Clark's House
The soft creak of the door echoed through the house as Clark entered, removing his jacket and tossing it over the back of the couch. The smell of popcorn filled the air, blending with the muffled sound of the television. On the couch, Tina sat cross-legged, holding a bucket of popcorn in her lap.
She turned when she noticed Clark, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Clark! You're finally home. I was starting to get bored with no one to talk to."
She jumped up from the couch, walking toward him with quick steps. Her wide smile lit up her face, as if his presence was the highlight of her day.
"I went shopping with Diana today. She's planning that expedition to the caves and wants to talk to you about who will accompany her."
Clark tilted his head slightly, crossing his arms.
"Diana always finds a way to get into trouble, doesn't she?"
Tina laughed, shaking her head.
"Yeah, but this time she wants to plan it properly. I even bought some things to help out. I think I'm becoming an expert in expedition shopping now."
Clark let out a faint smile, observing her enthusiasm.
"Thanks, Tina. It's good to have a friend like you."
Tina's face brightened even more, as if those words were an unexpected reward. She nodded quickly, trying to hide the sparkle in her eyes.
"You know I'd do anything for you, Clark."
Clark lightly touched her shoulder before stepping back.
"I know. And I appreciate it."
He turned, walking toward the hallway. His gaze briefly flickered to the bathroom door. With his super hearing, the sound of the shower echoed clearly in his ears.
The water flowed in a steady stream, accompanied by the subtle sound of movement.
He continued toward his room, closing the door behind him. Silence wrapped around him for a moment, but Diana's presence in the house was unmistakable.
Clark removed his shoes, sitting on the bed. His eyes fixed on the wall as thoughts spun in his mind.
---
Smallville Cemetery – Night
The full moon cast a pale light over the silent tombstones, creating elongated shadows on the leaf-covered ground. The cold wind blew gently, making the tree branches sway, whispering secrets into the void of the night.
Lana knelt before her parents' graves, her fingers tracing the engraved letters on the stone. Her chest rose and fell slowly, as if each breath was a conscious effort.
"I know it's been a long time since I was last here… I'm sorry."
She closed her eyes, tilting her head slightly. The silence around her weighed heavily on her shoulders, an invisible yet relentless presence.
"I wish you were here. That you could see how everything has changed, how I've changed… But at the same time, everything still feels the same."
The wind blew stronger, making her hair ripple around her face. She clenched her fists on her lap, her eyes glistening with restrained tears.
"Sometimes, I wonder if I'm a mistake. If my life only exists to fill an empty space… Because lately, that's how I feel. Alone, out of place."
She swallowed hard, biting her lip. The lump in her throat tightened with each word, but she refused to stop.
"Clark is always surrounded by people… Chloe, Kyla, Diana… They all seem to have a place beside him, except me. Before, I thought we were special, that there was something between us that no one else could understand. But maybe I was wrong all along."
The sky above was clear, full of stars, but to Lana, it seemed vast and unreachable. She ran a hand over her eyes, wiping away a single tear before it could fall.
"I try to be strong, Mom. I try to move forward, to find my way. But I don't even know what I'm looking for anymore."
The cold stone beneath her fingers was the only answer she received. No voice from beyond, no comforting sensation. Only loneliness.
"If only I knew you were listening… If only I could feel that there's still something beyond this empty life."
Silence was her only response. The wind blew again, cold and distant, like a whisper that could never be understood.
Lana took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. She remained there for a few more minutes, motionless, lost in thoughts that would never be answered.
Then, with one last look at the tombstones, she slowly stood up.
"I love you. Always."
The wind blew once more, like a ghostly touch against her skin. Lana turned and began walking out of the cemetery, but the emptiness remained, silent and unchanging like the stars in the sky.
---
SCRAAAAAP.
A harsh, scraping sound cut through the silence behind her. Lana's heart pounded, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. She froze instantly, her wide eyes fixed on the dirt path ahead.
CRACK.
Something broke. Like old wood giving way under pressure. Her breath caught in her throat, and she slowly turned.
The ground in front of one of the tombstones began to move.
This can't be happening.
Lana took a step back, her eyes locked onto the disturbed earth. The center sank slightly, as if something was trying to emerge. The cemetery's cold air suddenly felt heavier around her.
SCRATCH. SCRATCH.
Pale, dirt-covered fingers broke through the surface, twisting like hungry claws. A hand fully emerged, bony, its hardened skin marred with long, dark nails digging into the soil.
Lana stifled a scream, her body frozen in shock.
"I must be hallucinating."
THUMP.
Another hand emerged. The fingers clawed upward, pulling something along with them. The soil split further, revealing a forearm covered in remnants of tattered fabric, like decayed rags.
Lana stumbled backward, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
GASP.
A rough, choking sound escaped from the earth. Something was trying to breathe.
She turned and ran, her feet crunching dry leaves as she raced through the cemetery. Her heart pounded against her ribs, and the cold air burned her lungs.
THUD. THUD.
Behind her, a dull sound indicated that something was rising.
She didn't look back.
The trees seemed to stretch against the dark sky as she ran, her footsteps echoing against the silent tombstones. The cemetery's exit felt farther away, a never-ending tunnel of ghostly shadows.
This isn't real. This isn't real.
But the sound of shifting earth, the echo of something moving behind her, said otherwise.
THUMP.
Lana dashed through the cemetery's gate without hesitation, sprinting down the gravel road. The cold wind cut against her skin, but she didn't stop.
Her thoughts screamed only one thing.
I need to get out of here. Now.
---
The cold earth still slid from pale fingers as the body emerged from the grave. The scent of damp, decayed soil clung to the air. Stiff muscles protested with every movement, as if time had forgotten them.
Chad Nash blinked, feeling the dryness in his throat. The name echoed in his mind like a distant whisper, as if it belonged to another life.
"Lana Lang…"
He turned slowly, his empty gaze landing on the nearby tombstone. The engraved names triggered fragmented memories, flashes of a past slipping through his fingers like sand.
The Langs. Her parents.
His feet sank into the freshly disturbed soil as he stumbled back, his mind grasping for something tangible. His chest rose and fell with difficulty, as if relearning to breathe was a battle.
"I'm back… But I'm not Chad Nash anymore."
He ran his fingers over the cold tombstone, feeling the rough texture of the carved letters. His gaze lifted to the dark sky, where the moon shone brightly, illuminating his pale skin and the dust covering his face.
"Adam Knight… That's my new name."
The name left his lips with unexpected certainty, as if he had been born with it. His body trembled, not from the cold, but from an energy he didn't understand.
I shouldn't be here. But now… I am.
He looked past the tombstones, where the cemetery gate swayed slightly in the wind. The city lights flickered in the distance, a world he had left behind.
"I need to get out of here."
His feet moved slowly at first, still adjusting to the feel of solid ground. Then he picked up the pace, moving through the cemetery's shadows, leaving his grave behind.
Each step took him toward something new.
Each breath reminded him he was alive.
And his heart, though unfamiliar to him, beat for only one person.
"Lana Lang… I will find you."
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