chapter 14: An Unwanted Disruption
1295 Words
An Unwanted Disruption
The breakfast table had been too peaceful.
Emma had just started to relax, her fork hovering over a piece of toast, when the air shifted.
A chilling presence swept through the room, and every nerve in Emma’s body tensed.
Adrian’s golden eyes lifted. He didn’t turn, didn’t even flinch—as if he had expected this.
Bella, oblivious, kept chewing. “So, Emma, tell me—”
SLAM.
The dining hall doors burst open.
Bella yelped, nearly spilling her tea, as a dark figure strode inside.
Victor.
His piercing red eyes locked onto Adrian, his usually composed expression twisted in frustration. “We have a problem.”
Emma’s stomach tightened.
Adrian leaned back in his chair, lazily picking up his coffee cup. “Do we?”
Victor’s jaw clenched. “Yes. A serious one.”
Adrian exhaled, setting his cup down. “You’re interrupting breakfast.”
Victor didn’t care. His gaze flickered to Emma before returning to Adrian. “They’ve found her.”
Emma’s breath caught. “Who?”
Victor didn’t look at her. “The ones hunting you.”
Bella blinked. “Wait… what?”
Adrian’s easy demeanor finally shifted, his fingers tapping against the table. “Where?”
Victor’s voice was grim. “Not far. And they’re moving fast.”
Emma’s pulse raced.
She barely understood who these people were, but the fear in Victor’s voice told her everything.
She was in danger. Again.
Adrian sighed, standing up. “Then I suppose breakfast is over.”
Bella frowned, looking between them. “Okay, can someone explain? Who’s after Emma?”
Victor ignored her, stepping closer to Adrian. “We need to move now.”
Emma stood too. “Move where?”
Adrian finally looked at her. “Somewhere they won’t find you.”
Emma stiffened. No.
She had just gotten a sense of normalcy back. She wasn’t about to be yanked away again.
“I’m not running.”
Victor’s eyes flashed. “This isn’t up for debate.”
“I don’t care.” Emma crossed her arms. “I deserve to know who these people are.”
Adrian’s gaze softened—just a little. “You do. But not now.”
Emma’s nails dug into her palms. “Then when?”
Adrian stepped closer, his hand brushing against her arm. The moment his skin touched hers, that strange warmth flooded her senses.
The bond.
That damn bond.
Adrian’s voice was quiet but firm. “Trust me.”
Emma hated how much she wanted to.
Victor sighed impatiently. “We don’t have time for this. Decide. Now.”
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Emma looked at Bella, who seemed utterly lost but concerned. She looked at Victor, whose impatience was growing. And then… she looked at Adrian.
Could she really trust him?
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The Hidden Fortress
Adrian didn’t hesitate. The moment Victor gave the warning, he was already moving. His fingers wrapped around Emma’s wrist, and before she could protest, a strange energy surged through her body.
The world shifted.
The dining hall vanished. In its place, darkness swallowed them whole. Emma barely had time to gasp before they reappeared somewhere new.
A massive structure loomed before her—a towering castle unlike anything she had ever seen. It wasn’t just built of stone; it pulsed with a strange energy, almost like it was alive. The walls shimmered in the dim light, swirling with ancient symbols that glowed faintly in the dark.
Emma stumbled, her heart racing. “Where… where are we?”
Adrian released her wrist, his golden eyes scanning the perimeter. “Somewhere they can’t follow.”
Victor appeared beside them in a blur of motion. His red eyes glowed with unreadable emotions as he looked at Emma. “This is The Hollow Keep. Only those with our blood can enter.”
Emma shuddered. “So… I’m trapped here?”
Adrian’s lips twitched in amusement. “Would you rather be out there? With them?”
Emma swallowed. He had a point.
Victor exhaled sharply. “We don’t have time for this. She needs to understand what’s happening.”
Adrian tilted his head. “Go on, then. Tell her.”
Victor’s gaze darkened as he turned to Emma. “The people after you… they’re not ordinary humans.”
Emma’s breath caught. “What do you mean?”
Victor folded his arms. “They are demon hunters. Trained to exterminate our kind.”
Emma’s head spun. “Hunters? Why would they be after me?”
Adrian sighed. “Because of what you are.”
Emma froze. “What I am?”
Victor exchanged a glance with Adrian before turning back to her. “You’re more than just a human, Emma.”
Her pulse pounded in her ears. “No. That’s impossible.”
Adrian stepped closer, his voice gentler now. “You’ve felt it, haven’t you? The bond between us. The way your body reacts to me.”
Emma took a step back. “That doesn’t mean I’m—”
Victor cut her off. “It does. And the hunters know it too. That’s why they won’t stop coming.”
Emma’s chest tightened. This couldn’t be real. She had spent her whole life believing she was just a normal girl. Now they were telling her she was something else?
Adrian watched her carefully. “The sooner you accept it, the better.”
Emma shook her head. “And if I don’t?”
Victor’s expression was grim. “Then they’ll kill you.”
Silence fell over them.
Emma felt like the floor had been ripped from beneath her. She was being hunted. She wasn’t human. And now, she was trapped in a castle with demons.
She didn’t know what was scarier—the truth, or the fact that a part of her wanted to believe it.
Emma and Bella refused to believe what they were hearing. The walls of the castle seemed to close in on them as their minds struggled to accept the truth. Emma grabbed Bella’s hand, her heart pounding. "We have to get out of here," she whispered.
They ran through the dimly lit corridors, their footsteps echoing. But before they could reach the doors, Adrian appeared before them, his eyes glowing with a mixture of amusement and frustration. "You can’t leave, Emma," he said, stepping closer. "Not until you understand."
"Understand what? That you’re some kind of monster?" Emma spat, pulling Bella behind her protectively.
Adrian exhaled slowly. "Not a monster, Emma. This is your world too."
Victor stepped forward from the shadows, his expression unreadable. "It’s time you learn the truth, Emma. About yourself. About your past."
Emma frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Victor’s lips curled into a smirk. "You don’t remember, do you? There’s something hidden deep inside you, something that has been asleep for years. It’s why they want you. Why you belong here."
Emma’s breath hitched. "You’re lying."
Victor chuckled darkly. "Am I?"
Adrian placed a hand on her arm, his touch sending a strange warmth through her. "Let me show you, Emma. Let me show you what you really are."
Bella, watching with wide eyes, stepped back. "Emma... maybe we should listen."
Emma shook her head. "No, Bella. You should go home. You don’t belong here."
Adrian nodded at Victor, who gestured with his hand. A swirling portal appeared before Bella. She gasped, feeling its pull.
"This will take you back," Adrian said gently. "Where you can be safe."
Bella hesitated, her gaze flickering between Emma and the portal. "I don’t want to leave you."
Emma forced a smile. "You have to. Please, Bella."
With one last glance at Emma, Bella stepped through the portal and vanished.
Now, Emma turned back to Adrian and Victor, her resolve hardening. "Fine. Show me."
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