Chapter 3
Chapter 3 The Night Everything Changed
By the time Saturday evening settled over Newton Ridge, the rain had disappeared, leaving the streets washed clean beneath a sky streaked with amber and violet.
The storm from dawn seemed almost imaginary now, replaced by warm summer air carrying distant music from somewhere across the neighborhood.
Tessa stood in front of the bedroom mirror, fastening the silver clasp of a simple bracelet her father had given her on her sixteenth birthday.
She rarely dressed up, and the unfamiliar effort made her feel strangely self-conscious.
A cream-colored blouse tucked neatly into dark denim shorts was about as adventurous as she ever allowed herself to be, while her long chestnut hair, usually tied back without thought, now fell in loose waves over her shoulders after nearly twenty frustrating minutes with a curling iron.
She stared at her reflection longer than necessary.
You look exactly the same.
Yet something felt... different.
Perhaps it was only the lack of sleep. Ever since those impossible dreams began, her reflection carried an exhaustion she couldn't explain.
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
“Ready?” her father called through the door.
“Almost.”
When she stepped downstairs, Ethan Hart looked up from the living room with an approving smile. He had exchanged his work clothes for a faded sweater and jeans, a mug of coffee balanced comfortably in one hand.
“I was beginning to think I'd have to send a search party.”
Tessa rolled her eyes. “It's just a birthday party.”
“Exactly. Which means you'll probably spend twenty minutes deciding whether your shoes match.”
“They do.”
“I'll pretend I know what that means.”
She laughed despite herself.
Moments like these always reminded her how lucky she was. Their home wasn't large, and money was often tight, but warmth had never been something they lacked.
Ethan's expression softened. “You've been quieter than usual today.”
“I'm fine.”
“You sure?”
She hesitated.
Should she mention the dreams? The strange woman beneath the ocean? The feeling of being watched?
No.
They sounded ridiculous even inside her own head.
“I'm just tired.”
He accepted the answer without pressing further. “Don't stay out too late.”
“I won't.”
“And text me if you need a ride.”
“I know.”
He smiled. “Have fun, Tess.”
She hugged him before leaving, surprised by the sudden urge to do so.
Outside, evening had settled completely.
Almost immediately, her phone buzzed.
Nora: We're outside.
Tessa stepped onto the porch.
Parked beside the curb sat an aging blue SUV whose paint had seen far better days. Leaning lazily against it was Finn Mercer, hands buried inside his jacket pockets despite the warm weather.
Beside him stood Rowan Ash, silent as always, while Nora waved enthusiastically from the passenger seat.
Her eyes instinctively went over him before it turned to Nora.
The whole week, Tessa has caught him looking at her multiple times.
It made her uncomfortable… And somehow she ended up accepting Kaitlyn’s birthday party in hopes that she could figure out if she was overthinking or Rowan really recognised her.
“You finally decided to grace us with your presence,” Nora teased as Tessa climbed inside.
“I was five minutes late.”
“Seven.”
“You counted?”
“I was bored.”
The conversation drifted naturally after that, mostly led by Nora's endless storytelling. Finn contributed the occasional sarcastic remark, while Rowan remained quiet in the back seat beside Tessa.
Too quiet.
She could feel his attention again.
Not obvious. Not uncomfortable. Simply... present.
Finally she turned slightly. “Is something wrong?”
Rowan looked genuinely surprised she'd spoken first. “No.”
“You've been staring.”
“I've been thinking.”
“About?”
His answer came after a brief pause. “You seem familiar.”
The words made her stomach tighten. “We've never met.”
“I know.”
Silence settled between them once more.
Nora glanced back dramatically.
“If you two keep talking like mysterious detectives, I'm throwing both of you out of the car.”
Finn chuckled. “I support that idea.”
The tension dissolved into laughter.
Yet Rowan's expression never truly relaxed.
He looked out the window instead.
Watching. Searching.
As though expecting something neither Tessa nor the others could see.
The Harper Estate dominated nearly an entire hill overlooking Newton Ridge.
Golden lights illuminated the enormous mansion while music echoed across perfectly landscaped gardens crowded with teenagers.
Luxury cars lined both sides of the street, and servers wandered through the lawn carrying trays of sparkling drinks beneath strings of decorative lights.
Tessa slowed near the entrance. “This is... excessive.”
Nora grinned. “Rich people celebrate differently.”
Inside, conversations blended with loud music as students filled every room of the sprawling house.
Some danced, others gathered around the outdoor pool, while groups wandered between the garden and the enormous ballroom.
For someone who preferred libraries to parties, the atmosphere felt overwhelming.
“You okay?” Nora asked.
Tessa nodded. “I just need a minute.”
“I'll go find drinks.”
Before Tessa could answer, Nora disappeared into the crowd alongside Finn.
Leaving her alone with Rowan.
Neither spoke.
The silence wasn't awkward exactly.
Just unfamiliar.
After several moments, Rowan finally said quietly, “You don't like crowds.”
It wasn't a question. “No.”
“I didn't think you would.”
She frowned. “How do you keep knowing things about me?”
His eyes met hers. “I don't.”
The answer sounded honest. Yet somehow incomplete.
Before she could press further, a burst of laughter erupted nearby as Kaitlyn Harper descended the grand staircase, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
The birthday girl wore a glittering silver dress that shimmered beneath the chandeliers as she greeted guests with practiced confidence.
Cameras flashed while her friends surrounded her, making her seem more like a celebrity than a high-school student.
Nora leaned close to Tessa. “I suddenly feel underdressed.”
“You've said that three times already.”
“Because it's true.”
Tessa smiled faintly. Normal.
Everything finally felt normal again.
Until Rowan's expression changed.
His gaze shifted toward the enormous windows overlooking the gardens.
Completely still.
“What is it?” Finn asked quietly, appearing beside him.
“I felt it.”
Finn's smile vanished. “So did I.”
Tessa looked between them. “Felt what?”
Neither answered.
Instead, Rowan stepped toward the nearest window.
Outside… The decorative fountain standing at the center of the garden rippled.
No wind. No one touched it.
Yet the water continued moving in widening circles.
Tessa stared.
A strange pressure settled inside her chest.
Like something beneath the earth had taken its first breath.
Then— The lights flickered.
Once. Twice.
Darkness swallowed the mansion.
A chorus of startled voices echoed through every room before emergency lights blinked to life, bathing everything in dim crimson.
Someone laughed nervously. “It's probably a power outage.”
Another student agreed.
Yet Rowan hadn't moved.
His eyes remained fixed beyond the glass.
“No…” he whispered. “It's here.”
Before anyone could ask what he meant— A scream tore through the night. Pure terror dripped from his voice.
The music stopped instantly.
Another scream followed. Then another.
Panic spread across the mansion like wildfire as students rushed toward the doors, only to collide with others running inside from the gardens.
“RUN!”
“What was that thing?”
Tessa felt someone seize her wrist. Rowan.
“We have to move.”
“What happened?”
“No time.” His calm voice had disappeared entirely.
They pushed through the terrified crowd toward the rear entrance.
Outside… The gardens had become chaos.
Tables lay overturned.
Guests stumbled over one another trying to escape.
Near the fountain, something enormous moved through the darkness.
At first Tessa thought it was a bull. Then it stood. Far too tall.
Its massive body resembled a beast covered in black muscle, yet above its shoulders rested the unmistakable head of a man crowned with twisted horns. Bronze chains wrapped around its arms, dragging sparks across the stone path as it advanced.
Every footstep shook the ground.
Students scattered in every direction.
Some screamed.
Others stood frozen, unable to understand what they were seeing.
Tessa couldn't breathe.
This can't be real.
The creature reached forward with one gigantic hand.
Its fingers closed around Kaitlyn Harper as effortlessly as lifting a doll.
Kaitlyn's terrified scream echoed across the estate.
“Tessa!”
Nora's voice came from somewhere behind her. “Tessa, run!”
But her legs refused to move.
The monster slowly turned. Its pale eyes settled directly on her.
Recognition flashed inside those ancient eyes.
The beast smiled.
Then, in a deep voice that seemed older than the earth itself, it spoke words that froze the blood in her veins.
“So… We finally found you.”
The world seemed to stop.
Around her, students fled in blind panic.
Someone collided with her shoulder.
Glass shattered nearby.
Rowan stepped in front of her, his expression harder than she had ever seen.
Finn pulled something wrapped in black cloth from beneath his jacket.
Neither looked surprised. Neither looked confused.
They looked… Prepared.
As if this nightmare was exactly what they had been expecting.
Tessa's heartbeat thundered inside her ears.
Who are they?
...And why is that thing looking for me?
The monster released a roar that split the night apart as the fountain exploded into a towering column of water, and from somewhere beneath the earth came the unmistakable sound of something else awakening.
The real nightmare had only just begun. And Tessa didn't know what was coming.