Stella's POV

"And you think being in Churchwell will stop us? Will stop me?" the Umbra Mortine snarled as it crept closer to me. Its dark eyes glittered, and its arms dragged on the ground as it approached. Slowly it walked straighter, as if ready to attack.

I backed up against the wall as my heart pounded in my chest. I couldn't breathe. Fear gripped me in my place. It walked with such confidence towards me, as if it knew it had the upper hand. That terrified me the most. It was gaining strangeth and I could feel myself fighting a losing battle.

"Stay- stay back," I stuttered as my legs shake under my weight, causing me to clasp to the ground.

The Umbra Mortine cackled as it stepped closer to me. "Oh Stella. Coming here was the only thing I wanted. Churchwell was what I needed, and you gave me exactly that."

In a blink of an eye, the Umbra Mortine had changed into a reflection of myself. However, the eyes and hands were blackened.

"Stop fighting Stella. Give in. If you give in, we can hold so much power. We can have everything we ever wanted," it said to me.

A scream escaped my lips as I pushed my reflection away from me.

My eyes flew open as I gasped for air. I looked around and saw that I was in the middle of the woods. With my breath hitched and my heart pounding, I tried to figure out how I got here.

I looked at my hands, and through the moonlight, I saw blood covered them. I cried out in panic as I wiped them on my pants, staining my sweats. Tears came to my eyes as I tried to remember what happened, but nothing came to me.

"What did I do?" I whispered to myself as I sank to my knees.

I came here for answers and help, but I didn't get that. Instead, the monster within me seemed to grow. Deep down, I knew I killed something tonight. I just wasn't sure what it was.

The longer I knelt on the ground, the brighter the moon lit up. Before long I saw a man laying on the ground, staring straight up into the sky, yards away, covered in blood.

A whimper came to my lips as I stared at him. His lifeless stare caused my blood to run cold. The dream of those bodies came to my mind once again. It was a dream, but it was telling the future. I would kill those people. I already started killing them.

Unable to stop my anger from rising, I stood up and kicked the nearest tree. Tears clouded my vision as I kicked the tree again. This wasn't me. I couldn't be this. The Umbra Mortine was the one pulling the strings. It was killing, and I had to stop it.

"What did you do?" I shouted into the night as if the monster could hear me.

"The question is, what did you do?" the Umbra Mortine replied as it moved out from behind a tree.

In a blink of an eye, the Umbra Mortine transformed into a reflection of me. It cocked its head to the side, waiting for my next move as it stayed in the shadows.

"I didn't do that," I said as I pointed towards the dead man.

The Umbra Mortine shook its head. "Oh Stella, if you would let me take control, I would show you that you're the monster."

"You're lying."

"Am I?" it questioned with a chuckle.

Unwilling to listen to what it had to say, I turned on my heels and ran through the trees as fast as I could. Ahead, I saw the castle come into view. I refused to look back to see if the Umbra Mortine was following me. All that was in my mind was that man who lay dead and my bloodied hands.

I couldn't wait any longer to get this monster from me. I couldn't let it get the upper hand. What if it killed someone I loved? What if it killed more than one person tonight?

Tears blinded my vision as I pushed forward. I couldn't stop, I couldn't sleep. I needed to clear the monster from me, no matter what the cost.

I was back within the library in no time at all. I did not know what time it was, but soon the sun shone through the windows, telling me that it was early in the morning.

Even with the lack of sleep, I was still wide awake. The drive to stop the Umbra Mortine was enough to keep me going.

Silently, I poured through any book I could get my hands on. There had to be answers here. I just had to find them. I couldn't wait for Graywick any longer. It looked like I would have to find the answers on my own.

Breaking me from my panicked search as when Graywick walked into the library.

"Sleep well?" Graywick asked as he walked up to me.

I nodded silently as I flipped through a book. Graywick did not need to know how long I had actually been up for. Nor did he need to know what had happened in the woods.

"Good to hear," he said as he picked up a book and placed it in front of me.

The book war worn as if it had been well used.

"I don't think I'll be much help in finding answers today. I have a lot of meetings with officials. Building a new country takes a lot of work. But I promise, tomorrow, I'll be more help."

Tomorrow meant I would return to Jackson. Tomorrow meant the Umbra Mortine would be stronger. Tomorrow meant I might kill again. I couldn't wait until tomorrow. I needed help now.

"Wait," I voiced, hoping to grab his attention.

He turned to me again and waited silently for me to say something.

"Do you know anything more about the Umbra Mortine? Like can it kill?"

He shook his head. "As far as I know, no."

The image of the man in the woods flashed across my mind again.

"But I could be wrong. You can stay here as long as you like. Maybe these books will hold the answers you are looking for. "

I shrugged as I pulled on the sleeves of my sweater. "Yeah, maybe."

He watched as I pulled on the fabric, then met my eyes. "You never did tell me how you got your wrists looking like that," Graywick said as he gestured to my wrists.

"Sleep walking," I muttered as I hid my wrists from view.

There was something about Graywick that told me I shouldn't trust him. He was hiding answers from me, I was sure of it. Maybe he wouldn't be the one to answer my questions anyhow. Maybe I would have to do this completely on my own, as I originally thought.

"I would have never guessed you were such a violent sleep walker."

"I never thought so, either."

He nodded, then clapped his hands. "I must be off. I will come get you for lunch. Please stay here as long as you would like."

"Thank you," I said as he turned on his heels and walked off.

In the enormous library, I looked around with a heavy sigh. There was no help. There was only me and if I wanted to find answers, I would have to look. But all these books were about different topics. It would take me decades to read through them and that was time I didn't have to spare.

For a second, I let despair take control as I took a seat at a small table and rested my head in my hands.

Seconds passed quickly until I was able to snap myself out of it. This was it. This was when I needed to take control of the narrative. I needed to start somewhere.

Time passed as I flipped through the books. I was not sure how much time passed in silence until I heard a scream echo the library.

On high alert, I glanced around the room, trying to find the source of the sound. Another scream radiated through the room, but this time louder.

Within a moment, Else came running through the library doors with a frantic look on her face. She made a beeline for me, wasting no time.

"Stella, you need to leave," Else said in panic. "There is danger here. You need to protect yourself."

But what she didn't know was that I was the danger. I was the killer. I couldn't protect myself from the monsters within. At least not now, not until I had the answers I was looking for. This library was the place I would find what I was looking for. This place would tell me how to free myself.

"I can't leave."

"Don't tell me you're a prisoner too," she gasped with wide eyes. "I knew Graywick wanted to use me, but I hoped he wouldn't use you too."

I couldn't help but frown at her in silence. I had never seen Else in such a state. She was shaking with fear, and there was a panicked look on her face. Else was known for being calm, even at the battle at the school. I never saw her as frantic as I did now.

"I tried to protect you the best I could. You mean the world to Gray and I tried to save you from the dangers. Gray wouldn't be able to cope without you. But Graywick knows that. He'll use that to his advantage."

"You don't understand Else. I think I am the danger. There is something within me. An Umbra Mortine is within me and I feel myself losing control," I finally spoke.

She needed to understand that I was going here out of my own will. I was in danger, but I was the danger. This was the best option for me, even if it was with Graywick.

Her eyes widened. "An Umbra Mortine? I didn't think those existed anymore. The royal family put an end to them when they shut most of the gates between earth and Churchwell down."

I shook my head. "The royal family tried to kill me in the school's battle. They told me I shouldn't live. It was because I survived the darkling poison. And now that I have, the Umbra Mortine is thriving within me."

She grabbed my hands and gave them a squeeze. "I'll help you find a cure. I promise this will not be your end," she said as she dropped to her knees.

"I see Else came to join you," Graywick sighed as he walked into the library. His blackened hand emitted smoke, filling the room.

"Graywick, you have to let her go to Churchwell academy," Else cried out as if she was in pain.

"And what are they going to do for her? I have all the answers I need right here. She doesn't need to go to that school when I will give her all she needs," Graywick sneered as he walked closer towards us.

"We are talking about her life. You can't just play around with it," Else shouted.

"And Churchwell academy will not help her, I promise you that. That academy has helped no one. I already have my grasps in that school and I know the books we need are here," he said as he placed his smoking hand on her.

She cried out in pain as she tried to fight him off.

"Stop! You are hurting her!" I screamed, breaking my silence.

However, they paid no attention to me as they continued to fight. Else's rosy complexation slowly turned gray as the light in her eyes faded.

He was killing her. I couldn't let that happen. Unable to stop myself, I ripped his hand off of Else and pushed him back.

As I touched him, blackness came from my hands. He stumbled back as guards came into the room.

"Don't you dare lay your hands on her!" I shouted at him as the room faded into blackness.

The lights above us did not emit any light. All the color around us faded until there were shades of grays and blacks. Even the sun outside was replaced by darkness, as if it was the middle of the night.

I lifted my hands again as I saw my fingertips turn black. However, I paid little attention to that as I stood over Graywick. "You do not touch her. Is that clear?" I commanded him with a voice that was not my own.

For a second, I felt like I was not in control of my actions. Something within me pulled the strings, and I was forced to move. And I let them. I didn't fight as I let the power consume me. If this was how I would free Else, so be it.

"Very," Graywick hissed as he spat out blood.

He snapped his fingers as black darts came from his fingers, penetrating my chest.

The pain was immense, causing me to cry out and drop to my knees. I looked at my chest to see black holes left in my clothing, but no blood came from the wounds.

Graywick stood up from the ground and placed his hand on my shoulder.

Electric shocks filled my body, causing me to scream out in pain.

"You think you can overpower me?" his voice boomed.

I tried to shake lose his grip, but he only held me tighter.

Slowly the color of the room returned as he loomed over me.

"You have another think coming if you think you can stop me. Listen Stella, you do not need me against you," he warned as black spots came into my vision.

The last thing I heard was Else's mutter something, then everything went dark.