Marcus
By the time I got home, I had already started convincing myself that nothing had actually happened.
It was easier to believe that the heat around my wrist, the figure in the distance, and the strange way everything had seemed to shift for a split second were all just tricks of my mind. Stress, maybe.
Lack of sleep. Too many small, unexplainable moments piling up until my brain decided to turn them into something bigger than they really were.
That explanation made sense.
At least, it made more sense than anything else.
Dropped my bag near the door and headed upstairs, my movement automatic. My room looked exactly the way I left it - slightly messy. There was something comforting about that.
I sat on the edge of my bed and let out a quiet breath before lifting my wrist slightly.
The bracelet looked the same as always.
There was no glow now, nothing that suggested it had done anything out of the ordinary. If I hadn't felt it myself, I probably wouldn't have thought twice about it.
I ran my thumb over it anyway, as if that might confirm something.
"See?" I muttered under my breath. "You're fine."
But even as I said it, the words didn't settle the way I wanted them to.
Because deep down, I knew I didn't actually believe them.
"Marcus!"
Ella's voice echoed from downstairs, loud enough to pull me out of my thoughts immediately.
I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand over my face before standing up. "What?" I called back.
"Movie night! Mum said, "Come down!""
I hesitated for a second, glancing once more at the bracelet before lowering my arm. Sitting alone and overthinking clearly wasn't helping. Maybe this would.
When I got downstairs, everything felt warm in a way my room didn't.
The lights were soft, the smell of popcorn filled the air, and Mum was moving between the kitchen and the living room while Dad struggled with the remote like it had personally offended him. Ella was already curled up on the couch, wrapped in her favourite blanket, completely focused on the screen.
"You're late," she said without looking at me.
"I live here," I replied, grabbing a handful of popcorn as I walked past. "I can't be late."
"You're always late."
"That's not how time works, stupid."
"It is when I say it is."
I shook my head, dropping onto the couch beside her. She immediately shifted, elbowing me slightly as if I had invaded her space.
"Move."
"There's room."
"Not enough."
"You're dramatic."
"You're annoying."
"Both of you, quiet," Mum said from behind us, though there was a hint of amusement in her voice. "The movie's starting."
I leaned back, letting the familiar noise settle around me. The small arguments, the occasional laughter, the comfortable rhythm of being home - it helped more than I expected.
Later that night, after the movie ended, Ella had fallen asleep halfway through, her head resting against my shoulder. I glanced down at her, shaking my head slightly.
"She didn't make it to the end," I said quietly.
"She never does," Dad replied, standing up with a stretch. "Carry her upstairs."
I nodded and carefully shifted, making sure not to wake her as I lifted her. She stirred slightly, mumbling something under her breath before settling again.
The house has grown quieter by now, the earlier energy replaced by that late night stillness that made everything feel softer.
I carried her upstairs and pushed her door open with my shoulder before setting her down on the bed. Pulling the blanket over her, I paused for a moment, just watching.
There was something about moments like this that felt important in a way I couldn't explain. Small, simple, but.. fragile.
Like they wouldn't last forever.
The thought came out of nowhere, and I frowned slightly before shaking it off. I turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind me.
Saturday morning came with sunlight pushing through my curtains and my phone buzzing insistently beside me.
I groaned, reaching over blindly until I grabbed it.
Noah: Basketball. My place. 30 mins. Don't be lame.
I stared at the message for a second before letting a small laugh.
Of course.
I forced myself out of bed, took a quick shower, and got dressed without thinking too much about it. The routine helped. It gave me something normal to focus on.
By the time I got to Noah's house, I could already hear arguing from inside.
"..I'm telling you, that was a foul!"
"It was not!"
"You literally shoved me!"
"It was strategic!"
I stepped in just in time to see Riley push Noah back, sending him stumbling a step.
"Wow," I said, leaning against the doorway. "Didn't know I walked into a fight."
They both turned.
"Finally," Noah said. "We need a referee."
"You need someone who knows the rules," Riley shot back.
"Hey, I do know the rules." I said, feigning hurt.
"You ignore the rules." She said pointedly.
I shook my head, dropping my keys onto the table. "Lets just play before this gets worse."
For a while, everything felt normal again.
We played, joked, and argued nothing out of the ordinary. Noah missed shots he insisted he should've made. Riley carried most of the game and made sure he knew it. I found myself laughing a lot, the tension from yesterday slowly fading into the background.
It felt good. Like maybe I had been overthinking everything.
The moment didn't last.
It happened in the middle of a joke.
"See this is why you should stick to soccer….." Riley's voice faded into the background as the heat came back.
Sharp and sudden.
My breath caught as my hand instinctively grabbed my wrist.
"Marcus?" Riley's voice shifted immediately, the humour gone.
"I'm fine," I said quickly, stepping back.
The heat spread further this time, crawling up my arm in a way that made it impossible to ignore. My vision blurred slightly, the room tilting just enough to make me lose my balance for a second.
And then-
The walls weren't walls anymore.
For a brief moment, they shifted into something darker. Cold stone stretched around me, cracked and worn, with heavy chains lining the surface. They disappeared into the shadows I couldn't fully see, but I could feel something there.
Waiting.
"…Rocco…"
The whisper wasn't loud, but it didn't need to be.
It echoed through my head like it belonged there.
Then, everything snapped back into place.
I caught myself against the edge of the table, my breathing uneven.
When I looked up, both Noah and Riley were staring at me.
"What was that?" Riley asked quietly.
"Nothing," I said too quickly.
"You almost collapsed," Noah added, his expression tight. "That's not nothing."
"I'm fine," I repeated, forcing the words out.
They didn't look convinced.
I didn't give them time to argue.
"I should go," I said, grabbing my keys. "I'm just tired. I'll catch you guys later."
The drive home felt longer than usual.
Every shadow seemed deeper, every reflection catching my attention for a second too long. It felt like something was just out of sight, like if I turned my head fast enough, I must actually see it.
By the time I got home, I was exhausted.
Not physically, but more mentally.
I collapsed onto my bed without bothering to change, my eyes closing almost immediately.
Sleep came too fast.
The dream hit without warning.
Fire surrounded me instantly, bright and overwhelming. It wasn't warm - it burned, consuming everything in its path. Chains rattled somewhere in the distance, sharp and violent, like whatever they held was struggling to break free.
And then I saw her.
Not clearly, but enough.
A figure standing in the flames, watching me.
"Rocco."
The voice was closer this time. Clearer.
"You're running out of time."
I tried to move, but I couldn't. The chains grew louder, the fire surging higher as the figure stepped closer.
I woke up gasping.
The room was dark and silent, but something felt wrong immediately.
My hand was already gripping my wrist tightly.
I froze as my eyes dropped to the bracelet.
It was glowing. Faint but unmistakeable.
I stared at it, my heart pounding as the light flickered once, then faded back into darkness.
This time, I don't try to explain it away.