The Hunted

Chapter 6

The narrow alley stretched on like an endless tunnel as Evelyn, Seraphine, and Marcus sprinted, their hurried footsteps echoing sharply off the damp brick walls. Behind them, the creature's guttural growl cut through the darkness, the sound growing louder with each passing second. Evelyn risked a glance over her shoulder, and her heart lurched. The monstrous silhouette was gaining on them, its glowing eyes locked on Marcus like a predator hunting its prey.

They couldn't outrun it much longer.

"Seraphine!" Evelyn gasped, her breath ragged, lungs burning with each step. "We need a plan!"

Seraphine's eyes darted ahead, assessing their options in an instant. Just as the alley twisted sharply to the left, she grabbed Evelyn's arm, pulling her sharply around the corner. Marcus stumbled, barely managing to keep his balance, his breaths coming out in desperate, shallow bursts. His face was pale with fear, his body struggling to keep up.

They burst into a narrow side street, and Seraphine's eyes locked onto a rusted metal door, slightly ajar. Without hesitation, she shoved Marcus toward it.

"In there!" she ordered, voice tense but steady.

Marcus reached the door first, his trembling hands pushing it open with a loud creak. They slipped inside, Evelyn slamming the door shut behind them. The metallic clang echoed through the darkness, and she leaned heavily against the door, trying to catch her breath.

The room they'd entered was pitch black, except for a faint sliver of light seeping through a crack near the ceiling. Seraphine quickly dragged a heavy crate in front of the door, trying to brace it against whatever was outside. For a brief moment, the only sound was their frantic breathing.

Evelyn's hands trembled slightly as she turned to look at Marcus, who had collapsed against the wall, his chest heaving as he tried to steady his breath. His eyes were wide, his face frozen in terror. She knelt down beside him, her voice soft despite the panic she felt.

"You okay?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

Marcus nodded weakly, though his eyes remained haunted. "What… what was that thing?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Seraphine's frown deepened as she stood by the door, listening intently for any sounds outside. "That wasn't a shadow creature," she said, her voice tight with concern. "It's something worse—a guardian. They're sent by someone, and they're far more dangerous."

Evelyn's eyes narrowed, processing this new information. "A guardian? So, someone's controlling it?"

Seraphine nodded grimly. "Exactly. Shadow creatures are chaotic, drawn by disrupted magic. But guardians—they're sent with purpose. They hunt, and right now, we are the prey."

A cold chill spread through Evelyn's chest. It was bad enough dealing with wraiths, but now something much deadlier was after them. She knelt beside Marcus, her voice firm but reassuring. "We're going to get through this. We just need to stay calm and think."

Marcus swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "I don't know anything about this world. I'm just… a regular guy. I work security, that's it. Long shifts, empty buildings, nothing out of the ordinary. Now I'm running from monsters." He shook his head, eyes wide. "How am I supposed to deal with this?"

Evelyn gave him a small, encouraging smile, even though fear gnawed at her as well. "Maybe you found that coin for a reason. There's something important about you, even if you don't see it yet."

Seraphine moved to the small, dirty window, peering through the narrow crack. "We can't stay here," she muttered. "If the guardian finds us, this door won't hold for long. We need to get somewhere safer, and we need to contact the Council for backup."

Evelyn joined her by the window, squinting through the grime. The street outside was still and silent, bathed in the faint, flickering glow of a distant streetlamp. Nothing moved, but the danger felt close—too close. She turned to Marcus, her tone serious but calm.

"Do you know anywhere nearby where we can hide? Somewhere out of sight?"

Marcus blinked, struggling to focus. "I… I might. My friend Jake has a workshop in the industrial district. It's hidden between some old warehouses. No one goes there."

Seraphine and Evelyn exchanged a glance, the unspoken decision passing between them. "That could work," Seraphine said, nodding. "If it's off the radar, it'll buy us some time." She motioned for Marcus to stand. "Lead the way. We can't waste any more time."

Marcus nodded, though his legs wobbled as he pushed himself to his feet. Evelyn steadied him, guiding him toward the back of the room where another door led into a different alley. Seraphine cautiously checked the street ahead, then gestured for them to follow.

They moved quickly but quietly through the maze of back alleys in Grimvale, the silence around them unnerving. The industrial district wasn't far—just a few blocks—but every step felt like it stretched into eternity. The wind carried the scent of rust and oil, and the looming shadows of abandoned factories towered overhead, casting long, menacing silhouettes.

Finally, they reached the workshop—a small, rundown building nestled between two massive, forgotten warehouses. Marcus moved to the side door, pushing it open with a loud creak. Inside, the space was cluttered with dusty machinery and half-finished projects. The air smelled stale and thick with disuse.

Evelyn helped Marcus inside as Seraphine secured the door behind them, wedging a piece of metal under the handle for extra measure.

Marcus sank down onto an old workbench, his hands still shaking uncontrollably. His voice was thick with confusion and fear. "What is all this? Why are they after me?"

Evelyn looked at Seraphine, her tone edged with frustration. "We need answers. The coin, the guardian—someone is going through a lot of trouble to get to Marcus."

Seraphine studied the coin in her hand, her eyes tracing the strange symbols etched into its surface. "This is more than just an old trinket," she said quietly. "It's connected to something ancient, something powerful." She turned to Marcus, her expression unreadable. "You said you found it in an alley near your work?"

Marcus nodded, his brow furrowed. "Yeah. It was just lying there, like someone had dropped it. I didn't think much of it."

Seraphine's frown deepened, her gaze growing distant. "It wasn't dropped by accident. It was placed there—for you. Whoever is behind this wanted you to find it."

Evelyn's eyes widened as the realization struck. "This was a setup," she said, her voice low. "They wanted Marcus involved from the start."

Seraphine nodded slowly. "Exactly. Now we need to figure out why." She turned back to Marcus, her voice calm but urgent. "Do you remember anything unusual from that day? Anyone watching you?"

Marcus frowned, searching his memory. "There was a guy… just standing there, watching me. I thought he was just some random person, but now that I think about it, he seemed… off."

Seraphine's eyes sharpened. "What did he look like?"

Marcus shook his head. "I didn't get a good look. He had a hood up. But he wasn't moving, just watching."

Evelyn and Seraphine exchanged a glance, both realizing how important this detail might be. "We need to find him," Evelyn said, her voice firm. "Whoever he is, he knows more than we do."

Marcus hesitated, but then nodded. "I might recognize him if I see him again."

Before they could say more, a low thud echoed from outside, followed by the scrape of something heavy dragging across the metal walls. They froze, the weight of the moment hanging heavy in the air.

"They've found us," Seraphine whispered, her eyes narrowing as she turned toward the door.

Evelyn's hand instinctively went to her gun, her heart pounding in her chest. The guardian was here.

Seraphine pulled a glowing crystal from her pocket and activated it, sending out an emergency signal to the Council. "Reinforcements will come," she said quietly, "but we need to hold out until then."

Evelyn's grip tightened on her weapon as she exchanged a determined look with Seraphine. The time for running was over. Now, they would have to stand and fight.