Love At First Death

The muffled roar from below sent a shiver down Elysia's spine. The vibrations of the creature's rage reverberated through the stone walls of the castle. Markus tightened his grip on the iron bolt he'd used to secure the hidden door, his face grim.

"That should hold it," he said, though his tone lacked conviction.

Lucian leaned against the wall, smirking. "You know it won't."

Elysia's heart pounded as she glanced between them. "Why do I feel like you two are way too calm about a monster clawing its way up here?"

Lucian shrugged. "Because panicking isn't my style."

The roar grew louder, followed by the unmistakable sound of splintering wood and twisting metal. Markus cursed under his breath. "It's breaking through. We need to move."

Elysia's stomach dropped. "Move where?"

"To the forest," Markus said, already motioning for her to follow. "There's a path out back. It's the safest route for now."

"Safe?" Lucian scoffed. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

The sound of heavy footsteps climbing the staircase sent a jolt of adrenaline through Elysia. Markus grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward the nearest corridor. "No time for questions– just run!"

They dashed through the castle's winding hallways, the echo of the creature's pursuit growing closer with every step. Elysia's mind raced as fast as her feet. How had her life spiraled into this nightmare? One moment, she'd been trying to piece together her new reality; the next, she was fleeing from a literal monster.

They burst through a side door into the castle's overgrown courtyard. The cool night air hit Elysia's face like a slap, and the dense forest loomed just beyond the crumbling stone walls.

Lucian was the last to exit, slamming the door behind him. "Well, that'll buy us about ten seconds."

Markus ignored him, leading them toward a hidden gate in the wall. "Stay close and keep quiet."

Elysia glanced over her shoulder, her breath hitching when she saw the door bulge outward under the force of the creature's blows. "Quiet isn't going to save us if that thing gets through!"

As if on cue, the door shattered, and the creature emerged– a hulking mass of claws and sinewy darkness. Its glowing red eyes locked onto Elysia, and it let out a bone-chilling roar.

"Run!" Markus shouted.

They sprinted through the gate and into the forest. The dense trees offered some cover, but the creature was relentless, crashing through the underbrush with terrifying speed.

Lucian, somehow keeping pace while still looking infuriatingly amused, glanced at Markus. "Any bright ideas, or are we just running until we drop?"

"Keep running!" Markus snapped, his usual calm demeanor replaced with urgency.

Elysia's lungs burned as she pushed herself to keep up. "You two are awfully good at dodging questions!"

The creature let out another roar, closer this time. Elysia risked a glance back and immediately regretted it. The thing was gaining on them, its massive form illuminated by the pale moonlight filtering through the trees.

Markus suddenly veered left, leading them down a narrow path that twisted and turned like a maze. "This way!"

Elysia followed, her legs trembling with exhaustion. She could hear the creature smashing through the trees behind them, but Markus's route seemed to be slowing it down.

After what felt like an eternity, they burst into a small clearing. In the center stood an ancient stone structure, overgrown with moss and vines.

"Here!" Markus said, ushering Elysia inside.

Lucian lingered at the edge of the clearing, his eyes on the path they'd just come from. "You sure this is the best idea, Markus? Feels a bit… trap-like."

Markus shot him a glare. "Just get inside!"

Lucian sighed dramatically but complied, slipping into the structure just as the creature crashed into the clearing.

Inside, the air was damp and musty, the walls covered in strange carvings that glowed faintly in the darkness. Markus pulled Elysia further in, his expression unreadable.

The creature circled the structure, its guttural growls echoing ominously. It clawed at the entrance, but the glowing carvings seemed to repel it.

Elysia leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. "What… what is this place?"

"A sanctuary," Markus said, his voice low. "For now."

Lucian sat on a nearby stone, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "You're lucky this worked, Markus. Otherwise, we'd be monster chow by now."

Markus ignored him, his attention on Elysia. "Are you okay?"

She nodded weakly, still trying to process everything.

Lucian chuckled. "She's fine. Stubborn people are hard to kill."

Elysia glared at him, but her exhaustion won out.

The creature let out a frustrated roar from outside, but it didn't seem able to enter.

Markus sat down across from her, his face shadowed but calm. "We'll rest here for a while. Then we'll figure out our next move."

Elysia wanted to demand answers, to scream at them for dragging her into this insanity. But for now, all she could do was lean back against the cold stone wall and try to catch her breath.

The monster outside let out one last, angry growl before retreating into the forest, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.