Page 83 of Presence

“Four…”

My vision is swimming. I turn a corner and find myself in a narrow corridor, the walls closing in around me. The air is thick with the smell of damp earth and the metallic tang of my own blood. Or maybe it’s the blood that’s seeped into this place, forever mingling with the rocks.

“Six...”

Panic surges through me. I can hear his footsteps now, echoing through the maze, getting closer with each passing second. He shouldn’t be chasing me. I still should have time. But of course, he’s chasing me before that. Of-fucking-course.

I push forward, my fingers trailing along the walls, trying to find any semblance of direction in the darkness.

“Seven...”

I stumble again, my knees hitting the ground hard. The pain is sharp and immediate, but I force myself to stand, to keep moving. The sound of Echo’s voice is closer now, a sinister whisper carried on the cold air.

“Eight…”

The pain becomes too much. I stop in the middle of some corridor that I lost track of. I don’t know where I am. Even if I wanted to go back to the cavern, I wouldn’t know how. The maze reeked of blood from the start. Now, it’s all I can feel.

“Nine…”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. The pain shoots through me, but it’s not the only thing I feel. Fear, confusion… Excitement. I feel tingling at the tips of my fingers.

“Ten…”

This run was futile from the very beginning. I knew Echo would find me. He would always find me. I dread it… But I also made peace with it. Also… I think I want it.

“Ready or not, here I come, my Little Soul.” His voice sounds out all around me. It’s like he’s the darkness itself. Every nook, every cranny, every sharp edge of the maze seems to pulse with his presence. I can feel him in the air I breathe, in the blood coursing through my veins. He’s everywhere, inside and out.

I stand there, trembling, my breath shallow and quick, thanks to this suffocating corset. Each attempt to draw a full breath is futile. So, I wait, heart pounding, for him.

Time seems to stretch on endlessly as I wait, the silence of the maze broken only by the sound of my own pitiful breathing. I can feel him getting closer. He feels just like in the real world, just like that silent companion, my only constant before I understood what he truly was. A demon, not a friend. A monster, not a silent observer.

But now, it’s time for me to make peace with myself.

I like it. I’ve always liked it.

The way he torments me.

How I’m never truly alone.

His constant hunger for me.

I hear him again. His footsteps are nearly silent, a gentle whisper against the stone floor. But I can feel it—he’s close, so very close.

“Clarity,” he calls out, his tone gentle but carrying an edge to it. “I can sense you standing still. Good girls join the games, they don’t sabotage them.”

I press myself against the wall, my body trembling. I can’t keep running. A part of me yearns to step out, to confront him. The darkness, the fear, the thrill—they all lure me in, like a siren’s call I can’t resist.

“I don’t like this game anymore,” I say softly. My pulse quickens, a wild, frantic rhythm that matches the erratic beat of my heart. There’s a moment of silence that stretches on, long and suffocating. Then, a low growl reverberates through the maze. It’s meant for me. I caused that growl.

“You will do what I say.” His voice is now a deep, guttural snarl. “You belong to me.”

I press harder against the wall, my hands clutching at the cold, rough stone. My mind’s racing, torn between wanting to run and this weird, magnetic pull of the darkness that draws me to him.

“If I belong to you,” I whisper, “then come take me.”

Sometimes, courage is just another name for stupidity. Both of them come out of nowhere. Both of them carry risks. Frankly, I’ve stopped caring about either one.

The air grows colder. Even the thick white dress and corset don’t do much to shield me from it. I sense him, so close I can almost feel his presence just inches away. Suddenly, his breath sears against my neck, sending a shiver down my spine.

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