My Hockey Alpha

Chapter 0517

My hands trembled as I slammed the door behind me, locking it in a desperate attempt to keep the world-and the enigmatic shadow entity-at bay.

Leaning against the cool, wooden surface of the door, I struggled to catch my breath, my heart pounding like a drum inside my chest. I closed my eyes, trying to dispel the haunting image of the shadow entity.

Why now? Why tonight, when I was surrounded by joy and love?

In a flurry of frustration, I kicked my high heels off with a clatter and began pacing the room in my bare feet, clutching the ends of my hair nervously.

"Talk to me," I muttered to my wolf, who was always waiting in the wings, watching, observing. "Please help me make sense of this. I can't take it anymore."

But even she seemed just as confused as I felt.

"I wish I knew, Nina," she said, her voice uncertain. "But I can't even make out if the shadow entity is real or fake. I can't see it."

My eyes widened. "You can't?"

"No," she replied. "I can't. I believe that you see it, I really do. But if it's real, it's like whatever it is is... blocking me from seeing it. And if it's not real, then maybe it's a machination of something going on in the very depths of your own mind, something that even I can't see."

I stopped pacing and stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror. I hardly recognized the woman staring back. Her eyes were wide, tinged with fear, her cheeks flushed.

This wasn't me. I wasn't a coward; I was a fighter. Yet here I was, trembling over something I couldn't even comprehend. Jumping at my own shadow, quite literally.

Just as I was about to spiral further down this rabbit hole of angst, there came a soft knock on the door.

"Go away!" I called out, feeling my fists clench out of instinct.

"Nina, it's me." It was Tyler's voice, and hearing it instantly made me soften.

I hesitated, glancing at the door, then back at my distressed reflection.

"Hang on," I called, quickly wiping away a stray tear and composing myself as best I could. Unlocking the door, I pulled it open to find Tyler standing there, his eyes filled with a mixture of concern and curiosity.

"Where's Enzo?" was the first question that escaped my lips.

Tyler stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "I told him to wait downstairs. I wanted to talk to you first." His words hung in the air between us, filled with an unspoken understanding. Tyler, of all people, knew when I needed space and when I needed family.

"Tyler, I..." My voice trailed off, unsure how to verbalize the insanity that had gripped me.

He sat on the edge of the bed, patting the space next to him, inviting me to sit. I did.

"Talk to me, Nina. What happened back there? You scared everyone, especially mom."

I took a deep breath, searching for the right words. "I... I saw something, Ty. Something horrible. And it's not the first time I've seen it."

"A vision?" He leaned forward, his eyes searching mine for clarity.

"No, not a vision," I corrected him, my eyes dropping to my fidgeting hands. "More like... an entity."

His eyebrows shot up, intrigued yet cautious. "An entity? As in, something real?"

A wry chuckle escaped my lips. "I don't know what it is, whether it's real or not. It's this... this shadow, Tyler. A creature with horrible, sharp teeth, long fingers that keep reaching for me. It's like it's mocking me. I've been seeing it lately, but never like this. Never during such happy moments."

I felt Tyler's hand grip mine, grounding me. "Nina, this is serious. Do you think it's a figment of your imagination? Stress, perhaps? Or could it be something real?"

I sighed, my eyes meeting his.

"I wish I knew, Tyler. Part of me hopes it's all in my mind, but another part... Another part things it's all very, very real."