🌙 Episode 18: Running in the Dark
The forest swallowed her whole.
Branches whipped at Lila's arms as she ran, lungs burning, heart hammering like a drum. Behind her, the clash of claws and snarls echoed through the trees—Ethan fighting for his life.
Every instinct screamed at her to go back, but his command still rang in her head:
Run.
Tears blurred her vision, but she forced herself forward. Roots snagged her boots, stones bit into her soles, yet she didn't stop. The bond thrummed inside her chest, a golden thread tugging her away from danger.
"Ethan," she gasped, clutching at the ache in her ribs. It felt like her heart was being torn in two, part of it left behind with him.
The forest was alive with sound—leaves rustling, twigs snapping, owls shrieking overhead. Every shadow seemed to shift, every gust of wind carried the scent of wolves.
Then she heard it.
Footsteps. Behind her.
Her breath caught. She pushed harder, darting between trees, but the sound grew closer—pursuing, relentless.
A growl rumbled low and deep, not Ethan's.
Lila's blood turned to ice. She risked a glance back—two glowing eyes stalked her through the dark, fast, too fast.
Panic clawed at her throat. She veered off the trail, heart pounding, crashing through underbrush until the ground sloped downward. She stumbled, half-slid, half-fell into a narrow ravine, branches clawing her skin.
The impact knocked the air from her lungs, but she scrambled up, ignoring the sting of scrapes on her arms.
"Keep moving," she whispered, voice shaking. "Don't stop."
The bond flared again, sharp and urgent, pulling her toward the west. She followed blindly, trusting it, praying Ethan was still alive.
The footsteps above slowed, then stopped. She pressed herself against the ravine wall, chest heaving, straining to listen.
For a moment, silence.
Then—a low chuckle.
Her heart seized.
"Little human," a male voice drawled, thick with mockery. "You can't hide forever."
Her stomach churned. She didn't recognize the voice, but the malice in it was unmistakable.
"Ethan will find you," she whispered fiercely, more to herself than to him.
The rogue laughed softly, a sound that made her skin crawl. "If he survives."
Branches rustled as he moved along the ridge above, searching. Lila bit her lip to keep from crying out, forcing herself not to move, not to breathe too loudly.
Seconds stretched like hours.
Finally, the footsteps retreated, fading into the distance.
Lila sagged against the wall, shaking. Relief warred with dread—Ethan was still back there, surrounded.
"I have to get help," she whispered, though she had no idea where to go.
The bond pulsed again, not just a pull this time but a warmth spreading through her chest, steadying her trembling hands. She closed her eyes, focusing on it.
It was like Ethan's voice in her mind, strong and fierce: Keep going. Stay alive.
Her breath steadied. "Okay," she whispered. "I'll make it. I'll wait for you."
She pushed forward, climbing out of the ravine, her body aching but her resolve burning brighter.
The night stretched endlessly, the forest twisting around her, but she never let go of that invisible thread tying her to Ethan.
Because no matter how dark the world became, she believed—he would come for her.
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✨ End of Episode 18