The following week, the group met again, this time at Chloe’s house. The air was lighter, and for the first time in months, laughter and joy felt natural. However, beneath the surface, there were still unresolved tensions and mysteries—none of which were more surprising to Nikki than the revelation about Patrick and Jessica.

---

As the others lounged in the living room, Nikki pulled Patrick and Jessica aside into the kitchen.

“Okay, spill,” she said, crossing her arms. “How did this whole ‘friends with benefits’ thing even start?”

Jessica rolled her eyes but smirked. “Oh, come on, Nikki. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Not a big deal? You’re literally the most dramatic person I know, and you’ve been keeping this a secret?”

Patrick laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. “Look, it’s not like we planned it or anything. It just… happened.”

Jessica leaned against the counter, a playful grin on her face. “It was summer break. We were both bored, single, and, well… one thing led to another.”

Patrick’s ears turned pink. “We didn’t want to complicate things by turning it into a relationship, especially with everything else going on.”

“So, what, you’re just hooking up whenever you feel like it?” Nikki asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jessica shrugged. “Pretty much. It’s not like we’re hurting anyone. We have rules, though—no jealousy, no drama, no expectations.”

“And it works for you?”

Patrick nodded. “Surprisingly, yeah. We’re still good friends. If anything, it’s made us closer.”

Nikki shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. “You two are wild. But I guess as long as it’s mutual and no one’s getting hurt, who am I to judge?”

Jessica winked. “Exactly. Now, are we done with the interrogation? Because I think Zoey just burned the popcorn again.”

---

Later that night, as the group settled in to watch a movie, Nikki found herself sitting beside Brandon. It was the first time they’d been this close since their reconciliation, and the air between them felt charged.

“You okay?” Brandon asked, his voice low so as not to disturb the others.

Nikki nodded, though her heart was racing. “Yeah. Just… thinking.”

“About what?”

She hesitated before answering. “About us. About everything that’s happened.”

Brandon’s gaze softened. “I’m really sorry for all of it, Nikki. I never want to hurt you again.”

“I know,” she said, meeting his eyes. “And I believe you.”

There was a pause, the sounds of the movie fading into the background as they looked at each other. Slowly, Brandon reached out, his hand brushing against hers. Nikki felt her breath catch, but she didn’t pull away.

Before she knew it, they were leaning toward each other, their lips meeting in a soft, tentative kiss. It was brief but electric, sending a warmth through Nikki’s chest that she hadn’t felt in weeks.

When they pulled away, Brandon smiled, his cheeks tinged with pink. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.”

Nikki laughed softly. “Me too.”

The moment was interrupted by a loud cheer from Chloe. “Finally! Took you guys long enough!”

Nikki turned to see the entire group grinning at them, and she felt her cheeks burn.

“Mind your business!” she said, laughing despite herself.

---

As the night wore on, the group’s laughter and chatter filled the house. But as the clock struck midnight, the atmosphere shifted.

It started with a strange sound—an eerie creaking coming from the basement.

“Did you hear that?” Zoey asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Everyone froze, the movie forgotten.

“Probably just the house settling,” Theo said, though he didn’t sound convinced.

Chloe frowned. “We’ve lived here for years, and it’s never made that sound before.”

Another creak echoed, louder this time.

Jessica stood up, crossing her arms. “Okay, this is getting creepy. Should we check it out?”

“Or we could just stay up here and pretend we didn’t hear anything,” Marcus suggested, earning a glare from Chloe.

“I’ll go,” Nikki said, surprising herself with her bravery.

Brandon immediately stood up. “Not alone, you’re not.”

Together, they made their way to the basement door, the others following closely behind.

---

The basement was dark and musty, the air thick with the smell of old wood and dust. Nikki held a flashlight, the beam cutting through the darkness as they descended the creaky stairs.

“Do you see anything?” Zoey whispered from the back of the group.

“Not yet,” Nikki replied, her voice trembling slightly.

As they reached the bottom, the sound of the creaking grew louder, more rhythmic, like footsteps.

“Hello?” Brandon called out, his voice echoing off the walls.

Silence.

Nikki’s flashlight caught a glimpse of something shiny in the corner—a small mirror, its surface cracked and warped.

“Is that…?” Theo started, but his voice trailed off as the mirror’s surface began to ripple, like water disturbed by a pebble.

The group watched in horror as a dark figure emerged from the glass. It was humanoid but distorted, its limbs too long, its face featureless.

“What the—” Marcus started, but the creature let out an ear-piercing screech, cutting him off.

“Run!” Brandon shouted, grabbing Nikki’s hand and pulling her up the stairs.

The group scrambled, tripping over each other in their haste to escape. As they burst into the living room, the screeching stopped.

Breathing heavily, they turned to see that the creature hadn’t followed them.

“What the hell was that?” Jessica demanded, her voice shaking.

“I don’t know,” Nikki said, clutching the flashlight tightly. “But it came from that mirror.”

“We need to destroy it,” Chloe said firmly.

Zoey nodded. “Agreed. Whatever that thing is, it’s not staying here.”

---

Armed with a hammer and a bottle of holy water from Theo’s mom’s stash, the group returned to the basement. The mirror was still there, but the figure was gone.

Nikki handed the hammer to Brandon. “Do it.”

He hesitated for a moment before raising the hammer and bringing it down with all his strength. The mirror shattered, the shards scattering across the floor.

For a moment, everything was still. Then, a low, guttural growl echoed through the basement, and the lights flickered.

“We need to get out of here,” Zoey said, her voice urgent.

As they ran back upstairs, the growling grew louder, and the house began to shake. It wasn’t until they were outside, gasping for breath, that the tremors stopped.

“We need help,” Nikki said, her voice firm. “Whatever’s going on, we can’t handle it alone.”

The group nodded in agreement, their faces pale but determined.

Whatever darkness they had unleashed, it wasn’t going to go down without a fight.