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CHAPTER 66: The thing that chose me
Last Updated:
2026-01-16 05:44:59
Latest chapter
Christmas in ashes Chapter 69: Aftershocks
Hallowpine doesn’t explode after the hearing. It vibrates,That’s the more dangerous kind of reaction.Explosions burn out fast, Vibrations travel through walls, through routines, through conversations that pretend to be casual but aren’t. By evening, the town feels like a glass held too close to a speaker,every surface humming with something no one wants to name.We don’t go home right away.Lucien insists we circle the long way, past the mill road and the river bend, where the trees grow dense enough to block sightlines. He doesn’t say ambush, but his shoulders are tight, his eyes always moving.“They’ll spin it,” Ruby says from the back seat. “You know that.”“Yes,” I replied. “But spinning takes time. Silence takes coordination. They don’t have that anymore.”Milo watches the passing trees. “People were looking at you like they didn’t know where to put you.”“That’s good,” Ruby says. “That’s the face right before doubt.”The presence stirs, slower now, like something settling aft
Christmas in ashes CHAPTER 68: The Hearing
They call it a hearing because the trial would be too honest.The word sounds clean and. Neutral,As if what’s about to happen is merely procedural and not a coordinated attempt to compress a living person into something manageable. The notice arrives before dawn, slid under the door like a confession no one wants to own.Emergency Mental Health Review. Community Safety Consideration.Elias’s handwriting isn’t on it, but his logic is. Gideon’s voice hums between the lines, sanctified and calm. They didn’t choose violence because violence leaves marks. This leaves paperwork.Lucien reads it once, then again, jaw tight. “They’re invoking emergency authority. If they control the framing, they control the outcome.”“They won’t,” I say.Ruby snorts. “Bold of you to assume they won’t try.”Milo sits very still at the table, reading the paper upside down. He doesn’t need to understand the words to know what they’re for. “They want you quiet,” he says.“Yes,” I replied. “But they also want wit
Christmas in ashes CHAPTER 67:What they buried still breathes
Morning comes whether you want it to or not, the light sneaks in thin and gray like it’s not sure it’s welcome, I stay at the kitchen table way past when the sun’s properly up, last night’s memories still looping behind my eyes, twelve years old, snow everywhere, blood that wasn’t mine on the ground, a prayer I said too late when nobody was listening anyway.Ruby won’t sit still, she keeps wiping counters that are already clean, folding and unfolding a dish towel like it’ll keep everything from falling apart, Lucien looks like he hasn’t slept in days, his eyes red-rimmed and restless, Milo just watches us all quiet, the way kids do when they’ve already figured out grown-ups are full of shit but haven’t decided what to do about it yet.The thing inside me, the silver, whatever you want to call it, is quiet for once, not gone, just waiting.Lucien finally breaks the silence, “They’re not gonna let this slide, Elias especially.”“No,” I say, “he’ll run from it as fast as he can.”Ruby
Christmas in ashes CHAPTER 66: The thing that chose me
The first time the silver said my name, I didn't actually hear it.I just... remembered it. That's the difference, and it's finally clicking now while I'm standing in this freezing kitchen at dawn, gray light leaking in, Milo slumped asleep at the table because he flat-out refused to go back to bed.Memory isn't sound. It's more like something inside you suddenly sitting up and going, Oh. There you are.The presence gives one slow pulse. Not frantic. Not screaming. Just deliberate.“Cognitive barrier weakening,” it says. “Retrieval possible.”I grip the mug Ruby basically forced into my hands tighter. “Retrieval of what?”Lucien snaps his head up. He's been too quiet since last night,way too quiet,like he's waiting for something bad he already knows is coming.The silver doesn't rush to answer.Milo does,“It didn't start here,” he says, so soft it almost disappears.Everything stops,Ruby freezes with one foot still in the air. Lucien turns all the way around. Even the damn house feel
Christmas in ashes CHAPTER 65: When the mirror breaks
The snow finally quit sometime before dawn, but the whole town still looked frozen in place-sharp, brittle, like one wrong step and something would shatter. Hallowpine was holding its breath,or maybe I was the one holding mine.I woke up heavy, that familiar silver weight sitting right under my ribs, throbbing soft and low like it already knew the day was going to suck before I did. Milo was still out cold next to me, curled in on himself the way little kids do when they feel safe, which just made everything feel more fragile. God, that innocence-it’s the worst kind of shield.Lucien was already up, pacing by the window like he does when he’s restless. “They’re gearing up,” he said, not even turning around. “You can feel it. The streets smell different.”“For what?” I asked, even though the answer was already crawling up my throat.“Everything.” He gave a short, bitter laugh. “Last night didn’t fix a damn thing. You shoved the truth in their faces. Now they’re scheming the parts they
Christmas in ashes CHAPTER 64: The cost of being seen
Being seen isn’t free, it just sends the bill later, usually when you’re already tired.The morning after the council meeting, Hallowpine stops acting polite, no more sideways glances or fake smiles, people look right at me now, some grateful, some pissed, most carrying something heavier, like they’ve just realized they’ve been part of something ugly and can’t hand the guilt back.Ruby flips the shop sign from CLOSED to OPEN with a big theatrical swing.“If they’re gonna stare,” she says, “let’s give them something worth watching.”Lucien gives a short laugh that doesn’t reach his eyes.“You’re actually enjoying this, aren’t you.”“Chaos is more fun with an audience,” she answers, shrugging.Milo’s perched on the counter, legs swinging slow, eyes sharp and quiet, he’s not hiding anymore, he’s watching everything like he’s taking notes for later.The silver in my chest hums soft and steady.“Post exposure stabilization in progress,” the presence says, “secondary pressure vectors probab
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