I have lived the past 8 years in relative peace. Instead of being hunted by Xavier himself, I was only haunted by his memory. Asher has remained by my side, always the supporter, and is there for me when the memories become too much. As the years pass by, the power those memories hold has become less and less, but will never leave my mind. Every year on the anniversary of that awful week my nightmares resurface, memories flooding my brain and emotions closing up my throat with their intensity. I still struggle with any sort of physical contact with pretty much everyone. The only exceptions have been my mom and Asher, but I still have my limits. With my mom dead due to a horrible car crash a few years ago, Ash is the only one allowed to touch me at all. They were both very careful to not overstep my boundaries, while also pushing me outside of my comfort zone in order to heal.
As for Xavier? He has remained in prison and will remain there for the rest of his life. Luckily, the court considered his crimes harsh enough to give him a life sentence. However, I have never been able to rid myself of the fear that he will come back for me one day. Being forced to live on the same planet as him has always felt cruel, for my monster is not so imaginary. He's very real, and he's very dangerous. That's not to say I wish he was dead, I have never been able to fully hope for that outcome for reasons I have yet to understand. By all means, I should wish for his brutal demise for what he did to me, what he continues to do to me, but I don't. Something in me is always reminded of the good I knew he had in him at some point, no matter how tarnished it surely is now.
Despite Xavier being in prison and therefore unable to reach me physically, Ash understood my wish to move far away from my hometown as soon as we graduated high school. Everywhere I went was a reminder of what had happened. We chose a university on the opposite side of the country, and though the weather was a stark contrast to the warm and sunny area I had always known, its lack of Xavier's presence and memory made it the best place to be in my mind. After graduation, Ash and I bought a house together and have been living there for the past three years. While Asher is a manager for a business in the city, about 30 minutes from our home, I work from home as an editor for a journalist. He is so perfectly understanding and warm, and, as I'm sure you have guessed, has practically forced me to love him with his kind nature. How could I not love him? He has been my rock, my protector, a pillar for me to support myself upon. Our relationship is a little unconventional, primarily due to my fear of physical contact, but we make it work.
However, I recently received a letter in the mail, completely unmarked. Instead of being sent to me through the mail, this letter had been placed in my mailbox. The only thing written on the outside of the letter was my name, but the actual content was much more concerning. I pull the box the letter is hidden in from the back of my closet, pausing to listen for a moment in order to make sure Ash is still watching TV downstairs. I carefully remove the letter from the box, thumbing over the creases in the paper where I had crumbled it up and threw it away once. I had pulled it from the trash only moments later. This letter has been hiding away in my closet for the past few weeks, as I can't bring myself to tell the police, or even Asher. It could just be an awful prank, but part of me knew it wasn't. The letter read,
Dear Katherine,
It's been a while, hasn't it? I bet you thought you'd never hear from me again. But here I am, a ghost from your worst nightmare.
I don't want you to think that you're safe, just because Xavier has been locked away. Safety is an illusion, one he shattered for you a long time ago. You know who I am and what I'm capable of. And let me tell you, I haven't changed. Neither has he.
I don't want anything from you. I just wanted to remind you that you are never far from his thoughts. You are still very much a part of our little game. The fear, the helplessness—you must still feel it every day. I hope it eats away at you, every waking moment, and haunts your dreams at night.
![Legacy of the Necromancer [Legacy, BK1 - Completed] by Sachula](https://img.wattpad.com/cover/56074389-80-k271821.jpg)
I want you to know that even though Xavier is the one you belong to, I'm always around. Watching. Waiting. Every time you think you hear a noise or feel a chill, remember that it could be one of us. Or maybe it's just your mind breaking down, piece by piece.
You might think about running, but where would you go? Who would you turn to? No one can protect you from us. You are alone, just as we planned.
So keep looking over your shoulder, Katherine. Keep jumping at every shadow. Because one day, it won't be your imagination. One day, it will be him.
Yours truly,
L
Every time I read over the words I had already long memorized, a chill went down my spine. I received the letter only three weeks ago, and the sense of foreboding it gave me had not left me once. Something was at play, I just had no clue what, only that I would soon enough.
Soon enough came much quicker than I anticipated. A month after receiving the letter, I got the horrible news that Xavier had escaped from prison. I immediately snatched the letter from its hiding place and drove to the local police station, knowing for sure that it was no longer a prank. There were three things I knew for certain. One, Landon and Xavier have continued to work together. Two, Landon knows where I live. Three, Xavier will come for me. I was absolutely not safe, despite what the police tried to tell me. I ended up having a panic attack at the station because no one was listening to me, even with the letter in hand. I had called Ash in my panic, and soon he joined me at the station. He managed to convince the police to give me a protective detail that included secure transportation and residential security. But it didn't feel like enough.
When we got home that day I could sense the disappointment radiating off of him in waves. He was upset about the letter, that much I knew.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He questioned, hurt lacing his voice.
I shrugged, not knowing exactly how to respond. "I thought it just might have been a prank or something," I mumbled. I should have told him.
"This doesn't sound like a prank, Katherine," his voice was harsh as he shook the letter at me. Upon seeing my face, he sighed and took a step back. "Do you not trust me? I could've taken this to the police so much sooner, maybe then they would've realized he might try to escape or something."
"Are you blaming me?" Even though I knew he was right, I absolutely should have told him, I couldn't help but respond defensively. Besides, the police barely took me seriously with his escape and the letter, if I just had the letter they would've written it off exactly as I had.
Asher sighed again before wrapping me in a hug. As soon as I felt the warmth of his body around mine, the tears began to fall. "Of course I'm not blaming you, I just wish you trusted me and the police to keep you safe. Landon lied when he wrote that you are alone, you are just the opposite. Even with your mom gone, you still have me. You have Sadie. You have an entire police force prepared to die in order to keep you safe. I promise, he will not be able to get to you ever again."
If only he knew just how much he would regret making that promise.
As Ash held me close, reassuring me with his words, I clung to him tightly, feeling the weight of his promise. But deep down, a gnawing fear persisted. Xavier's escape meant the nightmare I thought was over could return at any time with terrifying force.
Weeks had passed since the protective detail had been scaled back, deemed no longer necessary by the authorities. Life had started to feel almost normal again, the routines with Ash grounding me in a semblance of security. Yet, the letter from Landon still haunted me, a lingering threat in the back of my mind.
One evening, as I sat at my desk editing an article, the phone rang. The caller ID displayed an unknown number. My heart raced, memories of the letter flooding back. With trembling hands, I answered cautiously.
"Hello?" I managed to choke out.
A familiar voice, cold and mocking, greeted me on the other end. "Hello, Katherine. Surprised to hear from me?" I froze, unable to respond. "I've been watching you, you know," Xavier continued, his voice dripping with malice. "You think your fancy security could keep me away? You're wrong. You can't hide forever."
Panic surged through me as I slammed the phone down. Tears streamed down my face as I realized the chilling truth—Landon was right. Despite all precautions, Xavier had found a way to reach me. With trembling hands, I reached for my cellphone to call Ash. He was at work late tonight and was not planning on coming home for several more hours. He needed to know, to protect me once again. But as I dialed his number, a crash downstairs echoed through the silence of the house, triggering the alarm. Heart pounding, I grabbed a heavy book from my desk and crept toward the door. Each step felt like an eternity as I descended the stairs, fear clutching at my throat. As I reached the bottom, I saw the shattered glass of the back door, and a dark figure slipping inside.
I froze in that moment. The figure stepped towards me, finally stepping in under the light. Dark eyes met mine, and I knew it was over. I wouldn't escape him this time.
