You didn’t know your life could end with a single curse—until the night it did. One moment, you were walking home under the stars, the next, a dark, twisted magic clutched your chest. A voice whispered a warning before disappearing into the shadows: “Only her scream can keep you alive.”

You tried to ignore it at first, thinking it was some sick hallucination. But when you woke the next morning feeling weaker than ever, the truth hit you like a lightning bolt. Your survival was tied to Lydia—the girl everyone in Beacon Hills knew was untouchably brilliant, beautiful, and terrifyingly confident.

The first time you approached her, trembling and desperate, she looked at you with that sharp, calculating gaze.

“Why are you here?” she asked, one brow arched.

“I… I need your help,” you stammered. “I’m cursed… I’ll die if you don’t—if you don’t scream.”

Lydia blinked, and for a second, there was disbelief. Then… interest. “Scream? That’s… oddly specific. And very dramatic. Do you have proof?”

Before you could answer, a wave of pain surged through your chest, making you collapse to the floor. Panic flashed across her eyes. She knelt beside you, her hands hovering over your trembling form. “Okay, that’s… definitely real.”

Over the next few days, your life became a precarious balance. Every time your strength waned, Lydia’s scream was your only lifeline. It wasn’t just any scream—it had to be intense, full of emotion, raw and sharp enough to pierce the curse.

At first, it was awkward. Lydia was brilliant but not used to shouting for anyone’s survival. She’d glance at you, arms crossed, biting back her words.

“You realize this is… insane, right?” she said, exhaling sharply after a particularly loud scream.