The silence of the early morning felt heavy as the three of them decided to leave the house behind. The cold night wind wrapped around their bodies like a freezing cloak, and Natalie walked in the middle, held tightly by Kara while Alice kept her eyes sharp on the road.
"We are not going back there," Kara said quietly, almost a whisper, but full of held-in anger.
Alice didn't answer right away. Her chest rose and fell quickly, trying to keep the fury inside from spilling over. The image of Rose leaning over Natalie still hit her like a personal insult.
Natalie, meanwhile, was lost. Her confused gaze went from Kara to Alice, not fully understanding what was happening.
"I… I don't get it. She seemed so nice. Why were you two so against her from the beginning?"
Kara pressed her lips together, as if she wanted to tell the whole truth right there, but she stopped herself. Alice, however, stopped for a moment and looked straight at Natalie.
"Because Rose isn't what she looks like." Alice's voice came out low and dark.
"And today you almost paid the price for believing that."
Natalie's silence was a mix of shock and frustration. She looked away, unsure of how to respond, but Kara squeezed her hand gently, grounding her.
When they reached Kara's house, the air finally seemed to breathe again. The warm walls, lit only by a dim lamp, felt like a completely different world from the weight they had brought with them. The second the door shut behind them, Kara didn't waste time.
"We'll stay here for now. No one is going to bother us. At least we know we're safe… for the moment."
Alice walked through the living room in short steps, tension still clinging to her shoulders.
"This won't hold Rose forever. She knows how to get in, she knows how to twist things. And now…"
Her voice shook just a little.
"Now she almost got what she wanted from Natalie."
Natalie stepped back automatically, one hand rising to her neck where the near-bite still throbbed faintly. Neither Alice nor Kara missed the gesture.
"What do you mean by that?" Natalie asked, her voice low, afraid of the answer.
Alice stepped toward her, her eyes sharp and intense.
"I mean you're in a lot more danger than you think."
The room got heavy again. Kara shut the living-room curtains, adding to the feeling of being sealed inside, and tried to calm things down.
"My parents traveled this week," Kara said, tossing her keys onto the counter and locking the door.
"The house is all ours. At least until they come back."
Alice took a deep breath and sat on the couch, still scanning every corner. Natalie looked around nervously, trying to steady herself after everything that had happened.
"Do you really think… Rose wanted to hurt me?" Natalie asked, her voice cracking.
"I don't even know what happened in there… but she was nice to me. Even sweet, sometimes…"
Alice, staring at the floor until that moment, lifted her head suddenly.
"She wasn't being sweet, Nat. She was controlling you. That's how they work. They use charm, closeness… until you let your guard down."
Natalie hugged her knees, as if trying to protect herself. The memory of Rose's lips at her neck still burned — uncomfortable, almost shameful.
"But why?" she insisted, looking between Alice and Kara.
"What's the point? If she just wanted to hurt me, she would've done it before…"
Kara walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Sometimes the reason is simple: power. Other times… it's something more complicated. Maybe she saw something in you we haven't. Something she wants."
The room fell quiet for a moment, broken only by a notification sound from Kara's phone. She smiled a little when she saw the caller.
"It's my mom. She always wants to check if I'm eating right."
She answered, putting the phone on speaker. Her parents appeared on the screen, illuminated by the soft hotel lights behind them.
"Sweetheart!" her mom said with a warm smile.
"How's everything over there?"
Kara set the phone down and smiled back.
"All good. I've got some friends over."
Alice gave a small wave from the back, still serious, and Natalie managed a shy "hi." Kara's parents seemed genuinely happy to see her surrounded by friends.
The call stayed light — questions about school, jokes about who was cooking for whom. But behind that normal atmosphere, Natalie felt out of place. One question kept echoing in her mind: if Rose was so caring at first… why try to take her by force now?
As soon as Kara hung up, Natalie couldn't hold back anymore.
"Do you think… maybe she just wanted to turn me? Make me like her?"
Alice closed her eyes, breathing deeply.
"Maybe. But we can't let that happen. What matters is that you're safe now, and we're together."
Kara squeezed Natalie's hand firmly, as if promising silent protection.
"Whatever Rose wants, we're not letting her get it."
Their words hung heavy in the air. Outside, the wind pushed the trees against the window. Inside, all three knew this was only the beginning of something worse.
The night at Kara's house drifted into a deep quiet, even though none of their minds did. The call with Kara's parents still echoed in the background: her mother's sweetness, her father's calm confidence, completely unaware of what was happening back home.
Kara closed her laptop slowly, exhaling. Alice stayed with her arms crossed, unmoving, eyes sharp as if expecting something to break through a window. Natalie paced restlessly, unable to grasp what Rose truly wanted from her.
Kara's phone buzzed on the table. The screen lit up the room — and the number was unknown.
Alice stepped forward instantly.
"Don't pick up. It's a trap."
Kara hesitated, heart pounding. And against every warning Alice had given her… she answered on speaker.
On the other end, Rose's voice floated out, calm and sof t— too soft — poison hidden under every syllable.
"Kara… I knew you'd pick up."
Alice came closer, glaring hard enough to shatter the phone. "What do you want, Rose?"
A low laugh rolled through the speaker.
"I'm not talking to you, Alice. I'm talking to Kara."
There was a moment of silence. Kara inhaled deeply and stepped forward.
"I'm here. What do you want?"
"I want to meet you. Just you and me," Rose said, her voice almost caressing the words.
"We need to talk without… interruptions."
Alice snapped, taking a step ahead: "Forget it! You're not manipulating anyone else!"
Rose ignored her completely.
"Kara, I know you feel like you need answers. You're the only one who can look me in the eyes without fear. The only one who can actually negotiate with me."
Kara's chest tightened. The idea was insane— yet something in her insisted that facing Rose might be the only way to end this.
"Kara, no!" Alice grabbed her arm, her voice filled with fear.
"This is exactly what she wants. You go alone and you'll never come back."
Kara turned to look at her and Natalie, her expression steady but uncertain.
"If we don't figure out what she wants… we'll never stop her. Maybe it's time to take the risk."
Rose let out a satisfied sigh on the other end.
"So? Do you accept, Kara? Just the two of us."
Silence stretched. Alice stared at Kara, ready to fight tooth and nail. Natalie shrank back, terrified.
Finally, Kara answered:
"I accept. But on my terms."
The line went silent for a second before Rose's voice returned, low and pleased.
"Perfect. I knew you'd understand. I will send you the address."
The call ended, leaving the room as heavy as lead.
Alice ran a hand through her hair in raw frustration.
"You shouldn't have agreed to that, Kara."
But Kara, trembling yet resolved — lifted her chin.
"Maybe not… but it's the only way to end this."