Betrayal at Midnight
632 Words
The words clung to Emma’s thoughts long after they left the mystic’s tent.
Fate has bound you. The question is not if you trust each other… but when you betray each other.
She rushed through the market, desperate to shake off the haunting connection with William.
William trailed her like a shadow. “Slow down, little mouse. You’re making us look suspicious.”
“I don’t care.”
“You should. Half the people here would slit your throat for blinking the wrong way.”
“She spun around, furious. Why am I here?”
His jaw tightened, the first c***k in his perpetual smirk. “You think I wanted this?”
“You always want trouble.”
“Not this kind.”
His words ran true, but past betrayal made her wary.
Before she could retort, a familiar laugh laced through the crowd.
Sophia .
The fox-masked woman smirked.”You're braver than I thought, bringing her here.
Emma stiffened. “What do you mean her?”
“Don’t listen to her,” William said quickly, but Sophia ’s sly grin widened.
“Oh, he hasn’t told you?” she purred. “How delicious. Shall I?”
“Sophia ,” William warned, his voice low and dangerous.
Emma’s gut twisted. “Tell me what?”
The fox mask shimmered beneath the lantern's glow. “That argent blaze in the heavens? The hunters chasing you? They weren’t targeting just anybody, tiny ember . They were targeting you. And guess who guided them straight to you?”
Silence.
The big Market was super noisy - people were shouting, vendors were calling out to customers , chickens were clucking, and cars were honking. But suddenly, all that loud noise became like a quiet rumble in Emma's ears. It was like she put on big headphones and everything else became far away .
Emma turned her eyes to William. She was looking straight at him, and her heart started beating super fast ! It was pounding like a big drum in her chest - _boom boom boom_The reason was weird... and special. Her heart wasn’t just hers anymore. It was tied to William’s heart Like there was an invisible string connecting their two hearts. It felt like whatever he felt, she might feel too .. like they were connected inside.
Emma’s face might’ve gotten a little red - she was maybe feeling shy or excited because of this big connection. Do you want me to add anything else, or is this how you liked it?
He didn’t answer. Not at once.
“Emma,” he said finally, his tone grave. “It’s not what you think.”
Her chest hollowed. “So it’s true?”
He stepped closer, palms up. “I made a deal—months ago. I didn’t know it would be you they were hunting. I swear it.”
A deal. With them.
“She recalled the masked attackers, and the unsettling truth: William had dealing with them.”
Her stomach turned to ice.
“You betrayed me,” she whispered.
“I didn’t know!” His voice broke with rare desperation. “I would never—”
But she staggered back, away from his reach, away from his storm-gray eyes that burned with regret she couldn’t afford to believe.
The cord linking them thrummed intensely, tightening like a fibre strained to its limit. Flames danced at her fingertips, untamed and ferocious.
“You used to be my best friend,” she said, voice trembling. “And now all you are is a lie.”
William flinched. Actually flinched.
“Emma, please—”
She ran, desperate to escape the bond that bound her to William.
Because no matter how far she tried to run, his heartbeat thundered with hers.
Bound.
- Writer
