My lungs burned as I pushed my body to its limits, racing across the expansive palace grounds. The faint scent trail grew stronger with each stride, spurring me onward.
Rowan and the guards struggled to keep pace, but I refused to slow down. I had to find her, had to understand how she had slipped through our defenses so easily.
As I rounded the corner of the east wing, I caught a glimpse of her in the distance - a flash of auburn hair disappearing between the towering hedges of the royal gardens.
"There!" I shouted, my voice taut with urgency.
I surged forward, senses hyper-focused on tracking her movements. The sound of her footsteps, the occasional rustle of leaves - it was as if the very wilderness itself was conspiring to conceal her from my sight.
Finally, I emerged into a small clearing, chest heaving. But there was no sign of her. The garden laid empty, save for the gently swaying flora.
Rowan caught up, panting. "Where...where did she go?"
I clenched my fists in frustration, searching the area with my eyes and my other enhanced senses. "She was right here, I know it. How could she have vanished so quickly?"
Dante's voice rumbled in my mind. "She is more than she seems, Damien. There is a power within her that even she does not fully understand."
I knew, deep down, that he was right. This woman - this human who had so effortlessly captured my heart - was hiding secrets. Secrets that went beyond mere mortal capabilities.
But what was the nature of this power? And why did it feel as if it was calling out to me, drawing me ever deeper into its enigmatic grasp?
I had to find her, had to unravel the mystery that surrounded her. For her sake, and for my own.
Turning to Rowan, I said, "Fan out and search the gardens. She couldn't have gone far."
As the guards dispersed, I closed my eyes once more, focusing all of my senses on tracking her down. There had to be some trace, some clue that would lead me to her.
I would not rest until I had her safely back at my side, no matter what it took.