Kamrynn’s POV
I folded the last of the twins’ tiny onesies and sighed, pressing my palms against the neatly stacked pile.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake Calvin’s words from my mind.
“Sherelle might still be alive.”
The idea itself was ridiculous. Impossible.
I had seen my sister’s mutilated body. I had felt the crushing weight of her loss.
And yet…
A small, desperate part of me wanted to believe it.
What if-?
No.
I clenched my fists, forcing the thought away.
It was wishful thinking. Nothing more.
Even if Sherelle had somehow survived, why had she never come back? Why had she let me suffer?
The ache in my chest deepened, but Aryna’s voice cut through my thoughts.
“Stop torturing yourself, Kamrynn.”
I sighed, rubbing my temples.
“You’re worrying over nothing,” Aryna added. “Calvin is grasping at straws.”
I wanted to believe her.
But something lingered-a whisper of doubt that refused to fade.
I shook my head and exhaled, pushing away the thoughts.
Right now, I had more important things to focus on.
The twins.
I gathered the folded clothes and placed them in the dresser before standing up, stretching my sore muscles.
As I stepped out of my bedroom, curiosity pulled me toward the living room.
I peeked inside and smiled.
Rmonica and Thalia were playing with Astor and Arabella.
Thalia looked especially excited, bouncing Arabella in her arms while giggling. “You’re going to be the cutest little troublemaker, aren’t you?”
Arabella gurgled in response, reaching for Thalia’s face.
Rmonica smirked. “Don’t get too comfortable, Thalia. Once she starts shifting, you’re in for a nightmare.”
Thalia gasped dramatically. “How dare you? Arabella is a perfect angel!”
I chuckled, watching the pure joy on their faces.
Seeing them so happy made my heart lighter.
For once, I felt at peace.
Just as I turned to head back to my room, a voice stopped me.
“Lady Kamrynn!”
I paused and turned as a maid approached me, holding a small package.
I frowned. “What’s this?”
“It was addressed to you,” she said, offering it to me.
My stomach tightened as I took it from her.
There was no seal. No markings.
Only my name and the palace’s address.
I glanced back at the maid. “Who sent it?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know, my lady. It was delivered anonymously.”
A strange unease crept into my chest.
Still, I nodded. “Thank you.”
The maid bowed and walked away.
I clutched the package tightly and hurried back to my room, closing the door behind me.
Taking a deep breath, I sat on the edge of my bed and carefully unwrapped the parcel.
Inside was a phone.
I stared at it, confused.
Who would send me this?
I turned it over, examining it.
No markings. No note.
Just a plain black phone.
A bad feeling coiled in my gut.
Hesitantly, I pressed the power button.
The screen lit up immediately-
And a video file appeared.
I hesitated, my heart pounding.
My fingers trembled as I tapped the video on the phone’s screen.
The moment it started playing, my breath caught in my throat.
The camera was shaking violently, the image blurring in and out of focus.
Then-
Sherelle appeared on the screen.
I almost dropped the phone.
“Oh my Goddess…”
She looked awful.
Her golden hair, once always perfectly kept, was a tangled mess, strands matted with blood and dirt. The left side of her face was bruised, her lip split open and swollen. A deep gash on her forehead was still oozing blood, the red stark against her deathly pale skin.
And her eyes-
They were wide with terror, darting wildly as if she expected something-someone-to appear at any second.
Her breathing was ragged, the sound rough and uneven as she panted into the microphone.
And she was running.
The camera bounced frantically, swinging wildly as she clutched it in her trembling hand.
The forest around her was dark, dense, and the crunch of leaves and snapping branches beneath her feet filled the silence.
Then-
Another sound.
My blood turned to ice.
Footsteps.
Close.
Heavy.
Chasing her.
Sherelle let out a small whimper, her face twisting in sheer panic as she looked over her shoulder. The camera jolted, the image blurring before she turned it back to herself.
“Kamrynn-” her voice shook, barely above a whisper.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“Please-” she gasped, her eyes wet with tears. “You have to help me!”
I staggered to my feet, my fingers tightening around the phone.
“Sherelle!” I gasped, even though she couldn’t hear me.
“I don’t have much time-” she sobbed, her head snapping to the side at another sound.
She choked on her breath, her entire body visibly trembling.
“It’s Calvin, Kamrynn-”
I froze.
“He’s a monster!” Sherelle’s voice cracked, pure fear bleeding into her words. “Don’t believe anything he says!”
My mind reeled.
Calvin?
What was she saying?
What the hell was she saying?!
Sherelle tripped, the camera angle swinging downward before she caught herself. She let out a soft, broken cry, her body lurching forward as she forced herself to keep running.
I could hear it now-the footsteps closing in behind her.
“Please, Kamrynn, you have to believe me-”
Another sharp snap of branches.
Sherelle whipped around, the screen jolting wildly.
Then she stopped running.
Her breaths came in short, panicked bursts, her chest rising and falling erratically.
For a second, she just stood there, her shoulders heaving, like she knew it was useless to keep going.
Then, she looked back at the camera.
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
“I never really died.”
The world tilted.
“Calvin made it seem that way.”
No.
“So he could carry out his evil plans.”
My knees buckled.
Sherelle was alive.
And Calvin-
“He orchestrated everything.” Her voice cracked, her lower lip trembling. “Kamrynn, the truth about him is so much darker than anyone could have imagined.”
I was numb.
I couldn’t breathe.
Sherelle swallowed hard, looking around frantically.
Then her eyes widened.
“He’s coming.”