The darkness was suffocating. Molly blinked, desperate for her eyes to adjust, but there was nothing—no shape, no light, only an inky void that pressed in from all directions. Cold air wrapped around her like a suffocating blanket, and her heart hammered wildly in her chest. She opened her mouth to call out for the others, but her voice barely echoed. The sound was swallowed instantly, devoured by the endless blackness.

"Where are they..." she whispered into the void, her own voice trembling.

Before she could move, a cold hand clamped around her wrist. She gasped, her breath catching in her throat as the grip yanked her backward with startling force. The fingers were long, thin, and icy, digging into her skin. Panic surged through her veins as she struggled, thrashing in vain to free herself.

"Who's there?!" Her voice cracked, half panic, half desperation.

There was no response. The figure's silence was more horrifying than words could ever be. It dragged her deeper into the blackness, its grip unyielding. She twisted, pulled, fought, but the more frantic she became, the tighter the hand closed around her wrist.

"Please! Stop! Let go of me!"

Her pleas dissolved into the void. In a desperate act, Molly ripped a small knife from her pocket and slashed toward the unseen figure. Just as the blade came close, the hand released her. She was shoved backward, sprawling onto the cold, unyielding ground. The air rushed out of her lungs, leaving her gasping.

"What the hell..."

The figure loomed above her, its form barely visible in the gloom. Then a voice broke the silence—low, gravelly, and cold, as though it rode on the very air.

"You're lost. Just like the others."

And then, just as suddenly, the figure stepped back and vanished into the dark. Molly trembled on the floor, her pulse racing, the silence pressing in once more.

One by one, the others stirred. Serena groaned softly as she blinked awake, clutching her head. RJ sat up beside her, his jaw tense as he glanced around at the oppressive shadows. The labyrinth swallowed all sound but their shallow breaths.

"What happened...? Where are we?" Serena's voice was soft, shaken.

"I don't know," RJ muttered, scanning the blackness. "But this place... it feels wrong."

Ollie was already on her feet, fumbling with a small flashlight. The faint beam cut through the darkness, weak but steady, like a fragile thread of hope. She swept it around cautiously, her face tight with unease.

"Stay close," she whispered. "I don't like this."

The light flickered as she moved it, barely pushing back the thick shadows. Shapes seemed to stretch unnaturally at the edge of the glow—elongated figures bending in ways they shouldn't.

Then, faintly, the sound of footsteps shuffled against the floor. The group froze.

"Uh, guys?" Molly clutched her arm, still shaken. "Did anyone else hear that?"

"Yeah..." Callie's voice was tight with fear. "We need to go. Now."

But before they could move, the shadows lunged. They weren't just tricks of the eye anymore—they were solid, towering silhouettes that moved like living things. Tendrils of black smoke and shape slithered along the floor and walls, pushing the group inward, herding them toward the center.

"We're surrounded..." Serena whispered, her voice breaking.

Ollie's flashlight flickered violently, sending erratic beams darting across the void. The shadows writhed, whispering and growling just beyond the circle of light.

Ollie tried to push forward, but the darkness twisted, blocking her path with living walls. Panic flared in her chest. "We need to fight back!"

Molly shook her head wildly. "Fight shadows?! This isn't like last time—we can't!"

The tendrils closed in, tightening around them. Then, from the void, came that same voice—hollow, distant, echoing as if spoken from everywhere at once.

"You're not getting out. You'll be ours... just like the others."

The group froze, their hearts pounding in unison. The darkness pressed closer, alive and hungry, ready to swallow them whole.

And then—the light flickered once more.

Molly stirred awake, her head pounding and her body heavy. For a moment she thought she was still unconscious, for her surroundings were so dark that even the notion of space seemed impossible to grasp. But then she felt it—the bed of shadows. Tendrils of darkness, soft yet suffocating, cradled her like an unsettling embrace, curling around her arms and waist as though they were alive.

She blinked rapidly, heart lurching as her gaze fell on the figure lying beside her. He was half-shrouded in gloom, but she recognized him instantly. The Darkness. His form loomed like a phantom, a gray fedora tipped low over his head, his clothing blending seamlessly with the murk around them. Only his eyes betrayed him—two piercing points of red light, glowing with predatory interest as they fixed themselves on her.

Molly's breath came in shaky bursts. "W-where am I? What happened?"

The Darkness didn't answer right away. He tilted his head, studying her like a hunter studying cornered prey. Though she couldn't see his mouth, she could feel the grin in the air, in the cold energy radiating from him. When he finally spoke, his voice was smooth, coaxing—yet soaked in menace.

"You're in my domain now, little star. A place where the light can't touch me."

Panic swelled in her chest as Molly tried to sit up, but her body refused to cooperate. Her limbs felt heavy, as though the shadows themselves were pressing her down, keeping her pinned in their grip.

"I-I don't want to be here!" she gasped. "I need to get back to my friends!"

The Darkness chuckled softly, the sound low and almost musical. It slid through her ears like smoke, leaving a trail of dread in its wake. With a lazy lift of his hand, the shadows shifted around her, responding as though bound to his will.

"Your friends?" His tone mocked her, playful in its cruelty. "Oh, I'm sure they'll come for you. But not yet. First, you'll stay with me a while, dove. I want to enjoy your company."

He leaned closer, the glow of his eyes intensifying until they seemed to burn into her soul. The shadows writhed with him, pressing in, making the very air feel heavier, thicker. Molly tried to back away, shaking her head furiously.

"I'm not your pet! I won't stay here!"

"Oh, but you will, sweetling." His grin widened in the air between them, unseen but palpable. "You'll stay as long as I allow it. I like to... play with my guests."

The shadows beside her twitched, coiling together into the shape of a hand that gripped her wrist. Its touch was cold and unyielding. The Darkness reached out with his other hand, trailing his fingers along her cheek with a gentleness that betrayed the malice in his intent.

"You're so full of fire, little star," he purred. "But you'll warm up to me in time. We have all the time in the world."

The shadows thickened, the air around her compressing until each breath came ragged. She thrashed weakly, her voice breaking.

"Let me go!"

He laughed, a sound that dripped with satisfaction, and leaned closer until his whisper filled her skull.

"Oh, dove... you'll learn to love being here with me. The dark isn't so terrible once you stop fighting it."

The tendrils tightened, curling around her body with each futile movement. Panic made her chest ache, but the fear was worse—her terror seemed to feed him. He tilted his head again, his voice soft, almost affectionate.

"You're afraid of the dark, aren't you, sweetling?"

The words lingered, heavy, mocking. She could feel his smile pressing against her skin in the suffocating stillness.

"How adorable... hiding from the shadows as if they could hurt you. Still running, even when you know there's nowhere to go. Charming."

Her pulse thundered in her ears. She yanked against the shadow-hand binding her wrist, but it only squeezed tighter, unyielding.

"No... I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of you!" she cried, though her voice trembled with terror.

He chuckled, stroking the air above her as if caressing something fragile and breakable. At his touch, the shadows crept closer, whispering against her skin in a language too old to understand.

"Of course you're afraid, little star. I can feel it." His tone softened, sickly tender. "But that's natural. Fear means you're alive. And I... I can make you feel safe."

The words slid into her like a poison, twisting her fear until it was almost unbearable. His hand squeezed her wrist, not painfully, but firmly, insistently, like a leash. His voice dropped into a silken whisper.

"You don't have to fear the dark anymore, Molly. I am the dark. And I'll never hurt you... unless you force me to."

The weight of that promise sank deep, his presence pressing into her soul. Her chest rose and fell in frantic gasps as she tried to fight against the cage of shadows binding her.

"You were afraid of shadows," he said with quiet laughter. "But now, you are one of them. I'll teach you to embrace it... embrace me."

The shadows closed in tighter, weaving around her like chains, and her resistance faltered. A shuddering breath escaped her lips.

"I... I won't be your pet. I won't."

The Darkness leaned close enough for his breath—cold as ice—to brush her ear. His voice caressed her like silk drawn over a blade.

"But you already are, sweetling," he whispered. "You just don't know it yet."

The darkness pressed in from all sides, writhing like living smoke, but the gang refused to give in. Each step felt heavier than the last, as though the shadows themselves were trying to drag them under. Hearts pounding and lungs burning, they clawed their way through the suffocating void until they finally began to regroup.

Callie's sharp mind worked instantly, her instincts kicking in. She snatched her flashlight and swung it from side to side, tossing its beam into the depths of the shadows. The light cut through the blackness in quick arcs, forcing the dark tendrils to flinch and retreat.

"We can't let them get us! Light is our friend!" she yelled, grit coating her words. Each swing of her flashlight made the shadows hiss and recoil, carving out tiny pockets of safety around the group.

Ollie, clutching a jagged shard of stone she had picked up along the way, slammed it down on a shadow that lunged toward her. The sound cracked through the cavern like thunder, and the darkness seemed to flinch from the impact, momentarily retreating into itself. She took a shaky breath and readied herself for the next attack, her knuckles white around the stone.

RJ's face was slick with sweat, and his chest heaved with effort as he backed up Callie and Ollie. "We need to get Molly back!" he shouted, voice sharp with urgency. "We can't leave her behind—not like this!"

Serena's eyes narrowed, her determination hardening into a weapon. She raised her hand, drawing energy into a glowing orb that pulsed with a pure, warm light. As the orb hovered before her, it expanded outward, pushing back the shadows and illuminating glimpses of the cavern's floor. Beneath the creeping darkness, she could see writhing tentacles snaking beneath the ground, subtle movements that hinted at the shadows' true form.

"Get ready! We're not leaving anyone behind!" Serena yelled, her voice echoing through the cavern.

The group synchronized instinctively. Callie's flashlight beams darted in all directions, Ollie smashed anything that lunged too close, RJ held the line against the larger forms of darkness, and Serena's orb of light pushed back the tendrils, illuminating the path ahead. Together, their combined efforts created a beam of radiance so strong that the shadows screamed and shrank, retreating toward the edges of the cave.

For a moment, the oppressive darkness faltered, leaving only the echo of the gang's ragged breaths. The cavern felt lighter, though the shadows lingered in the corners like wounded predators. Slowly, their hearts began to slow, adrenaline giving way to cautious relief.

Callie exhaled deeply, scanning their surroundings. "Is that... is it over?"

Ollie's chest still heaved, and her hands shook with the leftover adrenaline. Her gaze darted toward the receding shadows, and then to Serena. "I think so," she said, relief seeping into her voice. "But we have to find Molly. Now."

The group moved forward cautiously, each step measured. The cavern, once a chaotic battlefield of shadows and light, now felt eerily silent, as if the darkness itself were waiting for them to make a mistake. They called out softly for Molly, their voices barely carrying in the heavy air.

"Molly? Are you okay? Molly!" RJ's voice cracked with fear.

"Don't leave her! She has to be here somewhere!" Callie urged, sweeping her flashlight across the cave floor.

The shadows stirred faintly at the edges of the light, like the remnants of a nightmare retreating but still watching. Even so, the gang pressed onward, hearts racing with both fear and hope. Every twist of the cavern, every shadowed corner, was a potential threat—but it was also a clue, a path to where Molly might be trapped.

Ollie's beam of light fell across a particularly darkened alcove, and she froze. Something... someone... was there, half-shrouded in shadow. Her hands tightened around her stone shard as she whispered, "Molly...?"

The group converged, weapons and light ready, eyes straining into the inky black. Their breaths synchronized in tense anticipation, every nerve on edge. The battle with the shadows had been won, but the fight to reclaim their friend was only just beginning.

The air in the room was thick, heavy, suffocating. Shadows clung to every corner, curling like living smoke, but none so imposing as the figure looming over her. The Darkness. His fedora dipped low over his brow, his red eyes glowing like coals in the gloom, his presence pressing down on Molly like a physical weight. Every breath she took felt stolen by him.

"You are mine now, little shadow," he whispered, a twisted smirk in his voice. "My darkness. My sweet little shadow. You were always so afraid of the dark, weren't you? I knew you would come to me. No one can escape their fears."

Molly trembled in his grasp. The words cut deeper than the coldness of his body pressing against hers. Her heart raced, thoughts spinning in panic and confusion. The shadows around them seemed to pulse in rhythm with her fear, whispering directly into her mind. She tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened, dragging her closer to his icy chest.

"I'm... I'm scared... Please... let me go..." she whispered, voice shaking.

A dark chuckle rumbled from him, low and malicious, fingers brushing her hair as if savoring the fear that radiated off her.

"There's no need to be frightened, little star," he said softly, almost tenderly. "You belong with me now. You are the perfect match for my darkness... my sweet, sweet shadow."

Molly's breath came in shallow, ragged gasps. Her body felt frozen, her mind screaming for escape, yet her limbs refused to move. The Darkness held her closer, his cold presence amplifying the oppressive atmosphere until it pressed on her chest like stone.

"You don't have to be afraid anymore," he murmured, voice curling around her like smoke. "Let me take care of you. You'll never have to be alone in the dark again."

His words seeped into her mind like poison. Molly fought against the tears threatening to fall, pressing her eyes shut and forcing her chest to rise and fall. Still, a flicker of defiance burned within her.

"I'm not yours... I'm not your shadow," she whispered, determination trembling through her voice.

For the first time, The Darkness froze. His red eyes narrowed, intrigued by her resistance. Leaning closer, his lips brushed her ear as he spoke in a low, dangerous whisper.

"We'll see about that, little shadow."

The shadows around them deepened, pressing closer, suffocating, yet Molly gathered every ounce of strength she had left.

"I won't be your pet. I'm not your darkness," she said, voice shaking but fierce.

A glimmer of admiration flickered in The Darkness's gaze, though he masked it with his usual cold amusement. Her defiance was unexpected, a crack in his control.

"You'll learn, little star. In time, you'll learn... you belong to the dark," he murmured, his tone a mixture of menace and fascination.

The tension in the room was thick, suffocating, and Molly could feel the shadows closing in on her. Still, her heart refused to yield.

"You're afraid, little shadow," he whispered softly, almost coaxing. "But I can also sense that you're hiding something. Something... deeper."

Molly swallowed hard. The weight of the moment pressed against her mind, but maybe, just maybe, revealing a sliver of herself could keep her grounded. She drew in a shaky breath.

"I was always afraid of the dark... even as a kid," she confessed, voice barely above a whisper. "My parents used to lock me in my room at night, thinking I'd learn to be brave... that I'd learn to face it. But the dark... it never stopped being scary."

The Darkness leaned closer, curiosity flickering in his red gaze. "And what did you do, little shadow? How did you survive the darkness?"

Molly's chest tightened, memories of trembling under covers and silent nights pressing down on her. "I learned to survive it by pretending. Pretending that it didn't scare me. Pretending I wasn't just a little girl... terrified of what could be lurking in the dark. But even then, it never stopped. It was always there, waiting, just out of sight."

The Darkness listened, his red eyes never leaving her. He could feel her guard lowering, her vulnerability spilling into the shadows. There was a thrill in it for him, a fascination he couldn't deny.

"You learned to hide from the dark," he said softly, "but you couldn't hide from it forever, could you? The darkness always finds its way back to you."

Molly's voice trembled, sadness seeping through her words. "I thought if I pretended hard enough, it would go away. But it didn't. It never does. And then... I was alone. I didn't have anyone to turn to. No one understood how hard it was to live in the dark, to always be afraid."

The Darkness pressed closer, his presence more suffocating than ever, his voice a hypnotic murmur. "I understand, little star. You were alone... but you don't have to be anymore. I am here, with you. You don't have to be afraid in the dark anymore. You are mine."

Molly felt his words constrict her chest like iron, yet somewhere deep inside, a spark of resistance flared. Her past shaped her, but it didn't define her. She wouldn't succumb to him.

"I might have been afraid of the dark... but I'm not anymore. Not like this. I'm not your pet. I won't be," she said, voice quivering but resolute.

The Darkness paused, considering her defiance, his red eyes narrowing with a mixture of intrigue and darkness. "So you resist me, little shadow. You are strong—I will give you that. But you cannot escape what you are."

Molly's gaze met his, fear and determination coiling together. "I don't belong to the dark... and I'm not yours."

For a long, tense moment, the room held its breath. Then The Darkness leaned closer, voice low and dangerous. "You think you can escape me, little star? You think you can defy the darkness within you? You haven't begun to understand what you're up against. There is something far worse than me, lurking in these shadows. Something far more terrifying."

Molly's pulse quickened, dread creeping up her spine. His grip tightened slightly, red eyes gleaming with cold intent.

"The Fear," he continued, voice a low hiss, "is the true king of all things that haunt the mind. He doesn't just exist in the shadows—he is the shadows. And he isn't alone. He has thirteen terrifying minions, each more horrifying than the last. I'm just one of them, little shadow... a small piece in his twisted puzzle. Puppet. Fire. The Clown. The Toxin. The Heights. The Aqua. The Ghost. The Stalker. The Equine. The Carcass. The Spider. The Thunder... and me. We all carry out his bidding. The Fear is never satisfied. Once he has you, he will tear your soul apart, piece by piece."

Molly's throat went dry. The Fear. She had heard whispers, but hearing it from The Darkness made it all too real. "I won't... I won't let him take me. I won't let any of you take me," she said, voice shaky but firm.

The Darkness chuckled darkly, amusement and menace flickering in his gaze. "Oh, little star... you think you have a choice? The Fear is not something you can outrun. You'll feel him, even miles away. The longer you stay here, the more he'll find you. And when he does... you'll wish you had never defied the darkness."

Molly's chest tightened, but she forced herself to stand tall, her resolve sharpening. "You may be right about the fear. But I won't let it control me. I won't let it take me. And I'll fight to the end."

The Darkness watched her, as if testing her spirit. His grip loosened slightly, but the shadows still pressed in, breathing around them. His voice softened, almost regretful.

"We all have our limits, little star. The Fear will find yours. It always does."

Molly swallowed, refusing to yield. She wasn't alone. Her friends, her courage—they would help her through this. She would not fall.

As The Darkness retreated into the shadows, leaving her alone in the oppressive room, Molly's chest heaved with determination. Her voice was a whisper, barely audible, but it carried a weight that could not be ignored.

"I'm not afraid of you. Not anymore."

Molly's chest tightened as she heard the familiar voices calling her name. Relief surged through her, almost knocking the fear aside. Her friends—they had found her. She twisted against the bed of shadows, straining to move as the gang stumbled into view, their faces alight with hope and concern.

"Molly! We found you!" Ollie cried, tears welling in her eyes as she rushed forward.

Serena exhaled sharply, her worry evident. "Oh, thank God... are you okay?!"

Molly felt a warmth bloom in her chest at their concern, a fragile shield against the terror that had consumed her. She nodded quickly, lips trembling.

"I'm okay... I think," she whispered, trying to sound stronger than she felt.

But before she could move toward them, the shadows around her convulsed and surged like a living wave. The Darkness emerged from the writhing void, red eyes blazing with wicked amusement.

"Oh, how touching," he said, voice silky and mocking. "A little reunion... almost makes me sick."

In an instant, the shadows lashed out, twisting and coiling around the gang before they could react. The inky tendrils wrapped around their arms and legs, lifting them from the ground. Serena gasped, struggling against the suffocating darkness, while RJ thrashed violently.

"You bastard! Let us go!" RJ snarled, teeth clenched.

The Darkness chuckled darkly, a low, chilling sound. "Now, now. Struggling only makes it worse."

Callie gritted her teeth, summoning all her strength to fight the unyielding grip, but the shadows were like steel restraints. Ollie whimpered, wriggling against the inky hold, and her flashlight tumbled from her hands, rolling away with a faint flicker.

Molly's stomach twisted in guilt and panic. This was her fault—she had let him get to her. She had let herself feel vulnerable, and now her friends were paying the price.

"Let them go! You wanted me, right? Just take me!" she shouted, voice quaking.

The Darkness tilted his head, as if amused by her words. He stepped closer, shadows writhing in his wake, and leaned near her ear, his voice dropping to a sinister whisper.

"Oh, little star... it's not just about you anymore."

A chill ran down Molly's spine as his voice seeped into her mind like poison. He turned his gaze to the others, red eyes glinting with cruel delight.

"You see, fear is so much sweeter when it spreads," he murmured. "And your little friends? They're absolutely ripe with it."

Frustration flared inside Molly, sharp and burning. She had had enough. Sickened by his games, by the way he toyed with them like marionettes, she took a shaky breath, searching for courage buried beneath the fear.

Her friends were still struggling. They were still fighting. They needed her—and she wouldn't let him win.

"Then I guess you've underestimated us," Molly said, glaring, her voice stronger now.

The Darkness raised a brow, intrigued, before his smirk widened in amusement. But Molly's eyes darted to the fallen flashlight, still flickering faintly on the ground. If she could just reach it...

The gang caught her intent. Serena met her gaze, giving the slightest nod. Callie gritted her teeth, ready to play her part. RJ, though bound and struggling, let out a smirk under the oppressive darkness.

"Oh, this is gonna piss him off," he muttered.

Molly braced herself, determination coiling tight in her chest. But before she could act, The Darkness moved. With a snap of his fingers, the shadows surged, enveloping the room in impenetrable blackness.

This time, Molly's heart sank as she realized—she was not the one being dragged under. It was the gang. She watched, frozen, as Serena, Callie, Ollie, and RJ struggled, screaming, clawing at the darkness that swallowed them whole. One by one, they sank, their forms disappearing beneath the inky wave, leaving Molly trembling in the center of the room, the silence thick and suffocating.

The Darkness's red eyes burned in the shadows, gleaming like coals. "Oh, little star," he whispered, voice laced with cruel amusement. "You're all alone now. Just as it should be."

And in that instant, the room was silent, save for Molly's ragged breaths and the distant, echoing whispers of the shadows that had claimed her friends.

The void stretched endlessly around her, an abyss without edge or escape. Shadows writhed and whispered, crawling beneath her skin, curling around her chest like icy fingers. It was cold—so unbearably cold that every breath burned in her lungs. Molly gripped her arms tightly, trying to ground herself, trying to anchor herself to something real.

And then... there was him.

The Darkness stood before her, tall and impossible, crimson eyes glowing beneath the brim of his gray fedora. He didn't need to touch her; his presence alone wrapped around her like a noose, and for a moment, Molly felt the world shrink to nothing but his gaze.

"You were so bold just a moment ago, my dear," he said, his voice soft and mocking. "What happened? Where's that fire?"

Molly clenched her fists, nails biting into her palms, shaking with a mixture of fury and fear.

"You think this is funny?! You think I'm just some little plaything for you to torment?" she snapped, voice trembling.

A low, smooth chuckle escaped him, curling through the air like smoke. He took a deliberate step closer, shadows rippling and undulating with each movement.

"Oh, Molly... it's adorable that you think this is about me amusing myself," he purred. "No, no... this is about you. About what you are hiding."

Molly stiffened but didn't look away.

"I'm not hiding anything from you, you sick bastard!"

The hum of amusement in his chest grew. In a blink, he was behind her, breath ghosting over her ear. His words dropped to a whisper, intimate and venomous.

"Oh, but you are. Shall we talk about Marilyn?"

Her blood ran cold.

Her chest tightened. The shadows around her pulsed, feeding on her reaction.

"Don't. Don't you dare," she whispered, shaking her head.

"Marilyn, Marilyn, Marilyn..." The Darkness's grin widened, cruel and knowing. "The one who made you feel small. The one who made you feel like you weren't enough. Tell me, my dear—does she still haunt you?"

Molly's teeth clenched. Marilyn. That bitch. The girl who had spent years making her life hell, whispering and sneering and laughing at her insecurities.

"SHUT UP! You don't know anything about her!" Molly shouted, her voice breaking under the weight of her anger and fear.

The Darkness let out a low, velvety laugh, circling her like a predator.

"Oh, but I do. I know everything about you, Molly. I know how her words crawled under your skin, wrapped around your throat like chains. How many nights did you lie awake, replaying every insult, every cruel laugh? How many times did you believe her?"

Molly squeezed her eyes shut, trying to anchor herself, to fight the tide of panic rising in her chest.

"Poor, poor thing," he continued, mock sympathy dripping from his words. "You tried so hard to ignore it. But deep down, you still hear her voice, don't you? That little whisper in your head, telling you you're not enough."

Her fingers twitched at her sides.

"And the worst part?" His voice leaned in, dark and intimate. "She's right."

The weight of his words slammed into her chest like a boulder. Molly gasped, breath hitching.

"No..." she whispered, barely above a murmur.

"No?" he repeated, cold amusement curling around the syllable. "Then why are you trembling, little liar? Why are you crying?"

Molly blinked. Tears. She hadn't even realized.

"You are so easy to unravel," he murmured, the words curling around her like tendrils. "Adorable, really. I could watch you crumble for centuries."

Something inside her snapped.

Through the haze of fear and pain, anger bloomed, red-hot and raw. She wouldn't let him win—not this time.

She lifted her chin, trembling but unbowed.

"You can try to break me," she said, hoarse but firm. "But you'll never be Marilyn."

For a heartbeat, the world stilled. The Darkness froze, his smirk twitching. For just a second, his red eyes flickered with something unfamiliar. Molly wasn't sure what it was—but she knew she had struck a nerve.

A deafening crack echoed. Molly's head snapped to the side as a sharp, searing pain blossomed across her cheek. She staggered, knees buckling beneath her, catching herself just before hitting the ground. Her breath came out in ragged gasps.

Silence followed.

The Darkness stood over her, hand still raised, fingers twitching. No longer amused. No longer toying. Now... rage burned in his red eyes.

"You. Should not. Have said that," he hissed, each word deliberate, dripping with menace.

Molly's chest rose and fell rapidly. Her skin stung. Her heart thundered. She tasted blood—her own.

"Do you realize what you've just done, little liar?" His shadows flared violently, pressing in closer. "Do you understand what happens when you push too far?"

Her lungs screamed. Her body trembled. She could feel the darkness pressing against her, suffocating her. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Slowly, shakily, she lifted her head.

She met his gaze. And she smiled. Small, weak, bloody—but defiant.

"There you are," she said, hoarse, breathless, a laugh slipping out despite the pain. "All that flirting, all that toying—this is what you really are, isn't it?"

His eyes narrowed. Shadows quivered around him, barely restrained.

"For all your games," she continued, wiping the blood from her lip, chest rising and falling unevenly, "for all your mind tricks... you still snapped the second someone touched a nerve. That's pathetic."

A flicker of something dark passed across his features. He loomed closer, voice low, venomous.

"You want to see pathetic?"

Before she could react, the shadows lunged. Tendrils wrapped around her wrists, yanking her upright. Her feet dangled. The shadows squeezed. Tighter. And tighter.

"S-Stop—!" she choked, struggling against the suffocating inky grip.

"Oh, now you beg?" The Darkness's voice was furious, mocking. "Where's that sharp tongue of yours, little liar?"

Her body convulsed as the tendrils wound around her throat, pressing in, suffocating. Fingers clawed at the shadows, but it was useless. She couldn't breathe. Stars danced at the corners of her vision.

"You thought you could talk back to me?" he whispered, soft and menacing, breath chilling against her ear. "You thought you could hurt me?"

A low, chilling chuckle rumbled from him.

"Oh, Molly," he said, voice dripping with dark satisfaction. "You have no idea what true suffering is."

Her lungs screamed for air. Her heartbeat pounded like war drums. And for the first time... for the first time... she truly thought she might die.

The shadows bound them tightly, wrapping around their arms, legs, and chests like living chains. Movement was impossible. Struggle was futile. All they could do was watch.

Watch as Molly hung, fragile and trembling, suspended in the suffocating void of The Darkness' control.

Serena thrashed, her tears streaking her face, voice cracking as she screamed into the oppressive blackness.

"MOLLY! STOP HURTING HER, YOU MONSTER!"

The Darkness didn't so much as glance at them. His attention remained fixed on Molly, tightening his grip as if savoring the fear.

Molly let out a weak, strangled gasp, and Serena's heart clenched violently in her chest. Her vision blurred. She blinked back tears, trembling from the helplessness clawing at her.

"I can't lose her... I can't lose her too...", she whispered to herself, voice raw and breaking.

RJ's head shifted, straining against the inky restraints. His face was twisted in worry, eyes soft as they met Serena's through the darkness.

"Serena...?" he murmured, cautious.

She shook, shoulders heaving as sobs wracked her body.

"She's all I have, RJ." The words spilled out, unfiltered and desperate. "She's the only one who never looked at me like I was wrong—like I was some freak. She's always been there. She chose me. Even when I felt like I didn't belong anywhere, she made sure I knew I belonged with her."

Her fists clenched, nails biting into her palms, a raw testament to the anguish surging inside her.

"And now she's—" Her voice cracked, breaking under the weight of it all. A sob tore through her. She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting to block out the sight of Molly's weak, dangling body, trying to push back the suffocating helplessness that threatened to swallow her whole.

RJ's expression softened. He shifted in the darkness, straining against the restraints, reaching for her. Warmth touched her hand, breaking through the chill of the shadows.

Slowly, shakily, Serena opened her eyes.

RJ's gaze was calm. Steady. Understanding.

"You're not nothing," he said, quiet but firm. "You matter. You always have. And Molly knows that."

Serena's lip quivered. More tears spilled down her cheeks, but RJ's hand remained firm, grounding her.

"We're going to get her back. Together," he continued.

For a fleeting instant, something stirred inside her. A spark flickered in the corners of her heart—a light of hope, fragile but defiant. She felt it, a tiny warmth spreading in the cold void, pushing against the suffocating dark.

The shadows shuddered around them. Faint cracks of light began to seep through, thin ribbons fighting to illuminate the inky black.

The Darkness stiffened. His grip on Molly loosened, imperceptibly at first, but enough for Serena to feel the shift.

She squeezed RJ's hand back, her tear-streaked face now set with a new resolve. Determination burned in her chest, steady and unyielding.

"We're getting her back," she said, quiet, but resolute.

The void trembled. And for the first time, they were no longer powerless.

The void hung heavy, suffocating, thick with shadows that writhed like living things. The gang remained ensnared, pinned in the coils of darkness, helpless. Their eyes were fixed on Molly.

Molly's chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths. She was still trembling, but not with fear—no, something else now stirred in her veins, something darker, deeper, intoxicating. The Darkness's form loomed over her, crimson eyes gleaming with triumph, shadows rippling around him like a tide of black silk.

And yet... she didn't struggle. She didn't resist.

The Darkness reached out, his cold fingers tracing her jaw, tilting her head up.

"You're finally understanding, aren't you, my dear?" His voice was low, smooth, a silk ribbon of command curling around her mind.

Her heart pounded. She should recoil. She should scream. But instead, a strange calm settled over her. The shadows around her weren't just oppressive—they were comforting. Enveloping. A cold, velvety embrace that made her forget the struggle.

"That's it," he murmured, brushing a clawed finger down her arm. "Give in, pet. Let yourself fall."

Molly's lips parted, wordless. The tangled mess of thought in her mind stuttered, tripped over the sudden, illicit pull of longing. And deep in her core... she realized she liked it. She liked him. She liked the shadows curling around her, the way his voice coiled through her mind. She liked the way he made her feel... whole in a way she had never known.

"You were made for this, weren't you?" he whispered, pressing close.

Her fingers twitched. A shiver ran down her spine. Her instincts screamed to deny, to fight—but she didn't.

"...Yes," she breathed.

The Darkness grinned, shadows pulsing with approval. "That's my girl."

The tendrils tightened, coiling around her like a lover's embrace. Molly didn't flinch. She didn't struggle. She just let herself be consumed.

"You belong here, pet. You belong to me," he cooed, dragging his lips along her pulse, feeling her heart hammer beneath his touch.

"I... I belong to you," she whispered, trembling, breathless, willing.

And then it began—the shift.

The shadows around Molly pulsed, but her body glimmered with a strange, eerie shimmer—not light, but its absence. Slowly, deliberately, she drew the Darkness into herself. His form protested, tendrils writhing, but they slipped into her like ink into water. The Darkness gasped, a sharp, rare note of shock echoing through the void. He was being absorbed.

The gang's eyes widened in horror.

Serena's voice cracked, terror threading each word. "MOLLY!!"

But Molly didn't answer. She clung tighter, and as she did, her form drained of all warmth and color—pale, hollow, a ghostly vessel.

The Darkness no longer stood apart. He was inside her. She had become him.

"She's gone..." Ollie whispered, horror-struck, as silence stretched like a suffocating shroud.

Then, slowly, Molly lifted her head. Her eyes shimmered—unreadable, inhuman. A smile spread across her lips, faint, terrifying, triumphant.

The void seemed to lean in, waiting, holding its breath.

And Molly, once a girl trapped by fear, now an entity of shadows and void, smiled into the darkness she had claimed.

The silence was heavy, thick as tar. Molly stood in the void, stripped of color—skin, hair, even her clothes reduced to a muted grayscale. She didn't move. She barely even blinked. She simply... stood. Blank. Weary. Her friends didn't know whether to approach or flee.

"Molly...?" Serena's voice was soft, pleading.

No answer. No recognition. Just empty, exhausted eyes staring into nothing.

"She's... she's not saying anything," RJ whispered, voice shaken.

Molly's hands twitched slightly, fingers flexing as though trying to feel something. Her body swayed like a puppet on loose strings. Shadows still curled from beneath her feet, moving with her, through her, as though she had become part of them.

"That's not her. That's not Molly," Ollie whispered, clinging to Callie.

Callie's expression remained grim, her hand gripping Ollie's shoulder. "We don't know that yet."

Molly's mouth parted, almost imperceptibly. She tried to speak, her throat working, dry and strained as if it had forgotten how to breathe. Finally, a voice emerged—but it was not Molly's voice. Not entirely.

"...I'm tired," she said, distant and toneless.

Serena took a cautious step forward. The shadows reacted instantly, shifting as if warning her. Molly's blank eyes turned toward her, endless, pitlike, and Serena's stomach twisted.

"I want to rest," Molly added, the same hollow tone softening just slightly.

The air pressed down on them, suffocating. The Darkness lingered, inside her like a stain that refused to fade. And yet... faintly, somewhere deep beneath it, Molly remained. Distant, faint, struggling.

"No. No, you don't get to rest. You don't get to give up!" Serena's voice cracked, raw, as she stepped forward, ignoring the dread creeping up her spine.

"Molly, look at me! Look at me!" she shouted, hoping against hope. For a moment, a flicker of something passed across Molly's face—a hesitation, perhaps—but it was gone instantly, replaced by the same empty stare.

Serena's hands clenched, knuckles whitening. "You're still in there, Molly," she whispered, breath shaky.

Still no response.

Serena stepped closer, standing directly in front of her. "Say something! Please—just say something!" Her voice broke, pleading.

Molly blinked slowly. Her lips parted like a doll whose strings had been cut. "...I told you... I'm tired."

Red flared in Serena's vision.

She shoved Molly hard, forcing her back a step. Shadows rippled, curling angrily at Serena's feet, but she didn't care. She shoved again, relentless.

"You don't get to be tired! You don't get to just let him win!" she yelled, fury and desperation clawing through her words.

Molly swayed like a lifeless marionette. Nothing.

Something inside Serena snapped. She gripped Molly's collar and slapped her across the face. The sound echoed in the void. The gang gasped; RJ lunged forward, but Callie held him back. Molly's head whipped to the side. Shadows trembled—but she didn't flinch. She simply blinked, slow and empty.

"Come back, you idiot! Come back to me!" Serena screamed, teeth gritted, fists tightening.

And then she punched her—full force—into Molly's gut. Molly staggered, a faint wheeze escaping her lips. For a moment, nothing happened.

And then—a flicker. Color returned, the faintest warmth bleeding into her fingertips. Her hands twitched, awakening from a long sleep.

Serena seized it. She grabbed Molly's shoulders, shaking her violently, rattling her soul loose from the cloying darkness. "You are not his! You are Molly! You are mine!" she shouted.

Another punch, this time to the shoulder. Bruises began to form. More color seeped back—her wrist, her cheek, the faintest glow of life against the gray. The shadows shrieked, twisting in desperate protest.

"You. Are. Molly!" Serena screamed, hands slamming again and again in a brutal, frenzied assault. She fought with everything she had—fighting for Molly's soul, fighting the darkness.

Finally, Molly gasped. Her pupils shrank, fingers clawing at Serena's arms, feeling everything at once. Color surged back, rushing through her veins, flooding her skin with warmth. The shadows around her screamed as if something within them had died.

"S-Serena...?" Molly whispered, gasping, choking on air.

Serena froze, breathless. Her hands still held Molly tightly, bruising her arms in the intensity of relief. For a moment, neither breathed.

Then Serena let out a broken sob, crushing Molly in an almost violent hug. "You're back. You're back. You're back..." Her voice trembled, prayer-like. The shadows screamed one last time—and then they shattered, vanishing into the abyss.

The air cleared, but Molly's body tensed. Her hands clawed at her stomach, a cold sweat beading her forehead. She gagged.

"S-Serena... I—"

Before she could finish, a thick, viscous black sludge erupted from her mouth, spilling onto the ground. It writhed and pulsed like something alive, twisting into grotesque faces: the fedora, the red eyes, the mocking grin of the Darkness.

"It's... inside me—" Molly gasped, hands clutching her chest, eyes wide with horror.

She fell to her knees, heaving, the inky substance spilling relentlessly. Serena scrambled back, horror-struck. The sludge writhed, the remnants of the Darkness refusing to release its hold, gurgling a low, sinister chuckle.

"You thought you could get rid of me, pet?" The voice slithered through the filth, echoing in Molly's skull.

"Spit it out! Get rid of him! You're stronger than this, Molly—FIGHT!" Serena screamed, shaking her, ignoring the sticky black residue on her fingers.

Molly convulsed violently, gagging. More sludge erupted, hitting the ground in wet, sickening splats. The shadows writhed like a dying beast. The fedora sank, the red eyes flickered—and then—

The darkness exploded, sizzling as if burned by an unseen light. Silence followed.

Molly slumped forward, trembling, panting, lips stained black. Her hands shook uncontrollably.

"Molly...?" Serena whispered, soft, hesitant.

Molly swayed, eyes fluttering. And then—she collapsed into Serena's arms, unconscious, drained of color once more.