*
Zen's heart pounded in his chest as he sprinted through the dark forest, the trees blurring together in a mad dash. He had been tracking Alice for what felt like hours, his senses on high alert as he followed the faint trail of her energy.
He couldn't believe she had left without a word. The memory of their last conversation haunted him, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.
As he ran, the forest grew denser, the shadows deepening into dark, menacing shapes. Zen's breath came in ragged gasps, his muscles burning with exhaustion. But he refused to give up. He had to find Alice.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of rushing water up ahead. The forest opened up into a wide, moonlit clearing, and Zen's eyes landed on the figure of Alice, standing at the edge of a raging river.
"Alice!" Zen shouted, dashing towards her.
But as he reached out to grab her, she turned to face him, her eyes wild and desperate. "Zen, go back!" she screamed, her voice lost in the roar of the river.
Too late. A dark figure emerged from the shadows, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly energy. Alice's eyes locked onto Zen's, and with a fierce determination, she pushed him into the river, sending them both tumbling into the icy waters.
As Zen struggled to resurface, he felt a hand grasp his wrist, pulling him deeper into the darkness. He knew then that his world would never be the same.
*To be continued...*