Chapter 4

As I trudged along the path back to Scarlet’s house, it felt like the weight of the entire world pressed down on my chest, each step heavier than the last. The brittle warmth of the fading sun offered no comfort, only casting long, ominous shadows across the ground. The air, thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, warned of the encroaching fall, but the breeze that rustled the branches above felt unnatural—like something darker stirring in the distance.

The world seemed to warp, the colors bleeding into muted shades of grey. A wave of dizziness hit me like a punch to the gut, my legs buckling beneath me as the ground tilted. My breath hitched, panic crawling up my throat.

What the hell?

Suddenly, the earth beneath my feet shifted, and the world tore away.

I was no longer on the familiar path. My surroundings bled into a nightmarish vision—a grotesque scene so vivid it made my stomach churn. A twisted monstrosity, unlike anything I had ever seen in my years as a detective, slithered through the shadows like a predator stalking its prey. Its form—inhuman, distorted, and somehow wrong—moved with fluid grace, limbs bending in ways they shouldn’t. Empty, gaping voids where its eyes should have been seemed to watch everything and nothing, like they could devour souls just by looking.

A scream lodged in my throat as I watched the creature lunge at a woman walking alone on the street. She never saw it coming. It struck with blinding speed, its gaping maw extending far too wide as it tore into her, shredding skin and muscle with unnatural ease. The wet crunch of bones snapping echoed in the silence, the air thick with the metallic tang of blood.

My feet rooted to the spot, frozen by the grotesque display as the creature feasted, tearing chunks of flesh from her body like a ravenous animal. The horror of it clawed at me, but no matter how much I wanted to turn away, something in the vision forced me to watch—every gruesome second of it.

Her lifeless, mutilated body hit the ground with a sickening thud, and the creature slithered into the darkness, leaving behind nothing but carnage.

I gasped, choking on the air as the vision shattered. The colors of the world bled back, too vibrant, too normal for what I had just witnessed. I staggered, my body trembling as I tried to steady myself. My hands were shaking, my heart pounding in my ears, but the vision wouldn’t leave me.

What the fuck was that?

“Easy, Poppy,” came a familiar voice, low and soothing, yet it sent a shiver crawling up my spine.

I jerked, spinning around, but no one was there. The voice had come from everywhere and nowhere all at once, like it had been whispered directly into my ear. My pulse spiked, muscles tensing as I scanned the empty path.

Ragnulf.

His presence was like a heavy hand on my back, warm but uninvited. I wanted to recoil, but my body—my traitorous body—relaxed against his touch.

“What the hell did you just show me?” My voice cracked, raw from the terror still sitting like a lead weight in my chest. I wasn’t calm. Not even close.

“That is what will come,” Ragnulf’s voice rippled through the air, like a low growl from a predator just out of sight. “If you turn away from your fate, those creatures—abominations—will tear this world apart.”

I swallowed hard, my hands still shaking. “And what does that have to do with me?”

“You are the anchor, Poppy,” he said, his voice steady, unyielding. “The veil between realms is thinning, and without a shaman to protect the balance, this world will be overrun.”

“Shaman?” I spat the word out like it burned. “I’m not a goddamn shaman. I’m a detective—was a detective. And I’m sure as hell not your chosen one.”

The rage came bubbling up again, but beneath it, fear simmered.

Was this my life now? Seeing these… things?

Ragnulf’s presence pressed closer, the air crackling with the weight of it. “You don’t have a choice.”

The words hit me harder than I expected. The weight of destiny—of something I hadn’t asked for—settled on my shoulders like a vice. But I wasn’t ready to give in. Not yet. Not to him.

I whirled, trying to locate where his voice was coming from, to face this unseen force pulling the strings. “I don’t care what you say. I didn’t sign up for this. I didn’t ask to be shoved into someone else’s body, to be haunted by fucking monsters! And you expect me to—what? Sacrifice the rest of my life to fight for you?”

Ragnulf’s growl was soft but menacing, like thunder rumbling before a storm. “Your life was taken, Poppy. You are living on borrowed time. Scarlet’s time. If you want her justice, if you want your justice, you must embrace your role.”

I clenched my fists, anger swirling with helplessness. “You’re asking me to give up who I am.”

“I’m asking you to become who you were meant to be,” Ragnulf countered, his voice sharp but not unkind. “You are stronger than this. You survived death. This is your second chance—not just to protect others, but to find your purpose.”

I let out a harsh breath, my resolve crumbling, but I wasn’t ready to submit. “I don’t want your second chance. If you think I’m just going to roll over and play martyr for you—think again.”

Ragnulf was silent for a moment, the air around me heavy with his presence. Then, with a quiet, almost mournful tone, he said, “If you turn away, more will die, Poppy. And their blood will be on your hands.”

I flinched, the cold reality of his words hitting me like a punch to the gut. I hated it. I hated the guilt, the pressure, the responsibility I hadn’t asked for. But deep down, I knew he was right. That vision—the terror of it—was a taste of what would come. And no matter how much I resisted, I couldn’t let that happen.

But I wasn’t about to let him think he’d won.

“I’ll help,” I said, my voice cold as steel. “But I’m doing it on my terms. No more of this destiny bullshit.”

A soft, satisfied rumble echoed through the air. “Very well, Poppy. We’ll see where your terms lead.”

I didn’t respond. I turned back toward the path, my steps heavier than before. The weight of the world was still on my shoulders, but now, it felt even more crushing.

I didn’t look back. I didn’t have to. Ragnulf was always there, lurking just beyond the veil.