The night was cold, like the sharp edge of an ice blade.
Cecilia ran desperately through the palace garden, her breath ragged and shallow. Behind her, the footsteps of her pursuers echoed like an unrelenting shadow, and the suffocating pressure of Cassiel's presence pressed down on her from all sides. She dared not look back. She couldn't stop. All she could do was run, run for her life, as though her only hope of escaping the endless darkness and terror was to keep moving forward.
She didn't know how long she had been running, or where she was even going. Her legs had gone numb, and her lungs felt as though they might explode with every painful gasp. Each step was like walking on the edge of a blade, but still, she couldn't afford to stop. She couldn't afford to be caught. She hated the prison that had become her world—a place where she was trapped, bound by Cassiel's unyielding control.
If they caught her, she would lose everything: her freedom, her life. She would become nothing more than Cassiel's plaything, forever.
Her desperate will to survive kept her moving, stumbling through the blackness.
Suddenly, something tripped her up. Her balance was lost, and she tumbled to the ground with a painful thud.
"Ahh—" A cry of pain escaped her as her knees and elbows slammed against the hard ground, sending waves of agony through her limbs.
Cecilia struggled to push herself up, but her body refused to obey. She was utterly exhausted, too weak to continue. She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable. For the moment when she would finally be caught and her fate sealed.
"Miss Cecilia!"
A familiar voice called out to her from the darkness, making her heart skip a beat.
Her eyes flew open in shock, and there, standing before her, was Raven. He was alive.
"Raven… you… how are you…" Cecilia gasped, her voice barely a whisper, astonished. She remembered how he had been injured, how he had fought to cover her escape. How was he here now?
"I'm fine." Raven shook his head and quickly helped her to her feet, his face pale and streaked with exhaustion. "We don't have much time. We have to move."
He supported Cecilia as they began to run once more, but Cecilia's eyes couldn't leave him.
"You're hurt…" she said, her voice trembling with concern, her gaze fixed on his pale face.
"It's just a scratch. Nothing serious." Raven reassured her, though his voice betrayed a hint of pain. "As long as I can get you out of here safely, that's all that matters."
Her heart swelled with emotion. She knew the sacrifice Raven had made for her, how much he had suffered in order to protect her.
"Thank you," she whispered softly.
"Don't say that." Raven glanced at her with a slight smile. "We're friends, aren't we?"
Cecilia nodded, tears welling up in her eyes again. The bond between them was stronger than words could describe.
Together, they stumbled through the darkness, struggling against their exhaustion. The minutes felt like hours, and they had no idea how long they had been running, but eventually, they reached a high wall.
"If we can get over this wall, we'll be out of the palace," Raven said. "I'll get you to a safe place."
Cecilia nodded, ready to scale the wall, but just as she moved to climb, a cold voice rang out from behind them.
"You think you can escape?"
Both Cecilia and Raven froze at the sound. Slowly, they turned around to face the voice. Standing before them was Cassiel, his expression a mix of amusement and menace, his eyes cold with lethal intent.
Behind him, a group of vampire guards surrounded them, cutting off any escape.
Cecilia's heart sank to the pit of her stomach. She knew, deep down, that this time, there was no way out.
"Cecilia, come back to me," Cassiel said slowly, his voice laced with a dangerous temptation. "I can forgive everything."
Cecilia stared at him, her eyes burning with a mixture of anger and despair.
"I will never come back to you!" she shouted defiantly. "I'd rather die than be your plaything!"
"Is that so?" Cassiel's gaze grew colder still. "If you wish to die, then I'll grant you your wish."
He began to approach her, his steps deliberate, ready to take her back.
"Don't touch her!" Raven stepped in front of Cecilia, positioning himself between her and Cassiel, ready to defend her.
"Get out of my way!" Cassiel snarled, his fury boiling over. With a single swipe of his hand, he knocked Raven aside.
Raven crashed to the ground, blood spattering from his mouth as he hit the cold earth.
"Raven!" Cecilia cried out, horrified, as she reached for him, but before she could get close, Cassiel seized her by the wrist.
"Cecilia, you can't escape," Cassiel said, his voice a chilling promise as he yanked her into his embrace. "You are mine, and you always will be."
His arms were like an iron cage, cold and unyielding, locking her in with no way out.
Cecilia struggled against him, but her strength was no match for his. The more she fought, the more hopeless it seemed.
Her heart sank, and with each passing second, she felt the crushing weight of despair settle in. She had no choice now but to surrender to her fate, to the torment that awaited her in Cassiel's arms.
"Let go of me…" she whispered, her voice barely audible, weak with helplessness. "Please, let me go…"
Her voice faltered, fading into the sound of Cassiel's low growl.
Cassiel didn't answer. Instead, he turned and began to walk away, pulling Cecilia along with him.
As they disappeared into the darkness, Raven was left behind, lying on the cold ground, alone and helpless, his body shaking with pain. His sobs echoed through the night, a mournful sound in the empty silence.