The mansion was unusually quiet that afternoon. The soft light of the sun filtered through the curtains, painting long streaks across the polished floors, but the quiet felt heavy, almost unnatural. Only Leah and Elias remained inside. Izana had left hours earlier, summoned to one of his main warehouses where an unexpected attack had jeopardized part of his operation. He'd taken a few trusted guards with him, leaving the estate lightly defended, but neither Leah nor Elias had mentioned it out loud—the absence was felt too keenly in the air.
Leah sat in the sitting room, wrapped in a blanket, her hands resting lightly on her abdomen. The memory of her dream from the previous night—the little boy urging her not to let Izana go—still lingered, a quiet pulse in the back of her mind. Her chest tightened slightly as she glanced toward the front entrance.
Elias was nearby, reading reports from the estate staff, but his eyes frequently flicked toward her. "You've barely eaten," he remarked softly, folding the papers on the table. "And you haven't slept well either."
"I… I'm fine," Leah whispered, voice soft but tense. She didn't look up, afraid her anxiety would betray her.
"You're not," Elias said, his tone firm but gentle. "I can see it. And he isn't here. I can't protect you the way he would."
Leah swallowed, pressing her lips together. "I know… I just… I don't want him worrying. Not while he's away."
Elias' eyes softened, but he didn't argue. "I understand," he said quietly. "But that doesn't mean you're safe. Not if they—." He stopped himself mid-sentence, remembering who "they" were.
Outside the estate, darkness gathered faster than the sun's descent would suggest. In a sleek black car, the rival reclined in the backseat, tablet glowing faintly in his lap. Leah's parents sat stiffly beside him, expressions set and cold.
"She is alone," the rival said, voice low and calculating. "Izana left with a portion of his men to handle the warehouse attack. Only a skeleton crew remains inside the estate. Perfect."
Leah's stepmother nodded, her fingers drumming lightly against the armrest. "And if he returns early?" she asked. "If he senses something?"
The rival's lips curved into a faint, almost sinister smile. "He will sense her only if the danger becomes unavoidable. You must understand, she does not need to be harmed beyond a minor scare. A faint, a stumble… something that triggers his attention. That is all."
Leah's father leaned forward, tapping his finger against the tablet screen. "And if she resists? If she struggles?"
"She will not be injured seriously," the rival replied smoothly. "We only need her to be threatened. Enough to provoke him. He is predictable when her safety is compromised. The curse will pull him, and he will act instinctively. That is our advantage."
The stepmother's lips pressed together. "We don't care about her comfort. Only the reaction."
"Exactly," the rival said, eyes glinting. "She is the bait. He is the hunter. Timing and precision are everything. One misstep and the opportunity is gone."
Inside the mansion, Leah shifted in her seat, uneasy. Something felt off. The quiet, the stillness, the subtle tension she couldn't place—it pricked at the edges of her instincts. She pressed her hand lightly to her stomach, a quiet protection instinct arising in her.
"Leah?" Elias asked, noticing her movement. "You're tense. What is it?"
"I… I don't know," she admitted softly, glancing toward the windows. "Something feels… wrong."
Elias frowned, rising and moving closer. "Stay here," he said firmly. "I'll check the corridors. Nothing will happen while I'm with you."
She nodded but didn't move. The heavy silence returned once he left the room, her heartbeat quickening with every creak and shadow. Her hands trembled slightly as she wrapped the blanket tighter around her.
Suddenly, the front door clicked—soft, almost imperceptible. Leah froze. The sound was too deliberate to be the wind or a stray staff member.
Before she could react, the door swung open fully. Two figures stepped into the foyer, moving with the quiet efficiency of trained intruders. Leah's breath caught, and instinctively, she rose from her seat—but her legs wobbled under her.
"Leah," one of them murmured, voice low and controlled. "Don't struggle. This is… easier if you cooperate."
Fear surged in her chest. Her pulse raced, and her hands instinctively went to her abdomen. She thought of Izana. He wasn't here. Not here to protect her. Not yet.
Her mind raced. The boy… the dream… the warning…
Her vision blurred as panic and dread threatened to overwhelm her. She tried to step backward, but her legs buckled slightly.
"Stay calm," the second intruder said, reaching to gently grab her arm—but not roughly. "You won't be harmed. Just… come with us."
Leah shook her head, tears pricking her eyes. "I… I want Izana," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I… I need him!"
The first intruder's eyes flicked to her parents in the car via a small earpiece. A quiet signal passed. "He's not here," the intruder said softly, almost apologetically. "You have to trust us for now."
Leah's breath hitched. The mansion felt impossibly empty, echoing with her fears. Her mind spun with every warning the little boy had whispered in her dream. Do not let him go… she remembered. Her chest tightened with the sense that something crucial was unfolding—something that would pull Izana if he sensed her danger.
But she had no idea how much danger awaited—or how far they would go.
Wrapping the blanket tightly around her, she tried to steady her trembling hands. Her instincts screamed at her to run, to hide, to scream—but every escape route was exposed, every shadow potentially hiding someone waiting to trigger the very reaction the rival desired.
And across the city, miles away, Izana's emerald eyes narrowed. He was unaware of the exact moment yet, but the distant tug of the curse—the whisper of her fear and vulnerability—had already begun. Even so, he couldn't leave the warehouse crisis unattended. He could feel the tension stretching across the miles, subtle yet insistent.
Leah's heart thudded violently as the intruders gently guided her toward the door, her pulse echoing the unspoken fear: she was alone. And yet, somewhere in her chest, a spark of determination rose. I won't let him go… I have to protect him, too, she thought, gripping her abdomen lightly.
The mansion's shadows stretched long, and the quiet halls held a dangerous secret. The rival's plan had begun.
And soon, everything would be set into motion.