Chapter 2

 

The jarring ringtone of his phone dragged him back from the throes of the nightmare. He clumsily reached for the device on the bed, his hand shaking, and answered without looking.

 

"Dad?" he croaked, his voice groggy with sleep and lingering fear.

 

"Casper, are you alright? You sound terrible," his father's voice was sharp with concern. "Did something happen?"

 

"I'm fine, Dad. Just a bad dream," Casper mumbled, trying to shake off the last vestiges of the terrifying vision. He didn't want to burden his father with his anxieties. "Listen, tell our driver to fetch me here at the Blackwood Inn. My car broke down."

 

"Alright, son. But are you sure you're okay? You sound… rattled."

 

"I'll be fine, Dad. Just need to get out of here," Casper said, forcing a note of reassurance into his voice. He hung up, the silence of the room amplifying the uneven beating of his heart.

 

He sat up in bed and ran his hand through his messy hair. The dream still bothered him, like clinging shadows, and he couldn't get the woman's image out of his head. And that name... Adam. Why did she keep on calling that name ...that he strongly hates?

 

He got up and went to the window, looking out at the gray morning. The rain had stopped, but the air still felt wet. Everything outside looked dull and strange. He had a bad feeling like something bad was about to happen.

 

He thought about what the old woman had warned him about and how scared Morgana was. Could there really be something evil going on? Like a ghost, or something even worse? Or was he just going crazy, with his worries triggering his anxiety making him see things?

 

He glanced towards the door, felt like Morgana standing there outside, he could imagine her face looking terrified. But the space beyond the door seemed empty and quiet. He was alone. Or was he really?

 

He shook his head, trying to think clearly. He needed to calm down, leave this place, and get back to his normal life. But he couldn't stop asking himself. What could Morgana be so scared of? And how was this place connected to the woman in the rain, and to Adam? Does this place have something to do with my own past?

 

He picked up his bag and went to the door, his hand trembling as he reached for the knob. He hesitated, a bad feeling creeping over him. He couldn't shake the impression that someone was standing behind him, and the urge to flee warred with the premonition that something was waiting just outside if he opened the door.

 

He took a deep breath and opened the door, stepping out into the hallway. The air was cold, still, and quiet. He quickly headed for the stairs, carefully watching everything around him.

 

As he descended the stairs, he felt someone touch him. He glanced back over his shoulder, but the hallway behind him was empty, just shadows cast by the antique chandelier hanging on the ceiling.

 

He reached the lobby and walked towards the front door, his gaze sweeping across the room. The old woman was nowhere to be seen; the only sign of life was the faint hum of the ceiling fan and the fluorescent lights overhead.

 

He pushed open the door and stepped out into the cool morning air. The Blackwood Inn cast a shadow behind him, quiet and dangerous. He couldn't shake the feeling that it was looking at him, waiting for him to return.

 

As the car arrived to take him home, he decided to quietly leave the Blackwood Inn and forget about Morgana and the woman in the rain. But Morgana's eyes... he couldn't forget that look. They seemed to be begging him to save her from something.

 

As he left the lodge, he could still feel her gaze on his back, filled with worry. He felt guilty about leaving her in that situation, but his decision was final and he would not change it.

 

After that incident, the days passed quickly, but Casper never completely forgot the events at the Blackwood Inn.

 

The Blackwood Inn faded into the background, but never from Casper's mind.

 

Friday, 6 a.m. Casper descended the stairs of his luxury home, each step measured. He moved with a model's grace, an expensive suit perfectly fitted. But the confidence didn't reach his eyes; as if haunted by a shadow he couldn't escape. The Blackwood Inn incident was still fresh in his memory.

 

Reaching his car, Casper's breath hitched. He thought he saw a woman's figure on the backseat of his car but it disappeared quickly as he opened the car. "Probably just some shadow’s reflection," he muttered, but his stomach tightened, a shiver crawling up his spine. "Why the hell am I getting ghost vibes these days?"

 

He felt a cold shiver as he slid inside the car. His grip on the steering wheel was tight as he started the engine. Nervousness flooded him. His gaze swept the street. He felt watched, a sensation eerily similar to his time at the Blackwood Inn. He shook his head, fighting the urge to return there, to check on Morgana. "What is happening to me?"

 

He sped up, whether to avoid traffic or outrun his escalating nervousness, he wasn't sure. He was feeling suffocated.

 

"Who are you?" he murmured, his eyes wide with a mix of wonder and fear. It felt like there was a woman following him. A chill snaked down his spine.

 

Continuing driving, he felt a presence beside him—a cold touch on his skin. "Just my imagination," he muttered, trying to compose himself. Or was he in denial?

 

The city awakened, the rising sun painting the buildings gold. The familiar aroma of coffee and bread from the bakery usually comforted him, but today it felt alien, unable to cut through his mounting anxiety. He couldn't ignore the images of the inn, of Morgana. A suspicion took root: Could Morgana be following him? His feet pressed hard on the brake, his heart hammering. He felt like he was avoiding a trap.

 

Twenty minutes later, he arrived at the company on the city's outskirts. Even though he knew he was alone, he scanned the back seat before exiting, his paranoia escalating. He felt someone sitting there.

 

He headed straight to his office and brewed coffee, the rich aroma blending with a subtle familiar scent he couldn't place.

 

At 8 a.m. sharp, he began preparing for the upcoming board meeting. As the son of the owner of a known food and beverage company, with restaurants across the country, he was used to the pressure. But the strange feeling that someone was stalking him was distracting.

 

The board members had approved his proposal to acquire a warehouse near Blackwood Inn for raw material storage. The area was a goldmine for food ingredients. That's why he'd gone there months ago and accidentally met Morgana, the new complication in his life. Or was he imagining things?

 

He heard a soft whisper as he worked. Though sweet, the voice was deeply creepy. "I know you're thinking of me."

 

Casper's eyes scanned every corner of his office, his chest tight. He refocused on the computer, his fingers clumsy on the keyboard as he typed. 'What is that? A ghost?' His breath hitched.

 

He rubbed his temples; he needed to concentrate on his work. He couldn't afford to be embarrassed at the upcoming business meeting if he came there unprepared. But the unusual things disturbed his mind. He glanced at the documents, then back at every corner of the office. "Whatever!" he whispered, a headache forming.

 

He reread the documents, frowning. The silence in his office amplified the dread. "What does she want?" Driven by morbid curiosity, he searched for information about ghosts online, knowing he was likely only scaring himself further.

 

Countless results flooded the screen. Then, he accidentally clicked on an old news photo, a face he knew, a face he'd tried to forget. The news articles were shards of a broken past. Each word cut deep, each sentence made the wounds bleed he thought had never healed. Luna died at 18 in a tragic accident, a month after she ran away on their wedding day, a humiliation that drove him away from the capital city for years. He'd always avoided the details about her death, but now he saw it: the accident happened near Blackwood Inn.

 

His marriage had been arranged when he was twenty, a business deal disguised as love. Luna's rejection had shattered his pride. He'd been left with freedom to be with women he loved, but every relationship since had all failed.

 

Consumed by anger and shame, he'd cursed Luna that day. But he should be careful what he wished for; he hadn't wanted her dead. He'd just wanted her to regret her choice, but she'd died in that accident with Adam, his best friend, the man she'd chosen over him.

 

The memories crushed his chest, his hands shaking uncontrollably. Dizziness swirled, his vision blurring. He passed out. When he woke, something was different. An unusual presence occupied his body. He felt the shift, subtle yet undeniable. A familiar scent, Adam's cologne, filled the air, invading his space. And a woman's presence, he could only feel but never see. He felt her cold hands on his chest embracing him from his back.