Elena's POV
The night air was thick with tension as Victor's words echoed in Elena's mind. He wanted her. That much was clear, but the reason why was still a mystery. She knew that Ivanna had a sinister reputation, and now, with Victor's cryptic words lingering in the air, she couldn't shake the feeling that the danger was much closer than she'd anticipated.
She watched as Victor stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of amusement and something darker, something that sent a shiver running down her spine. She could feel the weight of his gaze, and it was like he was seeing through her, probing for something hidden deep inside.
"Why are you here?" Elena asked, her voice firmer than she felt. She tried to mask the fear that was creeping into her chest, but it was hard when everything about Victor screamed danger.
Victor didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took a slow, deliberate step forward, his eyes never leaving hers. Elena could feel her pulse quickening, but she refused to back down. If she was going to survive this, she had to stand her ground.
"You don't know what you're dealing with, Elena," Victor said finally, his voice low and steady. "You think Caleb is protecting you, but he's keeping you in the dark. You don't even know the real reason Ivanna wants you, do you?"
Elena's heart skipped a beat. She had always known that Caleb was hiding something, but to hear Victor speak so openly about it left her unsettled. Her thoughts raced, trying to process everything, trying to understand why Ivanna would want her in the first place. What was she missing?
"What does Ivanna want with me?" Elena asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She didn't know if she was ready to hear the answer, but she had to know.
Victor smiled, his lips curling into a sinister grin. "She wants the power you hold, Elena. The power you don't even realize you have. And once she has that, she'll be unstoppable. But you, you're a key to something much bigger than you can imagine."
Elena took a step back, trying to process his words. "Power? I don't have any power. I'm just a woman who's stuck in the middle of something I don't understand."
Victor's grin widened, and he stepped closer again. "You have no idea, do you? Your presence here isn't a coincidence, Elena. It's not just your bloodline, or your connection to the forest. It's something much deeper. Something that ties you to this place, to Caleb, and to Ivanna."
Elena felt a knot form in her stomach as Victor's words sank in. She had always known that there was something special about her connection to Blackwood Hollow, but she had never fully understood it. And now, she was beginning to realize that the answers she sought might be far more dangerous than she could have ever imagined.
"I don't want any part of this," Elena said firmly. "I don't care about power, or whatever it is you think I have. I just want to go back to my life."
Victor's eyes softened, but there was still a coldness to them. "You can't run from this, Elena. You're already a part of it, whether you want to be or not. And you'll have to choose a side—either Ivanna's or Caleb's."
Elena felt her heart pounding in her chest as she took another step back, her eyes darting to the edge of the forest where Caleb had disappeared. She didn't know what was happening, but she could feel the weight of the choice she would soon have to make. Ivanna or Caleb? Two sides, both dangerous in their own way, both offering something she wasn't sure she wanted.
"I'm not choosing anyone," Elena said, her voice shaking with uncertainty. "I'll find my own way."
Victor chuckled darkly, his gaze never leaving hers. "Good luck with that," he said, his tone mocking. "You'll need it. Ivanna won't stop until she gets what she wants. And when she does, there will be no one left to protect you."
Before Elena could respond, Victor disappeared into the shadows, leaving her standing alone in the clearing. The silence that followed was deafening, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air.
She stood there for a long moment, her mind racing with confusion, fear, and uncertainty. What was she supposed to do now? She had trusted Caleb, believed in him, but if what Victor said was true, then she was nothing more than a pawn in a much larger game.
Elena shook her head, trying to clear the fog in her mind. She had to find Caleb. He was the only one who could explain what was going on, and if there was any chance of getting out of this alive, she needed to know the truth.
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Caleb's POV
Caleb crouched low in the trees, his eyes scanning the clearing below. He had been watching from the shadows ever since Elena had been left alone with Victor. His heart had pounded in his chest when he saw the stranger approach her, the danger in his every movement unmistakable.
He had never liked Victor. The man was a loose cannon, unpredictable, and ruthless. Caleb had always known that Ivanna's influence extended further than he could control, but seeing Victor here, so close to Elena, made his blood run cold.
He had to intervene.
Caleb knew Elena would be scared, confused, and vulnerable. She had no idea just how deep this world went, how the supernatural forces at play in Blackwood Hollow could tear everything apart. And now, it seemed, the stakes were higher than ever before.
He had to protect her.
Caleb moved swiftly, making no sound as he closed the distance between himself and the clearing. He wasn't sure what he was going to do when he got there, but he couldn't let Victor have her. Not like this.
He stepped into the clearing, his eyes immediately locking onto Elena, who was standing alone, her face pale and her body trembling. Her eyes flickered around, searching for something—or someone. Caleb's heart clenched. She was scared.
"Caleb!" she cried out when she saw him, her voice filled with relief.
He stepped closer, but he could see the confusion in her eyes, the questions that had been building since he'd left her alone. She wanted answers.
"What happened?" Caleb asked, trying to keep his voice calm, steady. He needed to keep her from panicking.
"Victor—he…" Elena trailed off, her eyes wide. She couldn't finish the sentence. Her hands were shaking.
Caleb took another step toward her, his mind racing with thoughts of what had just happened. "Did he hurt you?"
"No," Elena whispered. "He just… told me things. About Ivanna, about why she wants me." She looked up at him then, her eyes searching his face for something, anything that would give her the truth.
Caleb's stomach twisted, but he forced himself to stay composed. "Elena, you don't know the full story. And I promise you, I'll explain everything. But right now, we need to leave. It's not safe here. Not anymore."
"But Caleb—" Elena started, but he cut her off.
"No. Not now. We don't have time." Caleb's voice was hard now, the urgency he had been holding back clear in his tone. "We need to get out of here. I'll keep you safe, but only if you trust me."
Elena's face softened, the fear still present but now mixed with something else—acceptance, maybe even a bit of relief. She nodded slowly. "Okay. I trust you."
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