Chapter 2

Later, they called it a family dinner.

It felt more like an interrogation under bright, painful lights.

Brenda was there. The false heiress.

She sat close to Arthur, her hand on his arm. She was small, with wide, practiced eyes. A sticky, cloying sweetness, like rotting fruit, was the scent of her energy, but underneath, something sharp and dark writhed.

"Elara, dear," Eleanor began, "we expect you to be considerate of Brenda's feelings."

"She's been through so much," Arthur added, glaring at me. "Your appearance is a shock."

Brenda looked down, a perfect picture of sorrow. "It's okay, Daddy. I'll be strong."

The dark energy around her seemed to preen.

I ate the food. It was rich, heavy.

"You seem… odd," Derek said, his eyes narrowed. "Where did you say you grew up?"

"In a community in the Pacific Northwest," I replied. "Off-grid."

"No school? No proper upbringing?" Scott sneered.

"I learned what I needed."

"She's probably just trying to get money," Mark mumbled, not looking at me.

Brenda sniffled. "Please, don't be mean to her. She's… family, I guess."

Her insincerity was a palpable force.

I looked at each of them, the currents I saw around them now clearer.

"You should be careful, Derek," I said, my voice calm. "That new business venture you are so proud of, the one using those offshore accounts, it will collapse. It will bring public shame."

Derek's face tightened. "What nonsense is this?"

"Mark," I continued, turning to him. "Your ambition on the football field is good, but your recklessness will lead to a severe injury. Your career will end before it truly begins if you ignore the warnings your body already gives you."

Mark paled slightly. "She's crazy."

To Scott, I said, "Your aggression, the kind you showed with the baseball, it will cause a serious accident. You will hurt yourself badly, and others."

Scott just laughed, a harsh sound. "You're a freak."

Then I looked at Brenda. "And you. There is a shadow of deceit clinging to you, a very old one. It' s growing. It will consume you and lead to your downfall. Something you did a long time ago will come to light."

Brenda gasped, her eyes wide with theatrical fear. "Stop it! You're horrible! Why are you saying these things?"

She burst into tears, burying her face in Arthur's shoulder.

"Unhinged!" Arthur roared, standing up. "She's trying to scare us!"

Eleanor rushed to comfort Brenda. "You see? This is what I was worried about!"

They dismissed my words. It was expected.

The shadows I saw around them flickered, almost with satisfaction. My task was not to make them believe, only to observe and understand the threads.