Mag-log inA deep, comforting warmth flooded my chest as his familiar presence washed over the cold room. I could feel him in my very soul, and all I could do now was lie on the hard stone and wait for him to come break these chains and rescue me from this nightmare. But the agonizing reality of my body was quickly catching up to me. I could literally feel the raw life force draining out of my veins with every passing second. Each heavy drop of blood that dripped into the stone bowls beneath the altar seemed to carry a piece of my soul away with it. My vision began to blur into a messy spin, and my eyelids grew incredibly heavy and dizzy, pulling me toward a deep, permanent sleep. At this terrifying rate, I knew I might actually die before he could even manage to find his way into this deep part of the cavern. And that was only if he even discovered the hidden entrance of the cave in the first place. Elda’s men were ruthless, and they certainly wouldn't give him a warm welcome at the perimeter.
The agonizing pain tore through my palm like white-hot lightning, and a loud, piercing scream erupted from my throat, echoing wildly off the damp stone walls of the cavern. Tears instantly blurred my vision as I stared down in absolute disbelief at my soft, bleeding hand. The sight made my stomach completely turn; the silver blade went straight through my flesh, pinning me flat against the hard surface as if I were being nailed directly onto a wooden cross. I began to weep uncontrollably, my whole body shaking violently against the heavy iron restraints as I gripped the handle of the weapon with my free left hand, desperately preparing to pull the sharp steel out of my skin. Elda didn't even flinch at my cries. She simply took a few slow, casual steps backward, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched my desperate struggles with a cold, unyielding stare. "There is absolutely no need to do that, Fedora," she murmured, her voice chillingly calm and steady over my loud sobbing. "
The freezing stone of the altar bit into my bare skin, a constant, throbbing reminder of my failure as I lay perfectly still in the pitch-black chamber. So, this was really it. After all the frantic running, all the agonizing pain, all the humiliating falls, and all the desperate fights I had put up across the country, this hidden, bloody cave would finally be the place where my story ended. There was absolutely no running away this time. The heavy iron chains around my wrists and ankles made sure of that. If this exact nightmare had happened to me about two months ago, I wouldn't have been very sad about losing my life. Back then, I had nothing left to live for anyway. But now, everything felt completely different. A stubborn, quiet spark deep inside my chest simply didn't want to give up just yet. I wanted to live, to breathe the fresh air, and to fight back against the monsters controlling my destiny. *If I really can't get out of this alive,* I thought, a bitter lump forming in
"No! No! Stay away from me!" The frantic screams tore from my throat as I scrambled backward, turning around to sprint deeper into the dark, uncharted depths of the cavern. Behind me, the two large men didn't even bother to run. They simply adjusted their grips on their heavy flashlights, casting the blinding white beams directly onto my retreating back. The bright light cut through the shadows, tracking my every movement as I stumbled blindly over the uneven stone floor. They walked with slow, casual steps, their heavy boots thudding rhythmically against the gravel, completely unbothered by my desperate attempt to escape. They knew I had nowhere left to run. I kept pushing my bruised legs forward, my chest heaving violently as I panted for air. My eyes darted frantically across the rugged stone walls, searching with pure desperation for any hidden crack, an upper ledge, or an opening that could lead me out of this terrifying trap. But there was nothing. The rock walls were entirely
The tiny flame of the lighter flickered wildly in the damp, heavy air of the cavern, casting long, eerie shadows across a sight that made the blood instantly freeze in my veins. Right in the center of the dark chamber stood a massive, heavy table made of rough, ancient stone. Thick iron chains, covered in deep layers of dark rust and crusty brown stains, were bolted heavily into the stone edges, dangling limply onto the floor. Fresh, wet blood was smeared across the flat surface, dripping slowly down the side in a sickening trail that pool on the gravel below. A cold sweat broke out across my entire body as I slowly raised the tiny light toward the jagged cavern walls. My chest heaved with shallow, terrified breaths. The stone walls were completely covered in deep, violent gouges—marks left by powerful claws that had frantically torn into the hard rock. It looked as if dozens of desperate people had spent their final, agonizing moments struggling against the chains, fighting with eve
I crouched high up on a thick branch of the oak tree, my hands gripping the rough bark as I waited in the cold midnight air. Peering through the dense leaves, I watched the entrance of the hidden cave. Every few seconds, faint flashes of flashlight beams flickered against the stone walls inside, dancing around before moving deeper and deeper into the dark earth. My brow furrowed as I stared at the disappearing glow, my mind racing as I tried to figure out what on earth was happening down there. Everything in my life just kept getting stranger and stranger with each passing hour. A sudden wave of panic hit my chest, and a voice inside my head screamed at me to just turn around and escape right now while Elda was busy. But as I looked back toward the dark woods, reality sank in. The forest was pitch black, and I realized I couldn't see a single thing even if I attempted to run. I didn't know the layout of this massive estate yet, and the terrifying thought of wandering straight into a
POV: FedoraShut your mouth. I am not done talking. I glared right at her.Veronica did not even flinch. She just looked up into Stefan's eyes with a sweet, fake smile.Actually, that sounds like a very nice idea. You are so smart, baby. A dark chuckle left his chest.He leaned down and kissed her
POV: FedoraMy chest burnt like fire with every breath I took, a reminder I would die if I didn't get to the castle in time.I ran down the dark forest path, gasping for air. The trees looked blurry because I was moving too fast.Run faster, Fedora, please run faster, I begged myself.Right then, my
A soft, helpless smile touched my lips, spreading across my face before I could even try to stop it. I didn't want to show him how much he was affecting me, but my body simply refused to listen to my brain. Moving like a woman under a spell, I slowly pushed my chair back, stood up from the lavish t
Michael's expression didn't even flicker. He remained completely still, his eyes fixed forward on the stadium floor as if he hadn't just heard a ghost story. "Are you scared of him seeing you?" he murmured, the words dropping slowly from his lips, his voice perfectly level."Yes," I blurted out, th







