The air was thick with the scent of rain and earth as I stood by the window, my breath shallow, my pulse a frantic drum against my ribs. Outside, the storm raged, wind slamming against the walls of the house like an omen, like a warning.
I had to leave. Now.
He was somewhere in the house. I could feel him—his presence like a shadow curling around my throat, tightening with every second that passed. If I stayed any longer, he would find me. And if he found me, I would never leave again.
My fingers trembled as I secured the dagger against my thigh, the only weapon I had. It wouldn't kill him—nothing could—but if I was lucky, it would slow him down. Just enough for me to escape.
I forced a breath through my lips and crept toward the door, pressing my ear against the wood. Silence.
Then, a voice. Smooth, dark, laced with something possessive.
"You're not really thinking of running, are you, sweetheart?"
Panic shot through me like lightning. I spun around, and there he was, standing in the doorway. Unmoving. Unbothered. Waiting.
The storm outside howled, rattling the glass panes, but it was nothing compared to the storm inside me.
His eyes glowed in the dim candlelight, amusement flickering behind the dark depths. "You should know by now, you can't outrun me."
I refused to let fear win. Not this time.
I lunged for the nearest exit—a second-story window. The glass shattered beneath my weight as I threw myself through it, the cold night air swallowing my scream.
For a moment, there was nothing but the wind tearing at my skin, the brief sensation of weightlessness before my body collided with the earth below. Pain exploded up my side, but I couldn't stop. I wouldn't stop.
Ignoring the burning ache in my limbs, I pushed myself up and ran.
The forest stretched endlessly ahead of me, twisting shadows and skeletal branches reaching toward the sky. I don't know where I'm going, only that I must keep moving. I don't have a map. I don't have a guide.
But I have something else.
A memory—not clear, but strong. The faint image of a temple hidden deep within the mountains, untouched by time, veiled in golden light.
I know that's where I need to go.
The journey is merciless. Days bleed into nights, my body growing weaker with each passing moment. The deeper I go into the wild, the more I feel it—him.
Even from miles away, I can feel his pull. The bond between us is still intact, his presence whispering at the edges of my mind. It's as if he's watching me, waiting.
"Come back to me."
I grit my teeth and push forward.