Chapter 93 Old Friend
Then, Erik suddenly stopped. His smirk faded, and his eyes darted to the side like he sensed something or someone. His jaw clenched. He stared at me for a moment longer, then scoffed under his breath.
Without saying another word, he turned around and walked away.
I stood there frozen, unable to process what just happened. I waited until his figure disappeared into the shadows before I let out the breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. My chest rose and fell in fast, uneven gasps. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it wanted to tear through my ribs.
I wrapped my arms around myself and started walking again, this time heading back toward the mansion. My feet moved quickly, but my thoughts lagged behind. My legs felt like jelly beneath me, but I didn’t stop until I reached the stairs.
’What just happened? Why did he leave? He doesn’t seem like someone who would leave just like that. Why do I have a feeling that something terrible is going to happen?’
Something about that whole encounter didn’t sit right with me. I didn’t know if it was from the memory of what he had tried to do to me and the real Ember before... or if it was something deeper. Maybe it was just trauma, clinging to a body that remembered things I didn’t.
I touched the doorknob with a shaky hand and turned it slowly. The hallway was just as quiet as before, but now the silence made me uneasy.
When I reached the bedroom door, I pushed it open and slipped inside, locking it behind me. My breath was still shaky. I rubbed my arms and glanced around the room, half-expecting Erik to have somehow followed me. But no one was there. I was alone.
I had barely taken two steps into the room when a soft knock echoed through the door behind me.
My body froze.
Another knock followed. Still gentle, but firm enough to make me hesitate.