones, and an unsettling smirk that could’ve belonged to either a mischievous god or a deranged lunatic devil.

Kevin dropped the takeout bag he’d been holding. “Who the hell are you?”

Lily, who’d been pacing nervously in the living room, froze mid-step. “Did you did you just walk through the door?!” “Who are you and are you following us??”

Rowan tilted his head, as if their surprise was mildly amusing. “I’m Rowan,” he said, his voice was cold and low to make someone shiver down and with the faintest hint of an accent they couldn’t place. “And yes, I tend to bypass through the conventional entrances. Time is precious you know.”

Kevin’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s breaking and entering in someone's house, buddy.”

Rowan stepped further into the room, his black boots soundless against the hardwood floor. “Considering the curse you’ve unleashed, I’d say that we’ve moved beyond legal technicalities, don’t you think?”

Kevin backed up in fear, his hand was brushing against a lamp. “So you know about the curse?”

Rowan’s smirk widened. “I know that isn't a great deal, I know about many things. Including the little... complication you’ve both found yourselves entangled in.”

“Right.” Lily crossed her arms, and u think we will believe your skepticism evident. “And what? You just decided to drop by unannounced to help us out of the goodness of your heart?” like seriously and you want us to believe your blabbering. with i don't trust you face.

Rowan turned his piercing and deadly gaze to her, and for a moment, Lily felt like he could see straight through her. “Help you? No. Guide you? Perhaps.”

Kevin scoffed. “Guide us? Okay, So, what’s the catch?”

Rowan’s smile disappeared, and the room seemed to grow colder. “The catch, Kevin, the thing is that if you don’t listen to me, you both are going to die. Slowly. Painfully. And very brutally, I might add.”

Lily’s stomach felt a lump forming inside. “You’re joking, right?”

Rowan looked at her, his expression was dead serious. “Do I look like someone who will joke around?”

Before either of them could respond, the lights flickered, and a deep, unnatural groan echoed through the apartment. The walls seemed to tremble, and a dark stain began spreading across the ceiling, dripping a viscous, black liquid onto the floor.

Kevin pointed at the growing stain. “Okay, that’s new. Is it, uh... part of the curse?” he said while shuttering.

Rowan didn’t answer. Instead, he calmly reached into the pocket of his long coat and pulled out a bottle of something iridescent and green. Without a word, he opened it and throw the liquid at the ceiling.

The black stain hissed like a snake, writhing and retreating as though in pain. In seconds, it was gone, leaving behind only a deadly silence.

Rowan tucked the empty battle back into his coat and turned to face them, looking distinctly unimpressed. “Any more questions?”

Kevin raised a hand like a kid in a classroom. “Uh, yeah. What the actual hell was that?”

“That,” Rowan said, brushing a speck of dust off his sleeve, “was the curse effect itself. It grows stronger the longer you remain ignorant. Which is why I’m here.”

Lily stared at him, her mind racing. “So you’re, what, some kind of exorcist?”

Rowan chuckled, a low, humorless sound. “Let’s just say I have a mere interest in ensuring that book doesn’t destroy any more lives than it already has.”

Kevin narrowed his eyes. “Wait a second. How do we know you’re not part of this whole thing? For all we know, you’re working with the creepy shadow thing that chased us out of the cafe.”

Rowan’s expression darkened. “If I were ‘working with the creepy shadow thing,as you’d be dead.”

The lights flickered again, and Rowan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Speaking of which, we’re running out of time. The curse isn’t going to wait for you two to get your act together.”

Lily glanced at Kevin, who was looking increasingly panicked. “Okay,” she said slowly. “Say we believe you. What exactly are we supposed to do?”

Rowan gave her a sharp smile. “First, you’ll need to secure the book. It's magic is the source of the curse, and without it, you’re powerless.”

Kevin frowned. “I left it in my office. Can’t we just, burn it?”

Rowan’s laugh was sharp and humorless. “Oh, by all means, try. See how far you get before it consumes you entirely.”

Lily rubbed her temples. “Great. So we’re stuck with the book. What’s step two?”

Rowan leaned against the wall, his eyes sparkling with some unreadable thoughts. “Step two is surviving long enough to undo the curse. And this is the part, where things get... interesting honey.”

As if on cue, a low growl rumbled through the apartment, and the black stain began reappearing, this time spreading faster than before.

Kevin grabbed a chair, as if it would somehow protect him. “Define ‘interesting’!”

Rowan stepped forward, his movements deliberate and calm, even as the stain dripped onto the floor, pooling into a dark, writhing mass.

“Let me put it this way,” Rowan said, his voice unbelievably steady. “If you thought your lives were boring before, you’re about to find out what real excitement looks like.”

The writhing mass began to take shape, forming a body, many-limbed creature with glowing red eyes and jagged, snapping jaws.

Kevin stared at it, wide-eyed. “I don’t suppose you’ve got another one of those magic vials, do you?”

Rowan smirked. “Of course I do.”

“Great!” Kevin said, edging toward the door. “So... use it?”

Rowan held up the vial, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Oh, obviously I will. But first, let’s see what you two are capable of.”

“What?!” Lily and Kevin shouted in unison.

The creature lunged.

What the fuckkkkkkk

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What you guys think what's going to happen will they survive or spell will kill them let me know in comments...

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