Chapter 691 691: Through The Woods
Evaline:
I didn't know how long I had been running.
Or if I could even call it running.
My legs stumbled more than they moved, my breaths came out in sharp, uneven gasps, and every step felt like my body was threatening to give out beneath me. But I didn't stop.
Simply because I couldn't, not even for a second.
The cold bit into my skin, sharp and merciless, but it was nothing compared to the fear clawing its way through my chest.
I had to get away. As far as possible from that cave… from him.
Branches scraped against my face and hands as I pushed through the dense forest, the darkness making it nearly impossible to see where I was going. My senses were still dull and sluggish as the drug still lingered in my system, dragging me down and blurring everything.
I tripped over a root, barely catching myself before I hit the ground.
"Keep going," I whispered to myself, my voice trembling. "Don't stop… don't stop…"
Because the moment I stopped... he would catch me.
And I knew… I knew what would happen then.
My stomach twisted violently at the thought. Damian wouldn't just drag me back. He would punish me, break me, make me regret even thinking about escape.
And the worst part?
He wouldn't rush it. He would take his sweet time.
A shiver ran through me that had nothing to do with the cold.
My legs burned as I forced them forward again, pushing through the pain, through the exhaustion. My body was slowly starting to respond as time passed, just a little... and it wasn't enough.
I needed more.
I needed to run faster. I needed to be stronger. But just like my enchanted senses, my power remained out of reach.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to move faster anyway.
The forest grew denser the deeper I went, branches tangling in my hair, clawing at my clothes. My coat snagged suddenly on something, making me gasp as I was jerked back.
"No-!"
A thick branch had caught the fabric, holding me in place. And the sight made me panic immediately.
I yanked forward, trying to free myself, but the branch held tight. My heart slammed against my ribs as I struggled, the seconds stretching too long.
And then, a loud ripping sound rang in the silence as the fabric tore.
The force sent me stumbling backward, and I cried out as something sharp from a nearby bush scraped across my arm.
Pain flared instantly, and the next second I felt warmth spread beneath my sleeve.
I didn't have time to check the injury, so I just kept moving. My steps were faster now, more desperate.
What little sky I could see, through the gaps of canopy, was heavy with dark clouds. The air felt thick with the promise of snow... but it wasn't falling. Not yet.
And I needed it.
Stars, I needed it badly.
Snow would cover my tracks, mask my scent, and give me a chance. But the sky remained silent, cruel and unhelpful.
"Please…" I breathed, not even sure who I was begging.
The wind howled softly through the trees, carrying the chill deeper into my bones.
And then... I heard it.
"Eva…"
My entire body went rigid.
No.
No no no-
The voice drifted through the trees, smooth… almost gentle.
"Where are you, Little sister?"
My heart dropped into my stomach as I heard Damian's familiar voice. He didn't sound close. Not yet. But that didn't matter.
Because he had found my trail.
A cold wave of terror crashed over me as adrenaline surged through my veins, drowning out the exhaustion, the pain, the weakness.
And I started running.
My legs screamed in protest, but I pushed harder, faster, ignoring everything except the need to put distance between us.
Branches whipped past me, the ground blurred beneath my feet, and my breaths came out in ragged gasps as my lungs burned.
Behind me, I heard nothing but silence. However, it didn't last long.
My ears registered the sound of a twig snapping, followed by footsteps that seemed really close.
My pulse spiked as I realized he was following me - not rushing, not charging - just… following.
Like he wasn't worried at all. Like he knew I couldn't escape.
"Come on, Eva…" his voice called again, louder this time, closer. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
A hysterical laugh almost bubbled up my throat, but I swallowed it down.
Harder?
This was already hell.
I pushed myself faster, ignoring the way my vision blurred at the edges, ignoring the dizziness creeping in.
I couldn't think. Couldn't stop. I could only run.
A shadow flickered between the trees to my left, and my heart jumped into my throat.
He was playing with me. I could feel it now. He wasn't chasing to catch me, he was chasing to enjoy it.
Like a predator toying with its prey.
"Such a shame," his voice echoed again, now from a different direction. "You were doing so well."
Tears burned in my eyes, but I blinked them away, focusing on the path ahead... or what little I could see of it.
I couldn't let him catch me. And I wouldn't, not like this, not without trying. So I pushed harder, faster.
I kept going, my breaths coming out in broken gasps, my chest tight, my body screaming for rest.
"Run, Little sister …" he murmured, his voice now terrifyingly close. "Run as much as you want."
A sob tore from my throat as I forced myself forward again. I couldn't hear my own thoughts anymore.
Only my heartbeat. Only the sound of my feet hitting the ground - too fast, too uneven. And then... everything went wrong.
My foot landed on something solid, something hidden beneath a thin layer of frost. A rock probably, and my ankle twisted violently.
Pain exploded up my leg, making me cry out as my balance shattered and my body pitching forward.
"No-!"
The ground rushed up to meet me.
I hit hard, the impact knocking the air from my lungs as agony shot through my ankle.
I couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't-
A shadow fell over me, making my blood run cold immediately. And before I could even try to crawl away...
He was there.
On me.