The celebration had been small—just the way Delphie liked it.
Fairy lights cast a warm glow around the apartment, their soft flickering making the space feel almost dreamlike. On the coffee table, a half-eaten cake sat between two empty plates, its pink frosting smeared from where Pythia had stolen bites with her fingers. The air still buzzed with laughter, echoes of inside jokes and playful teasing, the kind of warmth Delphie rarely allowed herself to bask in.
"You’re officially old now," Pythia teased, stretching her arms over her head as she lounged on the couch.
Delphie rolled her eyes. "You're two months older than me."
"Yeah, but I carry it with style." Pythia smirked before pushing herself up, grabbing her jacket from the back of the chair.
"Alright, birthday girl, I should get going before I pass out on your couch again. I’ve already graced you with my presence long enough."
Delphie huffed a soft laugh. "You act like it’s a favor."
"It is a favor." Pythia shot her a wink before stepping closer, leaning down to press a quick kiss to Delphie’s forehead. "Happy birthday, loser. Love you, see you tomorrow."
And then she was gone.
The apartment felt still in her absence, the silence settling in too quickly. Delphie exhaled and sank back into the couch, hugging her knees to her chest. The clock on the wall read 11:59 PM.
She twirled the chain of her necklace between her fingers, the metal cool against her skin. Another year. Another reminder that nothing had really changed.
Then the clock struck midnight.
A shiver ran down her spine.
Something felt... off.
The air around her shifted, like the moment before a storm, heavy with something unseen. Her breath hitched as her body tensed, an uneasy feeling creeping up her back.
She squeezed her eyes shut and dug her fingers into her temples. "No. No. Nope. Not happening. Just—shut up."
Silence.
But somehow, it didn’t feel like she was alone anymore.
That is when you entered her mind, her head.
