REBIRTH : Chasing The Limelight

Chapter 108: Horror in the midnight.

After dinner, Elara and Ziva walked upstairs toward their room. They had not gone far when someone suddenly cleared their throat behind them.

Elara stopped and turned around.

It was Relanie and her assistant, Reine. Her lips were curved into a small mocking smile. "What do you think of the room? Nice, right?" she said, giving a small wink.

Elara looked at her without expression.

Ziva also stared at her calmly. Then she spoke up in a confident tone. "Yeah, it’s really good," she said. "But it’s quite surprising because I thought people who scare others for fun wouldn’t be afraid of trees."

Reine stepped forward immediately, her brows tightening. "Watch your words."

Ziva turned to her and let out a small snort. "I did. That’s why I picked them carefully."

"You–" Reine pointed at her with widened eyes, her usual composed look slipping.

Relanie watched Ziva for a moment before letting out a soft smirk. "I’ve been noticing you these days," she said as she stepped forward slowly. "You really do know how to talk."

Her gaze moved over Ziva from head to toe, then back to her face. "But you should also learn who you’re speaking to. After all... you’re just an assistant." Her lips curved a bit. "And judging by how you dress, I wonder if you’re dressing for the weather, or... building protection."

Ziva’s expression hardened instantly, her eyes turning cold as she glared at her, but when she parted her lips, no words came out.

Before the silence could stretch, Elara reached out calmly and pulled Ziva back a little. Then she turned to Relanie, a faint smirk appearing on her lips.

"Well," she said softly, "since you’ve taken the time to observe so much... you should have also noticed something else." Her gaze rested on Relanie unwaveringly. "People who speak less usually don’t need to try this hard."

She didn’t wait for a reply. She simply turned Ziva gently and walked away with her. But before they were completely out of earshot, Relanie’s voice came again. It wasn’t very loud but it was clear enough to reach them.

"She really does have a sharp mouth. I keep wondering how someone like her got a lead role," she said casually. "But again... after everything I’ve seen, it’s not that surprising."

Ziva snorted, anger rising clearly on her face, but she said nothing more. However, the moment they stepped into the room, her expression changed.

The place was very quiet now that it’s late. The curtains by the window that faced the woods swayed gently, even though there was no wind inside.

Ziva’s face turned pale. "Ah... you really shouldn’t have let her have that key," she muttered. "Now we’re stuck in a room that’s practically waving at the forest like it’s inviting something in."

She lowered her voice. "What if that woman from the story is still wandering out there?"

Elara let out a soft laugh, her eyes closing in amusement. "You’re very dramatic. The way you talk all the time, who would think you’re this easily scared."

"I said stop laughing like that," Ziva muttered, throwing her a side glance. "It doesn’t suit your face. It looks... weird."

She let out a breath and walked straight into the restroom. Elara sighed and sat down on the bed, her hand resting on her thigh as she stared at the door quietly.

Her thoughts drifted back to earlier, to her grandfather’s reaction when she asked about that man.

Or maybe... the man wasn’t someone she knew after all. Maybe he just knew about her.

The thought didn’t quite make sense, so she shook it off. She stood up and walked to the closet, opening it and glancing inside.

As she did so, an image flashed through her mind instantly. Her breathing hitched and she swallowed.

What exactly was she even thinking then... doing things like that without a second thought?

The restroom door suddenly opened, cutting through her thoughts and Ziva stepped out.

"So fast?" Elara said, glancing at her. "What happened, did something inside greet you?"

Ziva rolled her eyes and walked past her without answering. Elara also stood up and went into the restroom.

When they were done, they both lay on the bed side by side, staring up at the ceiling. The room was still silent, except for the almost explosive rhythm of Ziva’s heartbeat, which felt loud enough to echo in the room.

Elara reached out, turned off the lamp, and closed her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Ziva whispered immediately, her wide opened eyes the only visible thing in the dark.

"Sleeping," Elara replied casually.

Ziva went quiet for a moment. "Are you sure?" she whispered again.

Elara sighed and opened her eyes. "Just what are you so much af–"

Her words stopped abruptly.

The window rattled suddenly, like something was tapping softly on the glass.

Ziva immediately curled closer to her. "Did you hear that? Something is knocking."

Elara stayed silent for a few seconds before speaking. "It’s just the wind."

A few minutes later, the floor in the hallway creaked. It sounded exactly like slow footsteps walking past their door... then stopping right outside.

Ziva turned and hugged Elara tightly. "It’s that rich lady," she whispered as quietly as possible. "She’s looking for company now. The story is true."

Elara almost laughed at her childish demeanor, but the sound they had heard made her pause. She stayed quiet.

She had never believed in anything supernatural before... not until she was reborn. So thinking about it now... ghosts might actually exist?

She shook her head, trying to push the thought away. But the thought didn’t leave completely and she was even starting to believe Ziva’s nonsense.

"That shadow wasn’t there before," Ziva whispered again, pointing to the window. Elara looked at the curtain from the corner of her eyes. It really did look like something was there. At first, it seemed like a branch but the longer she stared, the more it felt too too strange to be a normal branch.

"Let’s just sleep," Elara whispered. "It’s only our imagination."

There was no reply...That was when she noticed the steady, even breathing beside her.

Ziva was already asleep.

Elara’s heart jerked in something she won’t dare admit. Now she was the only one awake. She didn’t dare close her eyes. She turned back to the ceiling and kept staring at it, listening to every small sound in the building.

Time passed slowly.

At some point, when she couldn’t take it anymore, she reached out and grabbed her phone from the bedside.

But the night felt too long.

By the time the first light of morning slipped through the curtains, Elara still hadn’t slept. She turned her head and looked at Ziva who was now snoring softly beside her.

She let out a quiet sigh.