Chapter 21: Lost In The Woods

Once she was sure the coast was clear, Rose got to work.

She pulled on a pair of jeans, a black hoodie she found in the walk-in closet, and her sneakers.

It wasn't exactly weather-appropriate—Lucifer seemed to enjoy keeping the mansion chilled—but it would help her blend in when she got outside.

The first challenge was slipping out of her room. Rose cracked the door open, glancing down the hallway.

Empty. Perfect. The marble floors were cool against her sneakers as she tiptoed toward the nearest staircase.

She'd memorized the layout of the mansion over the last few days, paying attention to exits and cameras.

The security was tight but not impossible.

Rose had spotted a small door near the east wing during one of her ventures to the garden.

It seemed like an emergency exit or a staff entrance—unused and likely unlocked. She reached the door without incident, her heart hammering as she tested the handle.

It turned.

A rush of cold evening air hit her face as she stepped outside.

The city lights glittered in the distance, a reminder that earth was still spinning despite the bizarre turn her life had taken.

Rose didn't have time to marvel. She darted toward the outer gate, keeping low behind the hedges.

The mansion's sprawling grounds were daunting, but she'd spotted a service road during her previous explorations. It was her ticket out.

She reached the gate, only to find it locked.

"Of course," Rose muttered under her breath, pulling at the heavy iron bars. They didn't budge.

She glanced around, her eyes falling on a nearby keypad. Great. An electronic lock. She stared at it, biting her lip.

Guessing wasn't an option, and breaking it seemed too risky.

Then, she remembered something—a small control box she'd seen near the back of the property during one of her garden strolls.

If it powered the gates, maybe she could cut the power.

Rose sprinted back toward the box, her breaths visible in the cold air.

When she found it, she yanked open the cover, revealing a tangle of wires.

"Okay, think," she muttered, her fingers trembling. "Red is bad, right? Or is it green?"

She chose the green wire, holding her breath as she yanked it free.

The gate creaked open in the distance.

Rose didn't waste a second. She bolted toward the opening, adrenaline pumping through her veins.

She didn't stop until she reached the service road, her feet pounding against the pavement.

When she finally slowed down, her lungs burning, she realized she was free. The mansion was nothing but a dark silhouette in the distance.

Rose pulled out the phone she'd stolen from one of the workers. She had no idea how long she had before Lucifer—or someone else—realized she was gone, but she wasn't going to waste her head start.

Her fingers hovered over the screen as she debated who to call. A friend? A cab? Did she even have anyone left?

Before she could decide, the wind picked up, sending a chill down her spine. For the first time since leaving, she allowed herself to exhale.

She was free. But for how long?

Not for long. Rose's heart dropped as she heard shouting behind her. The guards had realized she was gone.

How? She had made sure to tell them she wanted to rest and not to be disturbed. There was no way they should have checked on her so soon.

Panic set in as the voices grew louder. They were getting closer, and the sound of hurried footsteps on gravel echoed ominously.

Her first instinct was to run straight into the streets, but when she peeked out, she realized how open they were. She'd be caught in seconds if she chose that path.

Her eyes darted around frantically, searching for any alternative. That's when she spotted it—a narrow path leading into the woods nearby.

The woods.

Rose hesitated. She'd heard enough stories about rogue creatures, dangerous beasts, and unspeakable horrors lurking in places like that.

But what other choice did she have? If she stayed here, the guards would find her, and there was no telling what would happen if Lucifer learned she'd tried to escape.

"People get lucky, right?" she whispered to herself, her breath shaky.

Counting down in her head, she made her decision.

Three.

Two.

One.

Rose bolted for the woods, her sneakers crunching against the dry leaves and twigs as she slipped past the tree line.

The thick canopy above swallowed her in darkness, the faint light from the streetlamps behind her quickly fading.

She kept running, weaving through the trees as her lungs burned and her legs begged for a break. Her mind screamed at her to stop, to look back, but she couldn't.

The guards' voices grew fainter with each step until they were nothing but distant echoes.

Rose finally stopped running, her chest heaving as she leaned against a tree for support.

Her breath came out in sharp gasps, her lungs burning from the effort.

The woods were eerily silent around her, the kind of silence that pressed in on her ears and made her hyperaware of every sound she made.

She glanced around. Nothing but endless trees, their dark forms towering above her like silent sentinels.

The moonlight barely seeped through the thick canopy, casting shadows that seemed to shift and writhe with every movement.

She swallowed hard and decided to keep moving. Staying in one place felt too dangerous.

As she walked, the realization sank in—she was completely lost.

Every tree looked the same, every path she took winding her further into the labyrinth of the forest.

Desperation clawed at her as she pulled out the phone she'd stolen from one of the workers.

She fumbled with it, trying to find her bearings, but the screen mocked her with "No Signal."

"Useless," she muttered, her voice trembling.

A twig snapped behind her.

She froze. Her head whipped around so fast her neck ached, but there was nothing there. Just darkness and the faint rustle of leaves in the wind.

"Hello?" she called out, her voice shaky.

No response.

She turned back to the phone, trying to dismiss the sound as her imagination when she heard it again—another faint rustle, closer this time.

"Is someone there?" she demanded, her voice louder but still trembling.

Silence.

Her heart hammered against her ribs. The air around her felt heavier, colder, as if the woods themselves were closing in on her.

Another noise, this time directly behind her.

She spun around slowly, her fingers trembling as she gripped the phone like a weapon.

Her eyes darted around, trying to pierce the darkness, but all she could see were the shifting shadows.

And then she saw it.