ARIA’S POV
I walked for about an hour and every step that I took felt like a repetition of the last. Same trees, same barren fields. The thought of being trapped only made the hairs on my skin stand abruptly, with shivers running down my spine.
He was right. I couldn’t leave without him.
The realization hit me in the bone marrow. What was it about this place that made it so impossible to leave? Or was I dead and stuck in some limbo? I wondered, with tears welling up in my eyes. I just wanted to get back home.
To the coffee shop. To Michael.
Suddenly, I heard the sounds of footsteps following behind me. I spun around, my heart racing in fear, but there was no one there. I quickly doubled my steps, my senses on alert.
And that was when I saw them. Three figures dressed in black, their
