“How could you?” She screamed, tears pouring from her eyes. “What did he ever do to you!”

What did he…who? Who was she talking about?

Who…was she?

Panic set in as I realised I could not remember. My breath came in short, dizzying bursts as my eyes desperately refocused.

The scene before me…it was brutal. I felt a dark laugh bubble from within me, but it was not my own.

How was it not mine? This was my body.

‘Not anymore,’ a voice hissed, right into my brain. ‘This is my vessel.’

I screamed, but my body made no such movement. I fought against the thing that had stolen me, breaking through momentarily.

“What happened here…?” I breathed, a tremor rocking my voice. “It looks…like a bloodbath…”

“The hell do you mean, ‘what happened’?” She snapped, cradling the man’s body close. “You killed him!”

Our eyes met and I flinched. Pure, unbridled rage dwelled within her. And it was directed at me.

What did she mean? I would never kill someone. At least, I don’t think I would. My thoughts were jumbled, crashing into one another and careening away.

“There’s something…something is wrong…I would never…who…who are you? Who…” I cringed at my own words. “Who was he?”

Fury flashed in her eyes at my question.

“Who was he? Who was he! He’s your brother!”

Agony stabbed through my mind as I frantically sought a recollection of him. The thing inhabiting my body remained standing.

“Brother? I don’t have a brother.” Did I? I couldn’t remember. That wasn’t my voice.

Another cruel laugh shook from my throat and I was shoved further back into my own mind.

‘Not yours!’ The thing growled at me. ‘Mine!’

Yours, I thought back. I am yours. My thoughts strayed back to my supposed brother.

‘Do not think of him.’

Think of whom?

‘Good.’

I stared from eyes that were no longer mine and tried to comprehend what happened. Rapid memories flashed past, too quickly for me to catch on.

The woman kneeling on the ground glared it me—us—again. And shook with terror.

“Who…who are you?” She whispered, mimicking my own question from earlier.

“Me?” That wretched voice replied. “You know who I am. It’s me, Stella.”

“No, no I don’t. You’re not Stell.”

Hope struck my heart; she knew. Maybe she could help.

“I am.”

“Prove it, then. Prove to me it’s you, that you killed your own brother!”

At the mention of my brother, pain sliced across my chest. This time, my body complied, folding up to protect itself as my heart ached.

Julian. That was his name. My brother, Julian. Sobs wracked my body, but the thing took control, standing up.

Before it could completely seize me, I screamed. A blood-curdling shriek of grief and loss, wrapped up in the dark embrace of anger.

The woman—Olivia—stumbled back, eyes impossibly wide.

“Stell?”

“Livvy! Help me! It-” My mouth clamped shut, unwillingly.

I stared at my best friend, silently asking her. Do it, I begged desperately. You have to.

I forced the thing back, claiming my body.

“Kill me, Liv. Quickly, I can’t keep control for long.” I smiled softly.

“I can’t kill you! There has to be-we can ask Anthony! He’ll know what to do!”

“There’s no tim-”

My body locked up again, forcefully.

‘Mine!’ It snarled at me.

Yours.

My memories flooded away, and with them, the pain. I curled up, hollow, in my mind, watching through clouded eyes.

Olivia still held Jul-

‘Do not remember.’

The woman stayed on the ground, still holding the corpse.

There was nothing I could do as the thing prowled closer to her. Nothing I wanted to do, I realised. Who was she?

Searing pain spread like fire, crackling through my veins.

A sword. It pierced my chest, stabbing clean through. My body convulsed, blood spouting from my lips.

The thing—demon, I decided—doubled over in agony, allowing me brief control.

“Thank you…?” I trailed off. What was her name?

“Olivia. My name is Olivia.” She sobbed. Why would she cry? We didn’t know each other.

“Thank you, Olivia…” I whispered, my vision fading.

Then everything went black.