Life Beyond the Doors

Chapter 77 : Spar

Marlin woke up from her unconscious mind. It looks like she fainted. All she remembers the man standing in-front of her knocked her out. Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming closer and closer to the door, and her heart dropped. She knew it was Aiden.

The doorknob turned, and Aiden walked in, his face a twisted mask of malevolence. Marlin shrank back into the corner of the room, fear overtaking her body.

"So," Aiden sneered. "You thought you could escape from me. How naive."

Marlin tried to keep her composure, but her voice shook. "Please, Prince Aiden, let me go. You don't have to do this."

Aiden laughed cruelly. "Oh, but I do. You see, I need you for my plan."

"What plan?" Marlin asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

Aiden's expression grew even more sinister. "I'm going to use you as bait for Ethan and the others. And when they come, I'll finally have my revenge."

Marlin's heart sank as she realized the gravity of the situation. Aiden wasn't just holding her captive out of spite; he was planning something much worse.

Suddenly, the lights flickered, and the room plunged into darkness. Marlin heard a growling noise and felt something brush against her arm. She realized with terror that Aiden had set loose some kind of wild animal in the room with her.

"Look what I brought for you", he smirked.

Marlin's heart raced as she realized where Aiden had brought her. It was the room with the magical door. The door that she had been searching for. She had to get out of there before it was too late.

But as she tried to get up, the sound of Aiden's voice stopped her. "Don't even think about escaping," he said with a wicked laugh. "You're staying here until Ethan and the others come for you. And then, we'll finally be able to settle our score."

Marlin's mind raced as she tried to figure out what to do. She knew she had to get out of there, but how?

Frantically, Marlin searched for something to defend herself with. Her hands grasped at the first thing she could find - a metal pipe lying on the ground. She swung it at the animal and heard a satisfying thud as it connected with its body.

But the commotion had alerted Aiden, and he was coming towards her. Marlin knew she had to act quickly. She focused all her energy on the magical door and recited her thoughts. The light grew brighter, and the outline of the door became more visible.

Just as Aiden reached out to grab her, Marlin jumped through the door and found herself in a different place altogether.

Suddenly, she saw Ethan's silhouette through the vibrant glow of the door.

He was standing on the other side, looking straight at her. Marlin let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She was relieved to see him, but confused as to why he was on the other side, and more importantly, why he hadn't come to find her earlier.

Before she could gather her thoughts, Ethan reached out and grabbed her hand. Marlin flinched at the sudden contact, but then a wave of warmth radiated through her body. She felt protected when Ethan held her hand, and she can explain why.

Together, they stepped out of the door and back into the room with Aiden. The moment they appeared, Aiden's eyes widened with shock.

"You plan to come back?", Aiden asked.