Chapter 16

I prayed desperately that I could slip away unnoticed or, at the very least, that the chaos of their fight would keep them distracted long enough for me to escape. I didn’t know where I was going—only that I needed to find a vantage point where I could see something, anything. My feet moved instinctively, carrying me toward the backstage area where a faint light glimmered in the distance. The source turned out to be a small, battery-operated LED lamp, its weak glow far better than the suffocating darkness surrounding me.

The backstage area was empty, to my immense relief. I exhaled shakily, my eyes darting around for an escape route. I needed to get to the basement—the girls were trapped somewhere behind a thick metal door. Every second counted. My gaze landed on a narrow, wooden staircase tucked into the corner. Without hesitation, I bolted toward it, heart pounding, praying it would lead me where I needed to go.

The stairs creaked beneath my weight, each step echoing ominously in the silence. Finally, I reached the basement corridor. Despite the power outage above, an emergency light bathed the space in a crimson glow, casting long, eerie shadows. I blinked rapidly, forcing my eyes to adjust. The silence pressed heavily on me, broken only by the sound of my own footsteps. I stopped, holding my breath, straining to hear any sign of pursuit. The absence of sound should have reassured me, but instead, it felt like a warning.

Pushing forward, I found myself facing a massive door. Its appearance tugged at a distant memory, but I couldn’t place it. I nudged it open slightly and peered through the gap. Nothing moved inside. Gathering my courage, I stepped in, the faint light revealing the room filled with cages.

But the cages were empty.

The realization hit me like a blow. The girls had been moved—taken elsewhere. My eyes darted around the room. No guards. No signs of life. My chest tightened as panic threatened to take hold. Forcing myself to stay calm, I approached the imposing metal door at the back of the room. My senses sharpened, every nerve on edge, as I strained to pick up any sound.

Nothing.

I swallowed hard, each step toward the door feeling heavier than the last. My mind raced. Could they have already taken Amara and the others? The thought tightened its grip on my chest, sending a chill down my spine.

Just as my hand closed around the door handle, distant voices echoed from the corridor behind me. Footsteps—several of them—were growing louder. Panic flared. I had no time to waste.

I pressed the handle and pushed the door open.

A wave of warm, sticky blood rushed over my feet, the metallic tang of it filling the air. My breath hitched as my body froze. Trembling, I raised my eyes to the scene before me.

It was a nightmare brought to life.

“No… no… no…” The words fell from my lips in a broken whisper, my voice cracking under the weight of sheer horror.

Tears blurred my vision, but they couldn’t hide the massacre before me. The room was filled with the bodies of the girls I had come to save—mangled and torn apart, their blood pooling on the floor.

I couldn’t look away, my mind desperately trying to reject the reality before me. I blinked rapidly, hoping the scene would vanish, but it remained. My knees buckled, and I staggered forward, each step dragging me deeper into the river of blood.

Their bodies were savaged, flesh shredded as though wild beasts had torn into them. My stomach churned as I stumbled toward a figure in the corner.

Amara.

She lay crumpled on the floor, her lifeless eyes staring into nothing. Her neck was torn open, the skin stripped away as if something had bitten her savagely. A guttural sob erupted from me as I collapsed beside her. My trembling hands reached out to gently close her unseeing eyes.

“How could this happen?” I whispered through my tears. “How could anyone do this…?”

The sound of the door creaking open snapped me out of my grief. Someone was here. My sobs must have given me away.

I turned slowly, tears streaming down my face, to see a man standing in the doorway. His brown hair was matted, and his clothes were soaked in blood. A mask covered half of his face, but his wicked smile was unmistakable.

“Were these your friends, Ms. Halloway?” he asked, his tone mocking. “If so, my condolences.”

“W-who are you?” I stammered, my voice shaking.

The man removed his mask with a dramatic flair, revealing a face that sent a jolt of recognition through me. My blood turned to ice.

“Mr... Larkspur?”

He chuckled, his grin widening. “Ah, I’m glad you remember me! It saves me the trouble of introductions.” He stepped into the room, unbothered by the blood soaking the floor. “You see, Ms. Halloway, my Master has taken quite the interest in you. He was willing to pay handsomely to ensure you joined him.”

“I’m not some object to be bought!” I spat, rage momentarily overpowering my fear. “And neither were they!” My hand gestured to the bodies surrounding us as fresh tears streaked my cheeks.

Mr. Larkspur let out a dark laugh, his eyes glinting with malice. “Then let me make this simple for you.” He closed the distance between us, leaning in until his face was mere inches from mine.

“You can leave your dead friends behind and come with me,” he whispered, his voice dripping with menace. “Or I can make sure you join them.”