Elias's heart pounded as Alexander stalked closer, voice silky, unhinged.
> "You want to know why it was Jamie? Because he looked like you. That sweet little face, the fear in his eyes. But it was never enough. Because he wasn't you, Elias."
As Alexander reached for the drawer again, Elias's instincts screamed. His eyes darted to the door. Unshackled. The rope had loosened just enough—
He bolted.
The chair crashed behind him as he sprinted down the dim hallway, bare feet slapping the concrete, lungs burning.
Behind him, a twisted laugh rang out.
"Ooooh, you're running? We're playing hide and seek now? I love that game!"
Elias ducked into another room, heart hammering. Darkness. Shelves. Storage. He squeezed behind metal racks.
Footsteps. Slow. Heavy. Confident.
"Come on, Elias… you don't think I know where you are?"
"I've watched you walk your campus route three hundred and twelve times. I know the way you breathe when you're scared. So predictable. So... mine."
A flashlight beam swept across the door.
Elias covered his mouth, tears of sheer terror blurring his vision. The footsteps stopped just outside the room.
"Let's count again? I'm being generous because it's you and I love you, Elias. What's that boring ex-detective name?, he was always around. It made me so angry, I killed Jamie because I was angry you already had him around. I waited for the perfect time, I hope he doesn't show up and ruin our wedding party for us. I should have gotten rings but I was in an hurry and so excited to see you,my love. I would count again"
"Ten… nine… eight…"
The light clicked off.
"Run again, Elias."
"You make it fun and this is so much better than I imagined."
POV: Damien
Damien's fists clenched tighter around the steering wheel. His knuckles were bone-white, his jaw set so tightly it ached. The GPS blinked silently on the dashboard, but he didn't need it. Not anymore. His instincts screamed louder than satellites.
He should have never let Elias investigate alone. He should've known the moment Alexander Musk's name surfaced, something unhinged would follow.
The boy had always given him a bad feeling.
A ringing phone snapped him from his spiral. It was one of his underground contacts — a tracker who owed him a favor.
"You were right," the voice said without preamble. "A blacked-out van left the university perimeter fifteen minutes ago. Traffic cams caught a glimpse. Destination is an abandoned vineyard just outside town."
Damien's foot slammed the accelerator, the engine growling beneath him like a beast unleashed.
He wouldn't let Elias die. Not again. Not like Noah.
POV: Elias
His legs ached. His chest heaved with panicked breaths, blood dripping from his side where Alexander had slashed him moments before.
The hallways of the decrepit manor twisted and bent, like something out of a nightmare. The red curtains hanging from the ceiling whipped as he stumbled past, and somewhere in the dark, he heard a soft, melodic laugh.
"You're doing so well, little lamb."
Elias bit back a sob and turned another corner. He tried a door — locked. Another — empty.
He pressed himself against the wall, forcing himself to breathe quietly. His heart was thunder in his ears.
Footsteps.
Slow. Deliberate.
Alexander's voice drifted through the hallway, soft and childlike:
"My father used to do this too, you know. Lock me in the cellar. I cried until I passed out. Mommy always said it would pass, but it didn't. She died, and he started calling me her name when he hit me."
A pause. Another giggle.
"You remind me of her, Elias. Beautiful. Fragile. Mine."
Elias took off again, tripping over torn carpet and splintered furniture. His limbs were leaden, every nerve screaming. Blood loss was slowing him down.
He reached a stairwell and limped down, each step jarring his wounds. At the base, a broken wine cellar door gaped open. He darted in, barely avoiding a swinging chain.
"You shouldn't have run."
Alexander was behind him now — fast and grinning. He struck, and Elias ducked. Not fast enough. The blade grazed his shoulder, then his side. Pain tore through him.
"You were supposed to stay pretty for me. But I guess I can paint you red instead."
Elias screamed as he shoved a crate at him, scrambling into the shadows, ducking low. He knew he couldn't outrun Alexander. But maybe he could hide. Maybe…
POV: Damien
The old vineyard loomed ahead, dead trees bowing in the moonlight. Damien jumped from the car before it stopped fully, his gun already drawn.
He could feel it — Elias's pain, his terror. The connection between them wasn't just emotional now. It was primal.
He kicked in the rusted front doors. Silence greeted him. Then — the faint sound of laughter.
His blood went cold.
He ran.
In the wine cellar, Elias crouched behind barrels, barely breathing. Blood soaked his shirt, sticking it to his skin.
Alexander paced nearby, dragging the tip of the knife along the stone wall.
"I always wanted to make someone stay. Forever. No running. No lies. Just me and you, Elias."
Suddenly, Elias lunged out with a piece of broken wood, slamming it into Alexander's side.
Alexander howled — not in pain, but in delight.
"YES! FIGHT BACK! MAKE IT FUN!"
As Elias bolted for the stairs, Alexander gave chase.
Up above, Damien heard the scream — and ran straight toward it.