Victor's presence was like a dark storm cloud blotting out any hope we had of escape. His figure emerged fully from the shadows, calm yet menacing. The cruel glint in his eyes made my stomach churn. Around him, a dozen armed men formed a loose semicircle, cutting off any possible routes of retreat.
Rowan stepped in front of me, his stance protective. Erin mirrored his movement, her knife gleaming in the moonlight.
“Victor,” Rowan said, his voice steady but filled with venom. “You’ve gone through a lot of trouble for someone you won’t be leaving with.”
Victor laughed, a cold, hollow sound. “Oh, Rowan, always the hero. But heroes die young, don’t they?” His gun tilted slightly, its muzzle glinting ominously. “You should’ve taken my offer. Now, you&rsquo
The sound of helicopters pierced the night, their beams cutting through the darkness like hunting predators. The faint barks of tracking dogs grew louder, a chilling reminder that we were far from safe.“Keep moving!” the mysterious woman urged, her grip firm on my arm as she pulled me through the dense forest.Rowan and Erin flanked us, their weapons at the ready. Rowan’s sharp eyes darted to every shadow, every rustle in the underbrush, his protective instincts in overdrive. Erin, on the other hand, moved with cold efficiency, her knife glinting in the moonlight as she scanned for threats.“Who the hell are you?” Rowan demanded, his voice cutting through the chaos. “And why should we trust you?”“There’s no time for
The forest was eerily silent now, the echoes of gunfire swallowed by the oppressive darkness. My breath came in shallow gasps as I clung to a tree for support, my legs trembling with exhaustion. Rowan appeared beside me moments later, his face a mixture of relief and fury.“Are you okay?” he asked, his hands gripping my shoulders tightly.I nodded, unable to speak. My mind was spinning from the encounter with Victor, his cold sneer still burned into my memory.Erin and Zara emerged from the shadows next, both bloodied but alive. Erin’s sharp gaze scanned the perimeter while Zara held her arm, blood seeping through her makeshift bandage.“We can’t stay here,” Zara said, her voice taut with urgency. “Victor won’t stop. He&rsq
The forest’s darkness was relentless, its towering trees and dense undergrowth threatening to swallow us whole. My lungs burned, my legs screamed in protest, but Zara’s iron grip on my arm gave me no choice but to keep moving. Behind us, the sounds of pursuit grew louder—Victor’s men crashing through the woods like a pack of wolves.“Don’t look back!” Zara barked, her voice sharp.But I couldn’t help myself. A quick glance over my shoulder revealed flickering beams of flashlights weaving through the trees. My heart clenched. They were gaining on us.Rowan ran ahead, his shoulders tense as he carved a path through the undergrowth. Erin was close behind him, her rifle clutched tightly in her hands.“We’re not losi
The roar reverberated through the air again, a primal sound that sent chills down my spine. It was neither human nor animal—something otherworldly that didn’t belong in the forest. Rowan’s grip on my arm tightened, his body tense as he scanned the surrounding shadows.“We need to move,” he said, his voice low but urgent.Zara, for once, looked rattled. “Move where? That thing doesn’t sound like it’s interested in taking prisoners.”“It’s driving them off,” Erin said, her rifle still trained on the darkness. “But for how long?”Victor and his men were retreating, their movements hurried and disorganized. Whatever was out there, even they didn’t want to face it. My heart raced as I re
The forest grew eerily quiet as we moved forward, every step dragging like lead. The earlier chaos had given way to a suffocating stillness, and even the wind seemed to hold its breath. Rowan walked ahead, his movements cautious, the tension in his shoulders visible. Zara stuck close to Erin, both of them exchanging wary glances. I trailed behind, my mind a storm of questions, fears, and Victor’s haunting words.“What does he mean, ‘I’m the key’?” I finally asked, breaking the silence.Rowan glanced over his shoulder but didn’t stop walking. “We’ll figure it out, but not here.”“That’s not an answer,” I pressed, my voice sharper than I intended. “If I’m putting all of you at risk, I need to know why.”
The darkness enveloped me like a suffocating blanket, drowning out all sound, all movement. I felt weightless, as if I were floating in an endless void. My pulse thudded in my ears, but there was nothing else. No danger. No Rowan, no Zara, no Erin—just silence.I tried to move, but my limbs were heavy, as if shackled by invisible chains. My mouth opened to scream, but no sound escaped. Panic clawed at my chest, my breath coming in sharp gasps. What had happened? Why was I here?A sharp, cool breeze cut through the emptiness, and I realized that I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t in the void anymore. I was standing on solid ground—though it didn’t feel like the earth beneath my feet. It felt… wrong. An unnatural chill seeped into my bones, the air thick with the scent of decay.“Pamela.”I froze at the sound of the voice, so familiar yet so distant. It was Victor’s voice, smooth and mocking, like he was watching from the shadows.“You really didn’t think you could escape, did you?” His voice ech
I jolted awake, gasping for air. The air around me was thick with tension, my senses heightened as though I had just been pulled from the depths of a nightmare. My heart raced, but there was no sense of relief. No peace. Something had shifted—something dark and irrevocable.I sat up, the world around me blurry. A dim light flickered above, casting shadows across the cold stone walls. I blinked, struggling to make sense of where I was. The room was unfamiliar—no, this wasn’t the palace. It wasn’t the void either. This place was… different.I rose slowly, the weight of my limbs feeling heavier than usual. As my eyes adjusted to the low light, I saw an old wooden table in the corner of the room, covered with strange artifacts. The air was damp, like a forgotten underground hideaway, with the faint smell of earth and decay.A door creaked open, and I froze.“Pamela,” a voice called out softly. It was familiar, but not quite. A tinge of something I couldn't place lingered in the tone.I tu
I awoke with a start, my body frozen in place, heart pounding in my chest as though it were trying to escape. The world was still dark, but this time, it wasn’t the suffocating blackness of the arena. The air smelled different—cleaner, lighter—almost like I was in a different place altogether. Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.My hands trembled as I slowly lifted them, feeling the cool stone beneath me. I tried to move, but my body was too heavy, too lethargic. What had just happened? The creature—Rowan’s voice—everything was a blur.“Pamela,” a voice said softly from the shadows.I froze.It was Kiera. But she didn’t sound like herself. She didn’t sound cold or distant. T
The force of the vortex was unlike anything I had ever felt. It gripped me with an intensity that seemed to tear at my very soul, pulling me deeper and deeper into the unknown. My body twisted and spun, the world around me becoming a blur of colors and shapes. The weight of the power was crushing, suffocating, as if I were being sucked into the very heart of a storm.I tried to scream, to call out to Rowan, but the vortex swallowed my voice. The air was thick with a hum that reverberated through my bones, and the pressure in my chest increased, as though I were being squeezed into something too small. My eyes fought against the oncoming darkness, but no matter how hard I strained, I couldn’t focus on anything.It felt like hours passed, though I knew it had only been mere seconds. I was trapped in this swirling chaos, unsure of whether I was still in the
The chaos was deafening, an explosive clash of forces that vibrated through the very air. I could feel the heat of the energy swirling around me, my pulse racing as I stood frozen in the center of it all. Rowan’s voice cut through the noise, desperate and urgent.“Pamela, now! You have to leave—this is your chance!”But something held me in place. I wasn’t sure if it was fear, or if it was the crushing weight of the truth finally settling in. This was no longer just about survival. This was about discovering what I was truly up against—what I had unknowingly been dragged into.Victor’s power crackled through the room in sharp bursts, each one threatening to tear the walls down. It was terrifying—impossible even—but I knew deep down that we were running out of tim
I awoke with a start, my body frozen in place, heart pounding in my chest as though it were trying to escape. The world was still dark, but this time, it wasn’t the suffocating blackness of the arena. The air smelled different—cleaner, lighter—almost like I was in a different place altogether. Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.My hands trembled as I slowly lifted them, feeling the cool stone beneath me. I tried to move, but my body was too heavy, too lethargic. What had just happened? The creature—Rowan’s voice—everything was a blur.“Pamela,” a voice said softly from the shadows.I froze.It was Kiera. But she didn’t sound like herself. She didn’t sound cold or distant. T
I jolted awake, gasping for air. The air around me was thick with tension, my senses heightened as though I had just been pulled from the depths of a nightmare. My heart raced, but there was no sense of relief. No peace. Something had shifted—something dark and irrevocable.I sat up, the world around me blurry. A dim light flickered above, casting shadows across the cold stone walls. I blinked, struggling to make sense of where I was. The room was unfamiliar—no, this wasn’t the palace. It wasn’t the void either. This place was… different.I rose slowly, the weight of my limbs feeling heavier than usual. As my eyes adjusted to the low light, I saw an old wooden table in the corner of the room, covered with strange artifacts. The air was damp, like a forgotten underground hideaway, with the faint smell of earth and decay.A door creaked open, and I froze.“Pamela,” a voice called out softly. It was familiar, but not quite. A tinge of something I couldn't place lingered in the tone.I tu
The darkness enveloped me like a suffocating blanket, drowning out all sound, all movement. I felt weightless, as if I were floating in an endless void. My pulse thudded in my ears, but there was nothing else. No danger. No Rowan, no Zara, no Erin—just silence.I tried to move, but my limbs were heavy, as if shackled by invisible chains. My mouth opened to scream, but no sound escaped. Panic clawed at my chest, my breath coming in sharp gasps. What had happened? Why was I here?A sharp, cool breeze cut through the emptiness, and I realized that I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t in the void anymore. I was standing on solid ground—though it didn’t feel like the earth beneath my feet. It felt… wrong. An unnatural chill seeped into my bones, the air thick with the scent of decay.“Pamela.”I froze at the sound of the voice, so familiar yet so distant. It was Victor’s voice, smooth and mocking, like he was watching from the shadows.“You really didn’t think you could escape, did you?” His voice ech
The forest grew eerily quiet as we moved forward, every step dragging like lead. The earlier chaos had given way to a suffocating stillness, and even the wind seemed to hold its breath. Rowan walked ahead, his movements cautious, the tension in his shoulders visible. Zara stuck close to Erin, both of them exchanging wary glances. I trailed behind, my mind a storm of questions, fears, and Victor’s haunting words.“What does he mean, ‘I’m the key’?” I finally asked, breaking the silence.Rowan glanced over his shoulder but didn’t stop walking. “We’ll figure it out, but not here.”“That’s not an answer,” I pressed, my voice sharper than I intended. “If I’m putting all of you at risk, I need to know why.”
The roar reverberated through the air again, a primal sound that sent chills down my spine. It was neither human nor animal—something otherworldly that didn’t belong in the forest. Rowan’s grip on my arm tightened, his body tense as he scanned the surrounding shadows.“We need to move,” he said, his voice low but urgent.Zara, for once, looked rattled. “Move where? That thing doesn’t sound like it’s interested in taking prisoners.”“It’s driving them off,” Erin said, her rifle still trained on the darkness. “But for how long?”Victor and his men were retreating, their movements hurried and disorganized. Whatever was out there, even they didn’t want to face it. My heart raced as I re
The forest’s darkness was relentless, its towering trees and dense undergrowth threatening to swallow us whole. My lungs burned, my legs screamed in protest, but Zara’s iron grip on my arm gave me no choice but to keep moving. Behind us, the sounds of pursuit grew louder—Victor’s men crashing through the woods like a pack of wolves.“Don’t look back!” Zara barked, her voice sharp.But I couldn’t help myself. A quick glance over my shoulder revealed flickering beams of flashlights weaving through the trees. My heart clenched. They were gaining on us.Rowan ran ahead, his shoulders tense as he carved a path through the undergrowth. Erin was close behind him, her rifle clutched tightly in her hands.“We’re not losi
The forest was eerily silent now, the echoes of gunfire swallowed by the oppressive darkness. My breath came in shallow gasps as I clung to a tree for support, my legs trembling with exhaustion. Rowan appeared beside me moments later, his face a mixture of relief and fury.“Are you okay?” he asked, his hands gripping my shoulders tightly.I nodded, unable to speak. My mind was spinning from the encounter with Victor, his cold sneer still burned into my memory.Erin and Zara emerged from the shadows next, both bloodied but alive. Erin’s sharp gaze scanned the perimeter while Zara held her arm, blood seeping through her makeshift bandage.“We can’t stay here,” Zara said, her voice taut with urgency. “Victor won’t stop. He&rsq