As the night enveloped us in its embrace, Caleb's presence brought a sense of security, yet questions lingered like shadows in the corners of my mind. His touch ignited a flame of desire within me, but beneath the surface of our budding romance, secrets lurked, waiting to be unearthed.As Caleb's lips brushed against mine, I felt the weight of uncertainty pressing down upon me. Was I ready to surrender to this bond, knowing that the truth remained shrouded in mystery?But before I could dwell on my doubts, a sudden realization dawned upon me—I couldn't ignore the truth any longer. The events of the evening, the eerie howls, Caleb's abrupt departure, and his mysterious demeanor—all pointed to a reality I had been reluctant to confront.Gathering my courage, I gently pushed Caleb away, searching his eyes for answers. "Caleb, there's something you're not telling me, isn't there?"His expression faltered, a flicker of hesitation betraying the facade of calm he had worn. "Eliana, there are
My body trembled and I couldn't move from my place. Is it happening? Tears continued to flow into my eyes. Caleb is gone. Some creatures abducted him. Before I could move my feet, the light turned off. I hugged myself and sat down on the floor. I looked around, and everything was too dark; I couldn't see any light. I wiped my tears. I need to be strong. Perhaps, I am just dreaming. I tried to pinch my shoulder."Ouch!" I shouted. I am no longer dreaming. I hugged my knee and looked down. Staring at the floor made me feel at ease until loud waves of laughter echoed around."It's not funny!" Caleb shouted. I stood up and looked around."Caleb?!" I shouted in fear. In an instant, broad shoulders pulled me and hugged me tight."I am here," he hissed. "It was only a prank from my friend, Charles."I looked up. "How…." I gulped, trying to ease my voice. "How did he do that?" Caleb carefully pushed me to look into my face. He smiled and my heart melted."Caleb's smile, warm and reassuring, m
As we ventured deeper into the unknown, a sense of unease settled over me like a heavy fog, clouding my thoughts and casting doubt upon our journey. With each passing moment, the questions that had been lingering in the back of my mind grew louder, demanding answers that seemed to slip through my grasp like grains of sand.Chief among those questions was the nature of my relationship with Caleb.For as long as I could remember, Caleb had been my constant companion, my rock in times of uncertainty, and my guiding light in the darkest of moments. Together, we had faced countless trials and tribulations, emerging stronger and more united than ever before. But now, as we stood on the precipice of a new adventure, doubts began to gnaw at the edges of my consciousness, threatening to unravel the fragile threads that bound us together.Was Caleb truly the one for me? Or were we merely clinging to the familiarity of our past, afraid to confront the uncomfortable truths that lay buried beneath
Running around Caleb's mansion is one of the ways I remove my worries. I started running at 5 in the morning to ensure my mood was good and I could fully show him my smile. I caught my breath when something growled behind the trees near the gate. My heart pounded fast as I walked, and fear crept into my system. "No," I whispered, trying to comfort myself. As I got closer and passed the trees, I felt something strange. The hair on the back of my neck began to stand up. It was like a wave of anxiety rising. A loud howl echoed inside the mansion. I looked back, and the birds in the sky started to fly away. My eyes widened, and I didn't know where to go. The howls were coming from both near the gate and inside the mansion. I screamed as I saw something moving in the grass. It was so fast.I ran inside the mansion, thinking about Caleb's safety. I ran and ran until I reached Caleb's room, but to my surprise, he wasn't there, and a gust of wind hit my ears. I walked inside and saw the curta
I couldn’t move even though Diana was no longer around. "Caleb?" I muttered to myself multiple times. Was it the same Caleb that I loved? My eyes widened. Love? Did I love him? I shook my head and ran. I had no direction and didn’t know where to go. It was too much to carry. My scar made Caleb mad, but I didn’t know why.I felt something in my stomach that made me stop. I looked around. The gust of wind was so noisy. It sent shivers down my spine. I took a seat in the grass and closed my eyes. Everything flashed back to me.It had been too easy to leave the orphanage. I thought it was better for all of us, but it seemed it was not. I took a deep breath and lay in the grass. My heart beat so fast as I tried to think about every moment.The first time I met Caleb, he was so arrogant. Caleb rarely spoke to me after he accepted me into his mansion, but for some reason, he started to talk to me. His eyes always held a certain sadness, a depth of pain that I could never fully understand. Yet
Days had passed, and Caleb remained despondent. He was always sleeping and refused to go outside. I took a deep breath and closed the door behind me. As I looked around, I forced a smile for the people there. Walking through the trees, I felt a strange sensation coursing through me, my skin prickling with goosebumps when I heard a loud howl. I sprinted through the grass, my heart pounding until I heard someone calling my name.“Eliana.” I turned around, stunned. It was Caleb. He appeared suddenly and grabbed my hand, pulling me as we ran out of the village.“Wait,” I tried to protest, but he kept running until the village was no longer in sight. We stopped, gasping for breath, and I seized the moment to speak.“Are you alright?” he asked, gently brushing a strand of hair from my face. I nodded. “It’s good that you kept nagging me to wake up. That village is no longer good for me.”“What do you mean?” I asked, bewildered. He just smiled and tapped my head.“Don’t worry about it. Let’s
As Caleb left me in the kitchen to tend to the meal, my thoughts swirled with uncertainty. Charles had already disappeared into the living room, leaving me alone with the daunting task of preparing a meal for an unexpected gathering. The clatter of pots and pans echoed my racing heartbeat as I pondered over my place in Caleb’s life.Does he love me? The question lingered like a stubborn shadow. Had he ever uttered those words to me? I couldn’t recall, and the uncertainty gnawed at my insides as I mechanically cleaned the shrimp, trying to distract myself from the whirlwind of emotions.Outside, the sounds of boisterous laughter reached me through the kitchen window, drawing my gaze. I peered out to see six men arriving, their camaraderie evident in their easy banter and hearty laughs. It was a rare sight—Caleb seldom had visitors, let alone a group of six.Turning off the stove, I hesitated for a moment, debating whether to join them or retreat to the solace of the kitchen. Before I c
Caleb's warm hug still lingered on my body, a comforting memory that I never expected. Hugging myself, I closed my eyes, replaying his words in my mind: “I will always be with you.” Opening my eyes, a sudden wave of nervousness washed over me. Why was I feeling this way?Caleb's visitors were different. Although I enjoyed their company, there was something off, something they were hiding. Even the glasses I washed earlier had unusual scratches. It was strange.Shaking my head, I tried to dismiss my suspicions. I walked into the kitchen to check the glasses again. The scratches were not just superficial; they were peculiar. I ran my fingers over them, feeling the rough lines that marred the surface but didn’t break it. Something was wrong.I took a deep breath and decided to focus on Caleb. The memory of his embrace brought a smile to my face. His declaration, “I will always be with you,” had sent warmth through me. His touch and his words had begun to dissolve the pain in my heart. Cal
Eliana was so shocked to see the big brown wolf face to face. She can’t move until Gonzalo hits it on the back. The wolf growled so loud that pierced Eliana’s ears. She gets up and does not know where her strength came from. She did not think twice and ran as fast as she could. Unexpectedly, she stumbled on the tree trunk on the grass. She tried to resume her momentum to run but she saw dripping blood on her legs. She screamed in fear until she passed out.Gonzalo stared at the brown eyes of the wolves in front of him. The big brown wolf growled so loud and turned around. Gonzalo did not waste time and carried Eliana. He touched her forehead and whispered, “Everything will be alright. Rest and forget these things.”—Eliana stood frozen in the middle of the office, the air a
Eliana's feet slid into the dirt, and she breathed in quick, harsh bursts. The storm raged around her, yet the noise didn't drown her out, driving her heart race. She'd never felt more out of control, and the space between her and Gonzalo seemed like an ocean.She hadn’t meant to come out here. She hadn’t meant to confront him. But now that she was, standing just a few feet from him, the truth hung in the air—heavy, suffocating.Gonzalo’s eyes darted nervously toward the trees. Something stirred in the woods, just beyond the line of rain-soaked branches, a low growl spiked a fear in her bones. She felt the chill on her exposed skin and in her veins, which only served to heighten her resolve to uncover the truth. The storm wasn't the only thing. The tension in the air seemed off for some reason.
The rain hit against the roof, and the constant pouring panicked Eliana’s thoughts, keeping her on edge. The quiet after the explosion still hung heavy in the air. The danger had left, but the unease lingered, settling deep within her chest like a weight she couldn’t bear.She ambled around the room, unable to sit still. Her mind replayed the events from the night before. Gonzalo’s calmness had bothered her, the way he’d brushed off the explosion with such ease, the faint flicker in his eyes when she asked about it. It wasn't just him, though. It was the growl she had heard, the one that made her skin tingle and seemed to rattle the air. The woodland was where it had come from. She was certain. What makes it an animal? She kept asking herself this question until she heard another loud smash outside, followed by the howling wind that seemed to lash through the trees with unnatural ra
Eliana tried to escape to the man beside her, but his grip was tight around her arms. Her eyes looked around, desperate to find a way out, but the darkness swallowed everything. Why is it so dark? The question echoed in her mind, her breathing rapid and shallow.A light appeared in the distance, just enough to see the man's face. Then, she takes the chance to escape."Ahhhh!" The sound hit her ears as her leg scraped against something sharp. She winced, pain shooting up her side, and her hands flew to the nearest tree trunk, fingers digging into the rough bark.Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat louder than the last, drowning out all other noise. Clinging to the tree, Eliana struggled to pull herself up, feet scrambling to climb again. Sweat trickled down her brow, mingling with the dirt and blood
Everything seemed the same. Eliana returned to doing chores in exchange for Gonzalo's kindness in caring for her and letting her live in his house. At first, she felt like a robot, performing the same tasks repeatedly.She reached for the broom and started sweeping when she gasped and dropped it.“Are you okay?” Gonzalo asked.Eliana forced a smile and grabbed the broom. A loud growl resounded, but it lasted just a second. “Perhaps you're hungry. Let’s eat.” She nodded, ran out of the kitchen, and began preparing the food. Gonzalo smiled, and they started eating. The silence gnawed at her, making it difficult to chew the pork properly as if she wanted to vomit until Gonzalo’s phone rang. He answered it with a frown.“I have to go,” Gonzalo said, then left. Eliana exhaled deeply and grabbed a glass of water. She thought it would be the last time. She needed to get along with him until she could find a way out.The next day, Gonzalo knocked on her door. She opened it and gawked. Gonzalo
Eliana stood frozen, her pulse racing as the figure emerged from the shadows. It was Caleb—or at least, who it appeared to be. Her breath caught in her throat, and for a moment, she wondered if she was dreaming. But the warmth of the air around herand the texture of the ground beneath her feet felt too real.“Caleb?” she whispered, her voice barely audible, laced with confusion and hope. She moved forward and couldn’t take her eyes off him.He smiled, his eyes holding a familiar warmth, but there was something different—something unsettling she couldn’t quite place. “I knew you’d find me again,” he said softly, the words wrapping around her like a fragile promise. Find him again? But I ran away from him.Befor
The walls felt like they were closing in around her. Eliana could hardly breathe in the oppressive silence of Gonzalo’s house; his presence and words suffocated her. Each passing moment in this place felt like another chain tightening around her. She needed to get out, needed to escape the overwhelming pull of his intentions, the pain that kept clawing at her chest, and the confusion that only seemed to multiply with each passing day.She had thought about it all night. The plan was simple, but it had to be quick. Quiet. Eliana knew Gonzalo would never let her leave willingly—not after everything. He had made it clear that he wouldn’t give up on her, no matter how hard she fought. But she couldn’t stay, not in this cage of false comfort, not with his manipulation twisting every decision she made. She knew it seemed like she didn’t respect Gonzalo after all he had done for her.
Eliana forms a smile while looking at Gonzalo. She thinks about Caleb and sees him in a second. “I mean...I will just watch the house..” Gonzalo did not say anything and that day their conversation was not followed.The days blurred together in a haze of routine, but none of it felt real to Eliana. Every morning, she woke up to the same narrow room, the same quiet house, the same silence that seemed to echo louder each time. Gonzalo had been kind to her, always checking in, offering comfort, and trying his best to make her feel at ease, but it wasn’t enough. Not when Caleb’s face kept appearing in the quiet spaces of her mind, in her dreams, in her heart.Every time Eliana closed her eyes, she could still feel his presence—his soft laugh, his touch, the warmth that had once made her feel safe. She missed him more than she cared to admit. The memories of their time together haunted her, constantly reminding her of what she had lost, what she couldn’t have anymore. The world outside mi
Eliana’s mind drifted as she curled up on the couch, the exhaustion of the day pulling her into a restless sleep. The remnants of tears still clung to her lashes, but her breathing steadied as she surrendered to the quiet embrace of slumber.In the depths of her dream, the familiar figure of Caleb emerged from the shadows. He stood with his back to her, his tall frame outlined by the soft glow of a moonlit night. The silvery light kissed his tousled dark hair, giving him an almost ethereal presence. He turned slowly, his face coming into view, and Eliana’s heart fluttered despite herself.There he was—Caleb, with his annoyingly handsome features that had haunted her thoughts more times than she cared to admit. His sharp jawline, slightly crooked smile, and those piercing eyes that seemed to see straight through her soul. There was something infuriatingly perfect about him as if he had stepped out of a dream too vivid to be real."Eliana," he called softly, his voice a tantalizing mixt