chapter 4: The Dollmaker’s Betrayal

The night was strangely quiet. Veronica had just come from school when her mother again asked her in a gentle voice,

"What happened with Kingston? How did he die?"

Veronica cast her eyes down.

"I don't know… he fell," she replied.

Her mother smiled faintly, kissing her forehead and holding her tight.

"I know you didn't do anything, my dear. Would you like some food?"

"Yes," Veronica whispered.

Dinner was eaten, and the warmth of the food was almost enough to drive away the shadows of the day. Almost. Then she ascended the stairs to her room, sat at her desk, and finished homework. When the last line was penned, she turned to the little figure on the bed.

Her doll was present — porcelain face, glass eyes that never blinked.

"Wish to hear my history?" the doll asked, voice soft but digging beneath the flesh.

Veronica smiled faintly. "Yes."

The tone of the doll softened to low and almost human.

*I was once where you are. a living girl. My dad died when I was young, and my mom remarried another good-looking man — kind, so gentle, he almost made me forget my real papa. He had two sons: one the younger one, one much older. They treated me like a sister.*.

The elder brother. had a laboratory. He never opened his door to anyone. Then the worst happened. Mama died. I cried myself hoarse. My little brother whispered in my ear, 'Onii-chan killed Mama,' but he was so young nobody listened.

When finally my crying stopped, Father also died. Once again, my little brother accused the eldest. Once again, nobody listened.

After a couple of days, my older brother smiled and asked, 'Do you want to come see my lab?' My heart swelled — finally, he would share his secret.

There was a wooden bed within. He laid me on it. I wept, 'It's too hard, I don't want to stay here!' But he did not listen. I looked around — there were still more wooden beds… and on one of them… a doll.

It touched my hand and— BOOM. The air burst. His laughter thundered as all I could see was blackness all around me. I awoke to find nothing but dust. No doll. I ran… really, really far.

Days passed. I was starving. I came across a boy who smiled warmly at me and took me to his bedroom. But in the mirror. I saw my doll. He said that he noticed it on the floor and he picked it up.

He was kind at first. Then… strange. One morning, when sunlight came through the window, the doll slept in bed with us. He returned it to the shelf on the mirror… and I saw deep claw-like scars across his back. He lifted my shirt and touched my belly. There, a strange symbol burned upon my skin.

He breathed that I was unique. That with him, we could take over the world.

And then. I witnessed.

I released my power. The world burned in flames. My soul… trapped inside this doll.*

The doll's eyes gleamed unnaturally as it continued,

"Do you understand why I came to you, Veronica?"

"Why?" Veronica asked, voice barely above a whisper.

"Because you're like me. You're crazy… accursed. A demon lives inside you."

"No… that can't be!"

"If you don't think so," the doll spat, "your doctor's reports are in the cupboard. Top shelf."

Veronica dashed for her mother's room. Her heart pounding, she flung open the cupboard doors and began sifting through the papers, gasping for air.

Somewhere behind her, the doll laughed.