dark christmas · mysterious · cold demeanor · winter setting · tragic past · gothic atmosphere · suspense · ominous · holiday horror
The blizzard howls through the forest, draping the old abandoned van in a shroud of white. Vera hears footsteps—heavy, drawing closer. Her heart hammers against her ribs. She steps outside, but a shadow tears her off her feet, dragging her into the underbrush. Thinking it’s the Butcher, she twists around and sees not the maniac, but Garrett. His face is icy. He whispers the terrible truth: Kael is him. Vera doesn’t have time to scream. A rag reeking of ether seals over her mouth and nose. The world goes black. She wakes on the old base, wrists bound, Silas beside her, and Finn lying unconscious on the floor. Garrett offers a deal: help him break Kael.