I thought I knew terror—until the sky broke open and bled monsters.
The city—the world I knew—was gone, replaced by a nightmare I didn't understand.
People ran, their cries sharp and jagged as the shadow wolves tore through them like living darkness. Red smeared across broken pavement. Limbs crumpled where bodies once stood.
Above us, the luminous entity hovered, watching. An executioner. A god. Or something far worse.
Its voice echoed through the warped sky, cold and mechanical.
"If you want to survive, find the book. If you want to live, fight. Find your weapon. Find the book. And you might save yourself… or even your world."
Then, as if the very fabric of reality rejected its presence, the being flickered—glitched—before vanishing entirely.
"What the hell is going on?" Chase shouted, his usual coolness shattered by raw frustration. "The fuck was that thing talking about? What book? What weapon? There's nothing here!"
Another scream. This one—too close.
A shadow wolf lunged, its inky fangs sinking into a man's throat, tearing flesh apart like wet paper. The sound was sickening. I fought down the rising bile in my throat, but the nausea curled deep in my gut.
"Shit. This is madness," Chase ranted, hands clenched into fists.
"If you still have the energy to curse and complain, maybe you should focus on not dying first?" I shot back, pulse hammering.
"Oh, easy for you to say, Miss Icy—"
Before he could finish, Chase yanked me into his chest and spun us out of the way. A split second later, a streetlamp crashed down where we'd been standing, metal screeching against concrete.
For a moment, I just stared at it, mind blank with shock. That could've been us. We could've been crushed.
Chase exhaled sharply, his breath warm against my ear. "Hey, Miss Icy. You okay?" His voice was strained, and that's when I saw it.
Blood.
His sleeve darkened with blood, but he barely seemed to notice—until his hand twitched, a muscle in his jaw ticking from the pain.
"You're hurt," I whispered, stomach twisting.
Chase glanced at his arm like it was nothing more than an inconvenience. "This?" He grinned—cocky, reckless. "Barely a scratch."
But the grin didn't last. His expression darkened, and his hand tightened around my wrist.
"Can you walk?" His voice dropped lower. "Better question—can you run?"
I followed his gaze.
Two—no, an entire pack—of shadow wolves emerged from the ruined street, their eyes glowing with hunger. The wolves flowed forward, soundless, like oil slicks seeping through the cracks of the world.
My throat went dry.
I nodded. And then we ran.
Run, Ryleigh. Just run.
My legs burned, muscles screaming in protest, but fear drove me forward. Chase was beside me, his grip firm around my hand, yanking me along when I stumbled.
I didn't dare look back.
Our breaths came ragged, sharp against the unnatural silence creeping into the world. The streets twisted—buildings morphing into something ancient, something wrong. The city was unraveling, reshaping into a fairytale we weren't supposed to be part of.
Chase suddenly veered left, pulling me with him. Before I could react, we crashed into a thick patch of bushes. He clamped a hand over my mouth, his other arm bracing me against him.
I barely breathed.
The wolves were close—too close.
Their growls rumbled in the air, low and guttural. One of them stepped forward, inches from where we hid. Its jagged teeth glistened as it sniffed, scenting the air.
I squeezed my eyes shut. If it found us—
Then, miraculously, its ears twitched.
Somewhere in the distance, a scream echoed.
The wolf let out a bone-chilling howl before turning sharply. The entire pack followed, vanishing into the shadows.
I didn't move. I couldn't.
Chase's hand was still over my mouth, his body tensed against mine.
His breath ghosted against my temple. "You okay?" he murmured.
I didn't trust myself to speak, only nodded.
For the first time, I let myself feel it—the raw, suffocating reality pressing down on me.
This wasn't a nightmare. This wasn't some game.
The world had reset.
And we weren't just survivors—we were players in a game we didn't understand.
************************
Chase released my hand and slowly crawled out of the bush, scanning the area with sharp, cautious eyes. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly, and he turned back to me with a nod.
"All clear. Let's move."
I exhaled and followed, my body still trembling from the adrenaline. But just as I pushed myself up, something yanked me back.
Panic surged through me. Shit—
I scrambled, twisting frantically—only to realize my hair was caught in a tangle of branches.
Chase turned, his expression shifting from concern to barely contained amusement. His lips twitched. Oh no.
"Hey… hey… Miss Icy." His voice was drenched in laughter. "Relax. Let me help you."
I scowled. "Don't touch me. I can do it myself."
Ignoring him, I tugged at my hair—only to make it worse. The sharp pull at my scalp stung, and I hissed under my breath.
"Ow—damn it—"
Chase sighed, crouching down. "Ryleigh—"
"I said I got it!" I snapped, glaring up at him.
He held up his hands in surrender, but the smug grin never left his face. "Sure. But, you know, we don't exactly have all day. The wolves might come back. Just saying… we don't have the luxury of time."
I hesitated. My pride demanded I keep struggling, but the distant memory of those jagged teeth and glowing eyes told me otherwise.
I glanced up at him. He was still smirking—clearly enjoying this too much.
I clenched my jaw. "Fine. But just this once."
Chase chuckled, stepping closer. His fingers brushed against my hair, surprisingly gentle as he worked through the knots.
"You know," he mused, "you have really soft hair. It's a shame to let it get all tangled up like this."
I stiffened.
Then, before I could form a retort, he added with a wink, "And for the record—I've always had a thing for blondes."
I shot him a murderous glare.
He just grinned wider.
*****************
We moved cautiously, every step crunching against the forest floor. The world we once knew—glass towers, neon lights, the hum of the city—was gone. In its place stood an ancient woodland, dense and wild, untouched by modern civilization. No roads. No buildings. Just endless trees stretching toward a twilight sky.
Chase kept talking.
I ignored him. Mostly.
"Why do you think this happened?" he mused. "And what the hell did that thing mean about fixing a fairy tale? I mean, I'm not exactly a book guy, but if we were in a comic—totally different story—"
"Can you shut up?" I snapped, rubbing my temples. "I'm trying to think. Your rambling is a distraction."
He blinked, then clutched his chest dramatically. "Ouch. Miss Icy has officially upgraded to Miss Grumpy."
I shot him a glare.
He's so immature.
Ignore him, Ryleigh. Just figure out how to survive this mess.
For a moment, it seemed to work. The silence stretched.
Then—Chase stopped.
I didn't notice at first and nearly kept walking, but his hand shot out, grabbing my arm.
Annoyed, I turned on him. "What the hell—"
He pressed a finger to his lips, his entire body tense.
The air shifted.
A cold chill ran down my spine.
Wolves?
No. Something else.
Chase pulled me toward a thick shrub, guiding me down beside him. I didn't resist—not because I trusted him, but because the look in his eyes made my stomach clench.
Something was out there.
Hidden among the foliage, I finally saw what had caught his attention.
Beyond the trees, a group of silver-armored soldiers marched in formation, their polished helmets gleaming under the dying light. They weren't alone.
A steel cage sat at the center of the clearing—filled with people.
My breath hitched.
They weren't just any people. They looked… like us.
Some wore business suits, others waiter uniforms. A few were dressed in private school blazers, their ties loosened like they had been caught mid-day. One man—a police officer—stood rigid, his holster empty. His gun was gone.
They had been captured.
My pulse pounded in my ears.
One of the soldiers stepped forward, addressing a figure clad in a more ornate set of armor—their captain.
"This is all we've found so far, sir. The rest are still being hunted down."
The captain gave a satisfied nod. "Good. Queen Cinderella will be pleased to know we've secured enough slaves."
Chase exhaled slowly beside me. "Well… that's new."
I didn't respond. I couldn't.
Because in that moment, one terrifying realization settled over me.
We were really trapped in a fairy tale.