Chapter 5: Maya's POV
926 Words
"Open the door! We know Maya is inside!"
The voice echoed through the apartment once again.
My entire body froze.
Thomas immediately raised a finger to his lips, silently warning us not to make a sound.
No one spoke.
The room became so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat pounding inside my chest.
Lillian covered her mouth with trembling hands, trying her best not to cry.
Thomas slowly motioned for us to move away from the front door.
Carefully...
One step at a time...
We retreated into the bedroom.
The three of us sat beside the bed, listening to every sound coming from outside.
No one dared to breathe too loudly.
"Thomas..." Lillian whispered, her voice shaking. "What are we going to do now?"
Tears rolled freely down her cheeks.
"They're going to catch us."
"We're finished."
Thomas remained surprisingly calm.
He looked at both of us before speaking in a low voice.
"Lillian..."
"Crying won't help us right now."
"We need to stay calm."
"If we panic, we'll only make mistakes."
He took a slow breath before continuing.
"I promised I would protect Maya."
"And as long as I'm still standing here..."
"I'm going to protect both of you."
His confidence caught me by surprise.
For someone surrounded by danger...
He didn't look frightened.
He looked prepared.
I stared at him for a few seconds.
"If those people are really as dangerous as you said..."
My voice trembled.
"...then we're doomed."
Before anyone could answer—
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
The front door shook violently.
It sounded as though someone was trying to smash it down.
Dust fell from the top of the doorframe.
Lillian screamed softly and covered her ears.
That was the exact moment everything became real.
Thomas hadn't been lying.
Every warning...
Every strange message...
Every urgent instruction...
It had all been true.
I slowly looked up at him.
Fear filled my eyes.
"Thomas..."
My voice broke.
"Who are those people?"
Tears rolled down my cheeks before I could stop them.
Thomas gently reached over and wiped them away with the back of his hand.
His touch was surprisingly gentle.
"Don't be afraid, Maya."
"I'm here."
"I won't let anything happen to you."
There was something comforting about the way he said those words.
For the first time since meeting him...
I wanted to believe him.
"I'll explain everything," he continued.
"But not now."
"Right now..."
"We need to leave."
His eyes quickly searched the room.
"Is there another exit?"
"A back door?"
I nodded immediately.
"Yes."
"It's behind the kitchen."
A small look of relief crossed his face.
"Good."
He walked quietly toward the back of the apartment before peeking through a small opening beside the back door.
Several long seconds passed.
None of us spoke.
Finally...
He stepped back.
"The back is clear."
He lowered his voice.
"Lillian..."
"Stay close to Maya."
"And don't make any unnecessary noise."
Lillian swallowed nervously.
"What if they're waiting outside too?"
Thomas checked the area one last time before answering.
"They're all at the front."
"This is our only chance."
Without wasting another second...
We quietly picked up our bags.
Every footstep felt painfully loud.
My hands shook so badly that I almost dropped my backpack.
Slowly...
We slipped out through the back door while the people at the front continued trying to force their way inside.
The cool night air hit my face the moment we stepped outside.
We walked quickly through the narrow path behind the building.
Every sound made me jump.
Every shadow looked like someone waiting for us.
After a few minutes...
I suddenly stopped walking.
"Thomas..."
He turned around immediately.
"What is it?"
I looked at him.
There was something I needed to know.
"Why are you risking your life for me?"
For a brief moment...
He simply stared into my eyes.
There were so many emotions hidden behind his calm expression.
Regret.
Pain.
Determination.
But instead of answering...
He simply said,
"We have to keep moving."
Then he continued walking.
As I watched him from behind, guilt slowly crept into my heart.
Maybe...
I had judged him unfairly.
Maybe...
Everything he had done was truly meant to protect me.
For the first time...
I began to see a different side of Thomas.
Not the cold, dangerous young man everyone feared.
But someone carrying a heavy burden alone.
"Maya," Thomas called softly.
"Hurry."
"We don't have much time."
"The moment they discover we've escaped..."
"They'll come after us."
I nodded quickly and hurried after him.
For a brief moment...
Hope returned.
Maybe...
Just maybe...
We had escaped.
Then—
The screeching sound of tires shattered the silence.
A black SUV stopped directly in front of us.
The doors flew open.
Three men stepped out.
Their faces were hidden beneath dark caps.
The leader slowly smiled.
The kind of smile that sent chills down my spine.
Lillian grabbed my arm so tightly that it hurt.
"We're dead," she whispered.
The man looked directly at me.
"We've been looking for you for a very long time, Maya."
Without thinking...
Thomas immediately stepped in front of me, shielding me with his body.
His shoulders tensed.
His fists slowly clenched.
His eyes never left the three men.
Then, in a calm voice,
he spoke.
"I warned you."
"They were never going to stop chasing you."
The leader laughed.
"Oh..."
"We're not leaving without her."
For the first time...
I realized this wasn't just a misunderstanding.
Someone truly wanted me.
And whatever secret surrounded my past...
It was finally catching up with me.
- Writer
