MARA
It stopped inches from my bare feet as it rolled over the blood-stained floor, its dead eyes widened and accusing.
Around it, blood gathered and seeped into the floorboard cracks.
A choked scream clawed up my throat, and my heart began to beat rhythmically.
I felt like throwing up as the world began to spin around my eyes.
"Who...Who did this?" I spoke in a raspy mumble.
The answer emerged from the shadows like a storm gathering strength. He stepped forward, his presence commanding the room.
Despite the sharp features of a man who looked barely twenty, the depth in his cold eyes portrayed a soul burdened with years—sixty-five, maybe more.
His lithe movements were swift yet deliberate, a predator among prey.
Yet, I couldn’t see his face because the light was still on me.
