Athena glanced at the clock on the wall; it was late, and the sun had already dipped. She couldn't wait to get out of here and get back to the comfort of her house. The coven had been on high alert ever since the vampire murders had started, the unsettling news rippled through Crestle Cove. As much as she tried to focus on her work, Athena couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, her instincts sharper than ever.
A soft chime echoed through the shop as the door swung open. Athena stiffened.
The dim lighting and the way the stranger stood just outside the reach of the light made it difficult to see who it was. Athena’s heart raced as she edged toward the back of the shop, putting some distance between herself and the newcomer. Alone in the store, she couldn’t afford to be careless.
“Can I help you?” she called out, her voice steady.
Athena sat by the edge of the Veilwater, the cool breeze gently rushing through her blonde hair as she plucked wildflowers. Then she felt it. A shift. A tremor in the air, subtle but undeniable, like the world had momentarily held its breath. Slowly, she lifted her gaze to the pond’s surface.
At first, she thought it was her own reflection staring back at her, the same golden hair and bright eyes. But then, the reflection moved on its own, and Athena realised that wasn’t her at all.
The resemblance was uncanny. It was like staring into a mirror, yet she knew she hadn’t moved. Her heart began to race, her mind flashing back to Thalassa’s strange warning. The double, the lookalike she had dismissed as a trick of light or imagination.
Her voice finally broke through the silence, though it was barely above a whisper. "Who... who are you?"
Claudia gave a small laugh at her reaction. She could see the way the girl was looking at her. The vampire was used to it. "You bet," she repeated. "Do I? Well, I must say, yes. This is a strange little town. But, believe it or not. I have been to stranger. Yes. Have you been far?"
"You have?" Athena was intrigued and her eyes glanced to the sky. How could one question it and then forget it so easily. It confirmed to Athena all she needed to know. This woman wasn't lying about having been around. "A few countries, backpacking during college. But i always end up back here. Home is where the heart is, right?"
Thalassa took another sip of her coffee and watched Athena move about the shop with a sly smile. She had thought about this moment, how to best ask the question that was burning on her mind. When the other flopped down Thali raised her glass almost in a toast. "You are going to love what it is in here. Though tea would have been more fitting this morning, something one can spill."
With the smile still on her lips the siren got up and walked over to the coffee machine, leaving her own cup on the counter. "You know, Athena, I am this cheerful because today is a wonderful day. I like storms. The water coming nearer to the land, it's like a cold hug from mother ocean.", she poured her colleague a cup and then turned around, "And I was looking forward to seeing you. I mean, if it's not my place to ask feel free to not answer, but... How long have we been working together here?" She walked over, holding out the cup of tea, "And why did the woman that walked in here this morning look exactly like you? Like a hundred percent like a creepy clone? Care to share?"
Athena blinked, taken aback by Thalassa’s words. She tried to laugh it off, though it came out a bit shaky. "A clone? Thalassa, are you sure you didn’t put something extra in your coffee this morning?" She took a sip of her tea, trying to hide her sudden unease. The idea was absurd—or at least, she wanted it to be. But the look on Thalassa’s face told her this wasn’t a joke. Athena shifted uncomfortably in her seat, running a hand through her hair as she considered her colleague's question. "
She paused, eyes narrowing as she studied Thalassa. "Maybe you’ve been overworking yourself. I mean, we all see weird things when we’re tired, right? Shadows in the corner of our eye, someone who looks like someone else... Maybe that’s all it was." Despite her words, Athena couldn’t shake the strange, uneasy feeling that had settled in her chest.
Iris turned around with a start, looking quizzically at her new company. She didn't seemed fazed by Iris' threat, if anything, a little amused. Iris opened her mouth, then proceeded to close it, not quite sure how to respond; if she didn't feel so disoriented she might have even joked back. "Uh... Sorry, I thought... Could have sworn I heard something... dangerous?" She responded, not as confident as she would have liked to sound. Eager to change the subject, Iris nodded to the box in her hands, "What do you have there?"
"I can be dangerous." Athena continued to joke. "You just need a safeword" She laughed at herself, knowing that she was taking it too far. But she didn't care. She looked down at her box, taking a few things out. "Ah, you know... the usual kooky ghost hunting stuff. You get a lot of the paranormal sorts doing investigations out here."
After putting out a magical fire in his hotel and having to explain the magical fire to some of his non-magical employees, Cailan was not in the mood for the tone Aria was taking with him right now. Whatever it was... it didn't sound good.
They'd been bumping into each other for days, making casual conversation and she'd had no idea who he was... at least up until now.
His eyes flicked over her stance. "Yes, me?" Though his heart sank slightly as he saw the message. "Me? I did not send you this. I do not think it is funny, I promise. Just calm down."
Aria didn't move her hands, holding the man up. Her eyes scanned his for signs of honesty. "Well you know something, because the note says you do so you're going to need to start talking. Fast." Her hand tightened on him.
"And what is this." Her hand opened, showing him the golden bracelet. "This was left on my doorstep with your name on it, and i need answers... now."
she’d never have guessed that a place could offer her comfort. a space, if one was polite enough, would call humble, always sweltering in the summer heat and welcoming the winter cold rather than shutting it down, and yet, she couldn’t help but adore it. loving that it was hers, loving the way her students’ clumsy artworks adorned the shelves, loving that it didn’t feel like a place that was meant to be abandoned anyway. it never failed to put her in a good mood. today she even found herself humming under her breath , loud enough that she’d almost missed the sound of the wind chimes echoing as the door opened. " one second please. " ilayda mumbled, her back still facing the door as she rinsed the brushes, waiting for the water to run clear. " we're actually closed but how can i help you ? "
Chris gave the stranger a bashful smile. Apparently, not only had he got the time wrong, but he'd got the whole shop wrong. He hadn't anticipated stumbling into a crafting store. Or into Ilayda's way. "Oh! Sorry. I had no idea." He chuckled, trying to cover up his indiscretion with a cool laugh. "Uh... this is wool right... yeah i was just looking fo the right wool. Not for me. For my daughter. Not that there's anything wrong with a man who knits. I'm just more of a crochet guy." he continued to ramble nervously as he stepped towards the door.
Who: Chris & Cleo
Where: the captain's coffee house
Chris was a little spooked about the note he'd recieved. Yet, he was doing his best to act normal. For Adi's sake if anything else. He wasn't even sure who he could trust, but still he assumed his fellow pack members were trust worthy. Cleo was one of the few people in that category. He trusted her. It wasn't that he thought she could help, but he knew she'd keep it to herself and that was what he needed. Ironically, the last thing he wanted to do was cry wolf. "Can you keep a secret?"
He took the note from his jacket, slipping it onto the table towards Cleo. '"Keep your daughter on a leash." Were the words etched into the paper. Clearly, whoever it was had a sense of humour. His dark eyes scanned them again. "You think it's a prank? That was my first reaction. Dumb kids."
He could smell the sour scent of worry wafting from the other man; knowing that the source of his distress was Chris' missing offspring made Elijah's wolf shift to attention. The beast rustling in his subconscious ready to help another of it's kind. Aditi might not have been a werewolf, and though Chris hadn't been born as one, he was now. Elijah would have helped him regardless of his status, but having that connection made him, and his furry alter ego, all the more ready to help Chris and his daughter.
"I have longer than that, friend, let's go." With one look back at the stargazers, Elijah moved in the direction of the ridge. "Aditi has a good head on her shoulders, not sure I can say them same for her father, " Elijah shot him a playful wink, hoping the jest would relax Chris a little. "I'm sure she wouldn't get into anything she couldn't handle, or extremely dangerous. I'm sure the Ridge has a good view of the lights and that's what's drawn them."
Chris felt his shoulders relax when his friend agreed. He had always looked up to Elijah and somehow, him agreeing to help made Chris more certain that they were going to find her. "Mmm you know too much about me, you're dangerous."
He half smiled, looking over the cliffs. "The lights? Is that the new slang for it these days?" Chris might be a father, but he wasn't naive. "Oh god... " He took a deep breath. "Honestly... once you're a parent it's like your only fear is your kid making the same mistakes as you did. You know..." He nodded towards his bite. "I don't want her going through that."
Reyes patted his arm gently. He didn't have his own kids but he cared about his sister, his cousins, the packs. "Come on, I'm with you. We'll find her." He nudged him along, starting to walk. "I'm 30, so yeah, it was actually a while back. Sad times," he laughed a little, trying to keep casual conversation for him. "Oh god yeah, like... my whole family. That encouragement we had as teens. I do remember that."
Chris sometimes felt like the only grown up in town, but then likely because he had been doing this since he was just a young man. He nodded as Reyes spoke again, he knew if anyone could help find her it was a Henrikson. "You're old dude." Chris joked.
"Weird... must've been weird growing up as... one of us."
To say Aria was pissed was an understatement. What the hell did that note mean? Find Cailan Harrison. She recognised the name right away. But it took her a few hours to realise it was the man she'd been bumping into in the park for the last few days. She'd been working in the order long enough to know it wasn't a coincidence. "Hey. You!" Her fists were clenched, one holding the silver bracelet with a gloved hand. She wasn't stupid enough to touch a potentially cursed object with her bare skin.
"You!" Her teeth were gritted as she shoved her hand into her pocket, waving the parchment in his face. "Do you think this is funny? Some sort of sick prank is it?"
she’d never have guessed that a place could offer her comfort. a space, if one was polite enough, would call humble, always sweltering in the summer heat and welcoming the winter cold rather than shutting it down, and yet, she couldn’t help but adore it. loving that it was hers, loving the way her students’ clumsy artworks adorned the shelves, loving that it didn’t feel like a place that was meant to be abandoned anyway. it never failed to put her in a good mood. today she even found herself humming under her breath , loud enough that she’d almost missed the sound of the wind chimes echoing as the door opened. " one second please. " ilayda mumbled, her back still facing the door as she rinsed the brushes, waiting for the water to run clear. " we're actually closed but how can i help you ? "
Athena often felt at ease in the presence of other witches, even when she felt the most like withdrawing into herself. She could count on the witches of the coven to just be there with her. Silent companionship was sometimes all she needed. Today, as rain tapped against the window, she sought shelter in Crestle Crafts. She removed her hood, looking over at her fellow witch. "You can relax, just looking for a place to wait out the rain..." She stood in the doorway, looking at the witch and then back at the rain. "The weather changed fast... it loves doing that in the Cove lately. Weird."
The bleeding fields; if what she had heard from Aria and Alistair was true, than the crux of many problems in Crestle Cove lay buried beneath her feet. It was difficult to wrap her head around all the information she had been acquiring recently— and believe it. But Iris did believe that something significant had happened here. There was a heavy feeling that followed her as she ambled along, like she was dragging a large comforter or walking through water; a thick fog had also settled shortly after she arrived, but the painfully red flowers could still be seen bobbing in the wind. Thanks to her job, unsettling places were nothing new to her, but the bleeding fields inspired something else; desperation, maybe? Humiliation? Panic?
...Iris...
Her head whipped around, body freezing mid step. No one was behind her, but would she even be able to see them in the mist? The voice had sounded so close... as if whispered right against the crown of her ear...
...robamaridos...
Anger and shame filled her at the word, taunting her into action. "Whose there? This is hardly funny... and if it comes to it, I will fuck you up..."
Athena had felt weird a few days and she hadn't been able to explain why. Sure, going to the bleeding fields - a notoriously haunted and powerful spot in town was unlikely to help that issue. But she felt like she had to do something. "Fuck... me up? That better be a promise." Athena half smiled, trudging up the hill with a box in her arms.
He chuckled at her response and then simply shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say, I have always been a bit old school." Alistair's gaze drifted over the dark waters, the lights in the distance, and all those boats neatly tucked away. He was no longer used to people realising his behaviour as something strange, in the big cities it was easier to disappear in a crowd but here, in Crestle Cove - he needed to remember that this town was always on guard.
"Is it though?" Time must have slipped away from me.", he raised his arm to look at his old watch and then mimicked an expression of shock. "You see when my thoughts stop making sense I start walking and apparently I have done too much of that tonight. I hope I have not caused an unpleasant encounter - on top of almost drowning you - it is getting dark here quite quick."
Athena kept her eyes on the man, analysing his every move. She was inexperienced for a witch, but she wasn't stupid. She knew about other creatures. She knew about things she had to protect herself from. This stranger could easily be one of them. "The sun going down is a dead give away." Athena kept her expression straight.
She didn't know whether to go along with the niceties. After all, even if this man meant someone harm.... it didn't mean he meant her harm. "They say the seas in this area are quite dangerous in the dark. When one falls in, it's almost impossible to swim back to shore." She went to explain this phenomenon to the stranger but stopped short. "So i guess that's my cue to take my leave... before anything becomes unpleasant."
Claudia's dark eyes glanced over her, though the vampire kept her usually poker face. She never gave too much away. The young girl smelt nice and in her old age, she assumed magic. They always smelt slightly sweeter. "Hmm, well something like that. I have travelled far," she smiled back at her. "Oh yeah? Does it always have pretty weird sky?"
Athena narrowed her eyes. She looked the same age as her , but the way she spoke was different. "I bet..." Athena felt uneasy, starting to shift away. "No... but well pretty weird things here happen all the time. You seem to know all about... otherworldly things. I mean if you've travelled a lot. You'll have seen a lot?"
Reyes smiled as he noticed the small blonde, taking a seat beside her. She always smelt pretty nice and he knew that was a weird thing to think about his friend, not that he would say it out loud. "Oh, it's what I was born to do? Didn't you know? Give everyone else's life meaning with my smile," he said, giving her a smile for show. "I think bartenders are scared of other bartenders, we know how it works. Maybe I do need a therapist though, imagine unpacking my family tree," he joked.
He let his features soften. "Off? How so? Do you mean that weird sky? I swear that made me... feel... yeah." He had definitely felt his wolf side closer to the surface.
Athena started to relax around Reyes, feeling as though he had her back. "You added the smile part." She joked. She'd always felt close to Reyes, despite their obvious differences. "Not even therapists can perform miracles..."
She sighed, rubbing her head. She hated talking about her feelings. It made her feel vulnerable. "The sky..." She mused, glancing up. "Could be the sky... but i don't know. Do you ever feel like.. things will never be the same again? Like this moment right now, will never happen again."
The sun had long set over Crestle Cove, casting the town in a blanket of thick fog. The streets were empty, the only sounds the distant crashing of waves against the cliffs and the occasional call of owls. The air was still, unnaturally so, as if all of Crestle Cove held its breath.
Aria stepped into the centre of town, the chilly night air hitting her skin. She pulled her jacket tighter around herself, the familiar yet strange atmosphere of the town surrounding her. She had never been here and yet, she felt an inexplicable pull to this place. The Stearne Research Facility had sent her to investigate the recent disappearances, but something deep inside her knew this was more than just another mission.
As she walked through the streets, a strong sense of deja vu washed over her. The cobblestone streets, the flickering lamp posts, the eerie stillness… it all felt hauntingly familiar. Aria’s gaze was drawn to a man with curly hair walking ahead of her. Her heart skipped a beat, recognition flaring, but when he turned, it wasn’t him. She almost felt… disappointed and she couldn’t explain why. Who had she expected than man to be? Disoriented, she shook her head and continued on.
A sudden sound broke the silence… paper rustling against the ground. Aria turned and saw a file lying at her feet. She bent down, picking it up with cautious despite her curiosity. Opening it, she found a photograph of herself staring back at her. Pages filled with detailed information about her; her training, her skills, her missions. At the end, she found a chilling revelation… she had been sent here before.
Her hands trembled as she flipped through the pages. What was this? Where had this come from? Who had put this here? And why did she have no memory of any of this?
As Aria stood there, she felt like fog was closing in around her. With shaky hands, she turned over the folder in her hand and on the back was a note. ‘Find Cailan Harrison. He might have your answers. But I think you and I can have a lot of fun together. The Order isn’t all it seems. H.’
She then noticed something shining on the ground. She bent picking up an bracelet. Touching it burnt her skin.
