Chapter 5 THE SHADOWS CLOSE IN

Ophelia's mind raced as she tried to understand what Ryker and Astrid were planning on doing. She knew she had to act fast and he was already calculating the distance from where she was to where the sword lay under a pile of wood.

Her body felt extremely heavy and weak,almost like she was immobile and trapped in a nightmare.

"You see,Ophelia," Ryker continued,his voice dripping with malice and hatred.

"You're going to help us complete our plan,Ophelia. And if you don't... Well, let's just say we have ways of persuading you." Astrid interrupted, lightly touching her stupid silver hair that was shimmering in the dim light.

Keiran looked at Astrid like he couldn't believe she cut his sentence off like that and made a sign,while she just looked at him and scoffed

"What? Think I enjoy the sidelines?" Astrid turned her palish green eyes to him...

There it was. The need to be the leader. That was the crack Ophelia needed,that was her saviour. They both wanted to be

the feared one,the one who made and laid out the rules and plans. Two clueless fools and they both deserve each other.

Meanwhile, Ophelia's mind was racing with questions and possibilities for a well executed escape plan. But Ryker and Astrid were too close,their eyes too intent and evil. She knew she was trapped and she hated the feeling of being in the same place and being trapped with these people.

Suddenly,Ryker reached out and grabbed her arm,his grip like a vice. She yelped with surprise and was confused by how fast his movement was. "Let's get started, Ophelia. We don't have all day to dally around."

Ophelia tried to struggle,but her body was too weak. Although she wasn't too far from the sword,she still couldn't break free from the grip of the two mad individuals holding her.

Ryker and Astrid dragged her deeper into the cabin, the shadows closing in around her like a cloak. She could feel the sinister air in the darkness and she could barely see because of how thick the darkness was.

As they moved further into the darkness,Ophelia saw strange symbols etched into the walls. They seemed to pulse with a malevolent energy, and she knew she was in grave danger. They were going to make sure she couldn't come back to life, probably seal her soul.

Ryker and Astrid stopped in front of a large stone altar,adorned with candles and strange artefacts. Ophelia's heart pounded wildly in her chest,it pounded uncontrollably as she realised what they were planning.

"This is it, Ophelia," Ryker siad, his voice cold and menacing. "This is where you'll fulfil your destiny" Ryker looked at her with a sneer,sizing her up like he was going to split her body if she refused to obey them.

Ophelia tried to scream,but her voice was hoarse and barely audible. It was almost like she was croaking,she couldn't even believe that horrible voice she heard was hers. She was trapped,and she knew it.

Ryker and Astrid began to chant,their voices rising and falling in a sinister rhythm. Ophelia stared with extreme horror. She could feel the sweat trickling down her back,the pit of fear in her lower stomach. Her palm was extremely sweaty.

She could feel a dark energy building around her,and she knew time was no longer on her side. She had to think fast and escape or he was dead meat. Trying to focus on an escape route was difficult. Whatever they were chanting was messing with her mind,her mind was foggy and her body became very weak.

As Ryker and Astrid increased their voices,Ophelia felt herself being pulled towards the altar by an unknown force. She tried to resist,but Ryker and Astrid were too powerful,and she was trapped in their grasp.

Suddenly,the candles on the altar flickered and died,plunging the room into darkness. Her first thought was to flee from here,but it wasn't so easy. The first sound she heard was the footsteps echoing through the cabin, heavy and deliberately meant for her ears.

She squinted in the darkness,but everywhere was pitch black. She would be trapped here forever if she didn't think fast.

Then came the sharp pain,she gasped for air as she felt a strange sensation building inside her. It felt like her body was responding to the calls of the dark energy around her and she was too weak to prevent it from engulfing her whole being.

The chanting started again,this time,louder than ever. The invisible pull she felt towards the altar became stronger than ever and she knew she was doomed.

But just as all hope seemed lost,she heard a crash from the other side of the cabin. Ryker and Astrid looked towards the noise for a while,they were on high alert and stopped chanting. It didn't take long for everywhere to be quiet once more.

They resumed their chanting once more and then the loud noise came again. Too loud to be ignored,and the chanting halted immediately. Ryker and Astrid turned to face the noise.

That was her cue and only chance and she took it with everything in her screaming,with a burst of adrenaline,she broke free from Ryker's grip and burst out of the cabin,into the bright sunlight.

How long has she been here? It was morning already?? It was dark when she ran into this cabin and now it's morning already? She looked at the sunlight in disbelief like it wasn't supposed to be out yet.

She didn't stop running until she was deep in the forest,far from the cabin and its dark magic. She knew she wasn't safe,but she still ran. Her breath came out in gasps and she almost collapsed due to fatigue. She had barely had any kill since morning to eat.Her tummy was making low rumbling sounds and she was hungry.

Ryker and Astrid would soon be coming for her,and she had to be ready. She had to find a way to defeat them once and for all.