Chapter Ten: Echoes of the Between

The night felt too quiet.

Naomi sat with her back against a thick pine tree, trying to steady her breath. Her body ached, her mind still struggling to grasp the fact that they had escaped. The Between was gone, its whispers fading like the remnants of a nightmare-yet something inside her still felt off.

Beside her, Ezra lay flat on his back, staring at the sky. His chest rose and fell in deep, steadying breaths. For a long time, neither of them spoke.

Then-

"You kissed me," Ezra said, his voice rough.

Naomi blinked, then let out a small, breathless laugh. "Yeah. I did."

A pause.

"Not that I'm complaining," Ezra murmured, turning his head toward her. His expression was unreadable, a mixture of exhaustion, relief, and something else.

Naomi hesitated. The kiss had been instinct-pure emotion, the need to feel something real after everything they had just survived. But now, in the quiet aftermath, the weight of it settled between them.

Ezra's gaze held hers, dark and unreadable.

"You regret it?" he asked softly.

Naomi swallowed. Did she?

No.

But that didn't mean it wasn't complicated.

"I don't know," she admitted. "Everything feels... tangled."

Ezra exhaled, rubbing a hand over his face. "Yeah. I get that."

Another silence. The night air pressed around them, thick with the scent of damp earth and pine. Somewhere in the distance, an owl called out, breaking the stillness.

It should have felt comforting. It didn't.

Ezra shifted, sitting up slowly. Naomi followed suit, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"We should get moving," she murmured. "We don't know how much time has passed."

Ezra nodded, pushing himself to his feet. When he extended a hand, Naomi hesitated for half a second before taking it. His grip was warm, solid. Real.

She let him pull her up.

But the moment her feet touched the ground-

A wave of dizziness hit her, sharp and sudden.

The forest tilted, the trees bending at impossible angles. A rush of whispers-faint, almost imperceptible-brushed against her mind.

Naomi sucked in a breath.

No.

No, they had escaped. The Between was gone.

Wasn't it?

Ezra's hand tightened around hers. "Naomi?"

She blinked hard, forcing her vision to steady. The world snapped back into place, the shadows retreating.

She forced a shaky breath. "I'm fine. Just... lightheaded."

Ezra didn't look convinced, but he didn't press.

Instead, he turned toward the treeline, scanning their surroundings.

"We're back in Black Hollow," he said quietly. "But we're not where we started."

Naomi followed his gaze. He was right. The lake was nowhere in sight. Instead, they stood on the edge of a dense clearing, surrounded by towering trees that swayed gently in the night breeze.

It was eerily silent.

Too silent.

A slow dread crept up Naomi's spine.

Something felt wrong.

She didn't know how she knew it. There was no visible sign of danger-no monstrous figures lurking in the dark, no unnatural movements in the trees. And yet-

Her skin prickled.

Like something unseen was still watching.

Ezra must have felt it too, because his posture shifted, muscles tensing.

"We need to get out of here," he murmured.

Naomi nodded. "Back to town."

Without another word, they started walking.

---

The streets of Black Hollow were empty.

It was unsettling, even at this hour. The town had always been quiet, but there was usually something-a distant car engine, the flicker of a porch light, the faint hum of life.

Now, it felt... hollow.

As if the town itself was holding its breath.

Naomi's fingers twitched at her sides. She hated this silence. It reminded her too much of the Between-of the way it had tricked them, lulled them into a false sense of security before pulling them back in.

She glanced at Ezra. He was scanning the buildings, his jaw tight. He felt it too.

They passed Main Street, then turned onto the road leading to Naomi's house.

That was when they saw it.

The missing poster.

Naomi's breath caught.

It was her face staring back at her.

Missing: Dr. Naomi Graves
Last Seen: Seven Days Ago

Her heart stopped.

No.

That wasn't possible.

She tore the paper from the post, her hands shaking as she read the details.

Seven days.

They had only been in the Between for a few hours. Maybe a full night. But an entire week-?

Her stomach twisted.

Ezra cursed under his breath, yanking down another poster from a nearby wall. His face paled as he scanned the words.

Naomi stepped closer, dreading what she was about to see.

It wasn't another missing notice for her.

It was for Ezra Calloway.

Missing: Five Years Ago.

The breath rushed from her lungs.

No.

That was impossible.

She looked at Ezra, expecting him to look just as confused, just as horrified.

Instead, his expression was blank.

Cold.

As if a part of him had already suspected this.

Naomi's throat went dry. "Ezra...?"

His grip on the paper tightened.

Finally, he exhaled.

And when he spoke, his voice was haunted.

"This isn't over."