Chapter 3 – The Chase
208 Words
Chapter 3 – The Chase
Kael’s breath quickened. The man in black stepped forward, parting the crowd without a word. People moved aside, almost as if they felt the darkness around him. Kael clutched the wrapped brush tighter and bolted.
He sprinted through the market, weaving between stalls of fruit and pottery. Angry shouts followed as baskets spilled and jars shattered. Behind him, Kael heard steady footsteps—calm, unhurried, yet impossibly close. The man wasn’t running, but somehow he was always right there.
Kael ducked into an alley, his heart pounding like a drum. He ripped the cloth away from the brush and, in desperation, painted a quick door on the wall. To his shock, the stone shimmered and opened into a glowing passage. Without thinking, he dove inside.
The door sealed shut behind him. Kael tumbled onto soft grass, blinking in confusion. The air was fresh, the sky filled with strange stars he had never seen. He was no longer in Lumina.
But before relief could settle, a voice echoed through the glowing meadow:
“You can run, Painter,” it said, deep and cold, “but the brush belongs to me.”
The man in black had followed him—even into this painted world.
- Writer
