Alice was sleeping peacefully in her room, the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the curtains. The night was still, and her breathing was steady, lost in the depths of her dreams. Suddenly, she began to stir, the edges of sleep loosening their grip on her.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she instinctively reached out to the other side of the bed, seeking the familiar warmth of Alvin. Her hand met only cool, empty sheets. Panic began to rise within her as she realized he wasn't there. She sat up, her eyes scanning the room in the dim light, and called his name softly, "Alvin?"

The room remained silent, and her heart began to beat faster. Just then, she heard the slow creak of the door opening. Her eyes snapped to the doorway, and fear gripped her. She pulled the blanket up around her, her mind racing with possibilities. The door continued to open, inch by inch, revealing a dark figure cloaked in black. She was just about to scream when the figure stepped into the light, and she recognized him.

It was Alvin.

Relief washed over her, and she let out a sigh, though her heart still raced.

"Gosh, it's just you," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

"Please don't scare me like that. You really scared the hell out of me."

Alvin didn't respond immediately. He moved with an unusual heaviness, sitting down on the edge of the bed next to her. In the faint light, Alice could see his face clearly, and she immediately sensed that something was wrong. His eyes, usually so full of life, were shadowed with an emotion she couldn't quite place.

"Alvin, is something wrong? You don't look like you're okay," she asked, her voice filled with concern and tenderness.

He finally spoke, his voice low and strained.

"Yes something is wrong and I am not okay."

Alice felt a pang of sadness and worry. She reached out, her fingers threading through his soft, silky hair in a comforting gesture.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked gently.

"I am here to listen if you want to."

Alvin remained silent for a moment, the weight of his troubles evident in his posture. Alice waited patiently, her hand still in his hair, offering silent support. The room was quiet, save for the faint sounds of the night outside. She could feel the tension radiating from him, and her heart ached with the desire to help ease his burden.

Alvin sighed deeply, the sound heavy with exhaustion and despair.

"You can't help me, Alice, not with this one. I'm just so tired of protecting everyone. First Elizabeth, and now this stupid shadow ghost that's after us. Can't I get some rest?"

Alice's heart ached at his words. She continued to run her fingers through his hair, then gently stroked his cheek.

"I know you're going through a lot, Alvin. I can't even imagine how hard you've worked just to get to me to save me from Elizabeth. I know you've suffered, endured pain, and sacrificed all your happiness just for me. And I'm so grateful that you went to such lengths for me. I don't know how, but please believe me, we will get through this, okay? This time, I'm with you. We can do this together."

Alvin finally looked at her, his eyes intense and intimidating. The shift in his gaze made Alice uncomfortable.

"And how is that possible? Do you really expect me to believe that?" he demanded, his voice cutting through the fragile hope she had tried to build.

Alice's fear grew as she met his harsh gaze. She spoke softly, her voice trembling, "Alvin, I—"

He interrupted her, his voice harsh and bitter.

"You know, Alice, if you didn't exist, none of this would have happened."

His words shattered her heart. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Alvin had loved her ever since they were kids, had gone through countless troubles and suffered for her. Now, he was blaming her for everything.

Alice's eyes filled with tears, her vision blurring as she struggled to process his cruel accusation. Her voice broke as she spoke, "I... I... am so sorry. I didn't know you suffered so much because of me. I know it's because you loved me that you went through all this trouble. But please, don't say things like that."

The room fell silent, the air thick with tension and unspoken pain. Alvin's words hung in the air, a painful echo that reverberated through Alice's heart. She felt a deep sense of guilt and sorrow, her tears falling freely now as she looked at the man she loved, the man who had once been her protector and hero.

Alvin then stood up, his eyes cold and intimidating as they bore into Alice's soul.

"You know, Alice, you are such a coward. You always wanted someone to protect you. Just imagine for a second—if you hadn't existed, I wouldn't have suffered at all. No Elizabeth, no shadowy monster. Everything in my life would have been better without you. I really hate you. You're so pathetic."

Alvin looked away, his face contorted with frustration.

"I am sorry, Alice. I mean it. I am so tired and sick of everything." His voice trembled, laden with a weariness that seemed to seep from his very bones.

"I try to overcome my difficulties, searching desperately for a bright glimmer of hope, a single ray of light. But instead, I just get swallowed back into the darkness, like a ship sinking into a bottomless abyss."

Alice's heart shattered with each venomous word. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she felt a dizzying mix of emotions: disbelief, heartache, and a profound sense of loss. The man she loved was now the source of her deepest pain. All the time she had spent with him, cherishing their beautiful, unforgettable memories, suddenly felt like a cruel illusion. Her treasured past seemed to dissolve before her eyes.

Desperately, Alice dried her tears with trembling fingers and whispered, "Alvin... please, blame me all you want, but don't hate me."

Alvin's next words came as a shout, piercing the tense silence and making Alice flinch. She scooted back instinctively, her body pressing against the headboard of the bed. Her eyes widened in shock, a mixture of fear and confusion swirling within them.

"Alice, It's best if we break up," Alvin's voice was raw, each word laced with a painful finality.

"I want to end everything between us right now."

Alice's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding loudly in her ears. She stared at him, unable to comprehend the sudden shift in his demeanor. Alvin's face was a storm of conflicting emotions, his eyes dark and distant, as if he had already severed the connection between them in his mind.

"I've been thinking about it for a while now," he continued, his voice dropping to a strained whisper.

"It's best if we end things here. I know it's sudden, but I think it's best if we aren't together."

Alice felt as though the ground had been ripped from beneath her feet, leaving her suspended in a void of disbelief. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, her hands trembling as she clutched the edge of the bed. The room seemed to close in around her, the walls suffocating and cold.

"Why, Alvin?" she managed to choke out, her voice breaking.

He turned away, unable to face the pain etched across her features.

"It's not you, Alice. It's me. I can't keep dragging you down into my darkness. You deserve better than this—better than me."

Panic surged through Alice like a tidal wave, drowning her in desperation. She quickly reached out, clutching Alvin's shoulders with trembling hands.

"Alvin, then just become a better person because I only want you, no one else," she pleaded, her voice cracking under the weight of her anguish.

"Please, don't leave me. I love you with all my heart. Why are you doing this to me? I can't live without you."

Her words tumbled out in a frantic rush, each syllable heavy with raw emotion. Tears streamed down her cheeks, glistening like shattered dreams in the dim light of the room. She gripped him tighter, as if her touch alone could anchor him to her, prevent him from slipping away into the void he seemed so determined to embrace.

Alvin's resolve faltered as he looked into her eyes, filled with a sorrow so profound it threatened to break him. His heart ached at the sight of her distress, the love she had for him laid bare and vulnerable. He wanted to pull her into his arms, to reassure her that everything would be alright, but the darkness within him held him back, a chain that refused to let go.

"Alice," he began, his voice thick with regret, "I don't want to hurt you. But I'm broken. I can't keep pretending that I'm okay, that we're okay. You deserve someone who can give you everything, not someone who's constantly battling their own demons."

Alice shook her head fiercely, her fingers digging into his shoulders as if she could physically hold him together.

"I don't care about your demons, Alvin. We can face them together. You don't have to do this alone. Please, just give us a chance."

The room seemed to hold its breath, the silence between them heavy with unspoken fears and shattered hopes. Alvin closed his eyes, his own tears escaping despite his efforts to remain strong. He wanted to believe her, to grasp the lifeline she offered, but the shadows in his mind whispered that he was beyond saving.

"I love you, Alice," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"But loving you means letting you go. I can't keep dragging you down with me. It's killing me to do this, but it's the only way I can save you from my darkness."

Alice's sobs grew louder, her heart breaking with every word. She clung to him, desperate to make him understand that her love was stronger than his fears. But as Alvin gently pried her hands from his shoulders, she felt a cold emptiness settle in her chest, an aching void where their future once blossomed.

Suddenly, Alvin's expression hardened, and he pulled a small knife from his pocket. Alice's eyes widened in terror as she instinctively released her grip on his shoulders, scooting back on the bed. She started trembling, her voice a barely audible whisper, "Alvin, what are you doing?"

In an instant, Alvin lunged at her, knocking her down on the bed. Alice screamed, the sound a raw expression of her fear and desperation. He got on top of her, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand while holding the knife dangerously close to her throat with the other. His face was twisted in a cruel, almost unrecognizable mask of anger and despair.

"It's obvious, don't you think?" he said, his voice dripping with malice.

"If you can't live without me, then don't you think it's best if you die?"

Alice's mind raced, her heart pounding so loudly it drowned out all coherent thought. The cold steel of the knife pressed against her skin, sending waves of terror crashing through her body like a relentless storm. She looked into Alvin's eyes, desperately searching for any trace of the man she once loved. But all she saw was a stranger, his gaze consumed by a darkness that seemed to swallow his very soul.

"Alvin, please," she begged, her voice trembling as tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

"Don't do this. This isn't you. I know you're hurting, but this isn't the answer. Please, we can find another way. Just... let me help you."

Her words seemed to reach something deep within him, and for a moment, his grip on the knife faltered. The intense emotion in Alice's voice, the raw vulnerability in her eyes, created a crack in his resolve.

But then, the anger and frustration surged back, and his grip tightened once more.

"You can't help me, Alice. No one can," he said, his voice breaking slightly.

Alice's tears continued to fall, her voice shaking with both fear and determination.

"I don't believe that, Alvin. I won't give up on you. I love you. Please, put the knife down."

The room was filled with a suffocating silence, the weight of their shared pain pressing down on them. The knife hovered perilously close to Alice's throat, and in that moment, the outcome was uncertain. The only thing that was clear was the depth of their shared torment, and the desperate hope that somehow, they could find a way back from the brink.

Alice felt utterly vulnerable, pinned beneath Alvin as his intimidating black eyes bore into her. Her heart shattered with each passing second, her breaths coming in quick, shallow gasps. Her chest heaved with the effort, rising and falling rapidly.

Then, after a few agonizing moments, Alvin spoke, his voice cold and devoid of mercy.

"Any last words?"

Tears streamed down Alice's face as she gazed up at him, unable to comprehend that her life was about to end at the hands of the man she loved most. Memories of their time together flooded her mind, each cherished moment now tainted with the horror of this final betrayal.

Alvin shouted, his grip on her wrists tightening painfully, "I asked, do you have any last words?"

Alice slowly turned her head to the side, her voice barely a whisper.

"It's okay if you hate me. I guess you were right. I just want to say I'm sorry that you had to go through all this because of me. But I also want to thank you for making me the happiest girl in the world. Thank you, it really means a lot to me and—"

Her words were abruptly cut off as Alvin's hand left her wrists and wrapped around her throat. She choked, the pressure on her windpipe stealing her breath away. Alvin's voice was filled with rage as he shouted, "I asked for your last words, not for some whole goddamn speech."

With her last bit of strength, Alice managed to whisper, "My last words are... 'I... love... you.'"

Her vision blurred, darkness creeping in at the edges as the oxygen was cut off. Her body struggled instinctively, but she was weak, her strength no match for his. In her final moments, she focused on the love she had once felt, clinging to the remnants of the joy they had shared.

Finally, her body went still. Her eyes closed, and her last breath escaped her lips as a faint, ghostly whisper. In that instant, the room fell eerily silent, the weight of what had just happened hanging heavily in the air.

....

Alice suddenly jolted awake, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She touched the sheets and realized she was in bed, alive. Her eyes darted around the room, taking in her surroundings with a mix of confusion and relief.

Instinctively, her hands flew to her throat, feeling the tender scratches and imprints of fingernails. She was alive. It felt as if Alvin had spared her.

Trembling, she sat up in bed, her body weak and her heart pounding from the trauma she had just endured. The room felt suffocating, the shadows on the walls a constant reminder of the nightmare she had lived through. She glanced at the mirror and saw her neck was bright red, raw from Alvin's grip.

Just as she tried to collect her thoughts, the door creaked open. Alvin walked in, his expression one of surprise.

"I wasn't expecting you to be awake this late. Did something—"

His words faltered as his eyes locked onto the red marks on her neck.

"Alice, what happened?"

He took a step towards her, concern etched on his face, his footsteps echoing softly in the dimly lit room.

Shadows danced on the walls, flickering with the unsteady light of a single lamp. Alice’s heart pounded in her chest, fear coursing through her veins like ice. But as she saw his face, anger surged within her, flushing her cheeks with a fierce determination. She was scared, yes, but she was resolute.

Before he could get any closer, Alice's fear and rage exploded within her like a volcano. Alice acted on pure instinct. She swiftly grabbed the lamp, her fingers curling tightly around its base. The heavy base felt reassuring in her grip. In a swift, desperate motion, she swung it with all her might. The lamp arced through the air and connected with Alvin's head with a sickening crack.

The force of the blow sent him crashing to the ground with a resounding thud. The sound echoed in the confined space, mingling with the shattering of the lamp's delicate shade. Alice stood over him, her breath coming in ragged gasps, her hands still trembling from the brink.

Through the haze, he struggled to stand up on his feet. He locked eyes with her, confusion and hurt mingling in his gaze.

"Alice, what's wrong? Why did you hit me?" he asked, his voice a mix of bewilderment and betrayal.

But Alice was beyond reasoning. Anger surged through her veins, fueled by the betrayal and fear that still coursed through her. She glanced around frantically, searching for something more substantial. Her eyes landed on a baseball bat leaning against the wall. She grabbed it, her hands gripping it tightly as she swung it directly at Alvin's head. He managed to back away just in time, the bat missing him by inches but causing him to slam against the edge of the desk, wincing as pain shot through his back.

"Alice calm down! What's wrong with you?" Alvin shouted, his voice a mix of pain and desperation.

"Why are you doing this?"

Alice's face was flushed with a mixture of anger and terror.

"You tried to kill me, Alvin! You told me you hated me, that everything was my fault! How could you say that? And now you are telling me why are you doing this? Really?"

Alvin's eyes widened in shock. He didn't even know what she was trying to say.

"Alice, I... I don't remember any of that. I swear, I would never hurt you. Please, just put the bat down."

Alice swung the bat again, this time aiming for Alvin's left knee. The impact was brutal, the bat splintering as it connected with a sickening thud. Alvin groaned in agony, collapsing to the floor, gasping for breath. His hair fell messily over his eyes, masking his expression.

Tears streamed down Alice's face as she looked at him.

"That was for hating me!"

Despite the searing pain in his leg and the throbbing in his head, Alvin managed to struggle to his feet, wobbling as he tried to stand. He began to limp towards her, his determination undimmed by his injuries. In a panic, Alice backed away until her back hit the cold, unyielding wall. She frantically searched for another weapon, but there was nothing within reach.

Alvin closed the distance between them in a heartbeat. Before Alice could react, he pushed her against the wall, pinning her hands above her head with his left hand. Her breath hitched, and she squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the worst. Her heart pounded like a drum in her chest, each beat a thunderous echo of her fear.

But instead of the expected attack, she felt the unexpected touch of his cold fingers gently stroking her cheek. The tenderness of the gesture startled her, and she opened her eyes to find Alvin gazing at her softly, his eyes filled with genuine care.

"Hey, looks like I... got you," he murmured, his voice hoarse with pain.

"I don't know what I did to make you this mad, and I didn't even realize that I made you this mad. But whatever I did, I'm—"

His words trailed off as a wave of dizziness swept over him, the pain in his head intensifying. His strength gave out, and he crumpled to the floor, unconscious. The room was thick with the echoes of their turmoil, the air heavy with unspoken words and unresolved emotions.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps pounding up the stairs broke the tense silence. A figure appeared in the doorway, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. It was Dwayne, his eyes wide with alarm.

"I heard screams and—"

He took in the scene: Alvin lying on the floor, bleeding and barely conscious, and Alice, tear-streaked and trembling, leaning against the wall. The broken bat lay discarded at her feet, a silent witness to the violence that had just transpired.

Dwayne's voice trailed off as he saw Alvin sprawled on the floor, a small trickle of blood flowing from his head. Panic surged through Dwayne as he quickly ran to Alvin's side, kneeling down and shaking him gently.

"Alvin, wake up! Please, wake up!"

Fumbling, Dwayne pulled out his phone and dialed for an ambulance. The call felt like an eternity, his heart racing as he relayed their location. After hanging up, he turned to Alice, confusion and concern etched on his face.

"Alice, what happened? Are you okay?"

Alice's voice was barely a whisper, her words trembling with the weight of her ordeal.

"He... he tried to kill me, Dwayne. He said he hated me. I... I had to defend myself."

Dwayne's eyes widened in shock.

"What the hell? Did you just say he tried to kill you?"

He noticed the red marks around her neck, the clear evidence of a struggle.

Something was terribly wrong. Trying to stay calm, he said, "Okay, Alice, can you explain exactly what happened?"

Alice nodded, wiping her tears with trembling fingers. She recounted the horrifying experience—how Alvin had tried to kill her, how his eyes had been filled with hatred, and how she had defended herself in sheer desperation.

Dwayne listened, his face growing more and more troubled. When she finished, his hands were shaking.

"Alice, that's impossible. "

Confusion clouded Alice's eyes. "What do you mean? He tried to kill me, Dwayne. Do you not believe me?"

Dwayne shifted his gaze from Alvin's unconscious form back to Alice.

"Alice... the thing is, Alvin was with me all this time. We were in my room, reading books together. I never left his side, and neither did he. It's impossible that he tried to kill you."

Alice's eyes widened in disbelief, her hands trembling. She stared at Dwayne, her mind swirling with confusion and fear. The red marks around her neck were unmistakable evidence of the attack, yet Dwayne's assertion that he had been with Alvin the entire time cast a shadow of doubt over everything she thought she knew.

"So when Alvin tried to kill me, what was that? A dream? A nightmare? Or—"

Dwayne's voice was somber as he interrupted her. "Do you think... I mean, it's just a hunch, but do you think that Dylan might be behind all this?"

Alice froze, her hands dropping from her face as she processed Dwayne's words. The mention of Dylan sent a chill down her spine, stirring up a whirlwind of unsettling possibilities. It could have been Dylan's doing.

Alice then gasped, her legs giving out as she sank to the floor, her mind reeling. She looked at Alvin, still lying motionless, the blood slowly pooling around his head.

"What have I done."

The realization hit her like a tidal wave, crashing over her with unrelenting force. Alvin, the one she loved, hadn't been the one to attack her. She had lashed out in fear and confusion, harming the wrong person. The weight of her actions crushed her, and she sobbed, the sound filled with anguish and regret.

Dwayne placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, his own emotions a tumultuous mix of worry for his friend and empathy for Alice's ordeal.

"We'll get through this, Alice. The ambulance is on its way. We'll figure this out."

The room was thick with tension, the air heavy with the aftermath of violence and misunderstanding. Alice's tears continued to flow as she grappled with the enormity of her mistake, her heart breaking anew with each passing moment. The memories of Alvin's gentle touch and whispered regrets haunted her, a stark contrast to the horror she had just lived through.

In the distance, the wail of approaching sirens could be heard, a beacon of hope amid the chaos. As they waited for help to arrive, Alice's mind raced, struggling to make sense of the nightmare that had turned her world upside down.

"What have I done?" she whispered again, her voice barely audible, choked with guilt and sorrow. She reached out with a trembling hand, her fingers brushing against his cold skin. The sight of him so vulnerable, so still, tore at her heart.

Her headache intensified, a sharp pain stabbing through her temples, as if her mind was punishing her for the horrors she had witnessed. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the overwhelming emotions, but the tears continued to flow, mingling with the blood on the floor.