Page 24 of Wraith

The lights flickered.

My eyes snapped open, my chest tightening as the bulb above me dimmed and flared, casting jagged shadows across the room. The water rippled, tiny waves breaking the surface.

The toaster slipped from my hands, plunging into the tub with a deafening splash.

Pain exploded through my body, sharp and searing, like fire coursing through my veins. My muscles locked, my chest heaving as the electricity tore through me, lighting up every nerve in my body.

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. My vision blurred, the edges darkening as the pain reached its peak. And then?—

Nothing.

The silence returned, heavier than before. My chest didn’t ache anymore. My hands didn’t tremble. The weight pressing down on me was gone, replaced by something colder, emptier.

I blinked, the world around me shifting and twisting like a mirage. The bathroom faded, the tub disappearing into the darkness. I stood, my legs steady, my body light.

And there she was.

Lily stood in the corner, her translucent form glowing faintly in the dim light. Her lips curved into a smirk, her eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t place.

“Finally,” she said, her voice low and amused. “I was starting to think you didn’t have it in you.”

My chest tightened, the realization hitting me like a punch to the gut.

She’d been here. Watching. Waiting. Encouraging.

“Lily,” I whispered, my voice shaking.

Fifteen

The steamfrom the still-warm water clung to the tile walls, heavy and oppressive. The faint metallic tang of electricity hung in the air, mingling with the damp smell of scorched metal. He stood there, dead yet not gone, staring at me like I was some ghostly miracle instead of the consequence of his own cruelty.

“You’re…” His voice cracked, shaking as he stumbled over the word. “You’re here.”

I leaned casually against the sink, my arms folded. “What gave it away?” I asked coldly, nodding toward the tub, where his lifeless body floated face-down.

He flinched, his eyes darting to his own corpse and back to me. “I—I didn’t know,” he stammered. “I didn’t think…”

“No,” I cut him off, my voice sharp enough to make him wince. “You didn’t think. That’s your problem.”

The silence that followed was thick, suffocating. Ciaran’s mouth opened, but no sound came out. He looked hollow, his usually sharp demeanor dulled to nothing.

“Why are you still here?” he whispered finally. His voice was barely audible over the faint dripping of water from the faucet.

I laughed, the sound bitter and sharp. “Why am I here?” I echoed. “Do you think I wanted this? Do you think I chose to stay tethered to you?”

His brow furrowed, confusion flickering across his face. “I don’t… understand.”

“Of course, you don’t,” I snapped, taking a step closer. “You never did. The bonds, Ciaran. The ones you all pretended didn’t exist—they didn’t break when I died. They chained me to you.”

His face paled, his hands twitching at his sides. “I thought…” His gaze flicked back to the tub, as if searching for answers. “I thought the bond would… go.”

“It didn’t,” I hissed, my voice low and venomous. “You might have killed me, but the bond made sure I stayed. Congratulations.”

He staggered slightly, his face crumpling. “Lily, I?—”

“Don’t,” I snarled, the word slicing through the air. “Don’t call me that.”

His brow knit tighter, his confusion deepening. “But… you’re Lily.”

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