Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Manipulative intentions

Ruelle soon found herself in the maze with a flickering lantern in her hand. The night air was thick with the scent of damp earth, mingled with something older, more primal, the kind of scent that clung to ancient forests.

Each step was accompanied by the soft crunch of leaves beneath her worn out shoes. Every rustle of nearby bushes, every distant hoot of an owl, sent her heart skittering in her chest. The maze felt different at night—alive, as though it watched her every move. The lantern's glow bounced off the hedge walls, the flickering light warping the shadows, making everything feel closer, more suffocating.

"The chain should be somewhere here," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Her mind replayed the memory of her earlier collision with June, the moment where she might have lost the locket. But nothing.

Disappointment gripped Ruelle as her fingers brushed the neckline of her dress. She longed for the familiar weight of her mother's chain and locket—the familiar presence that should have rested there, close to her heart.

She crouched once more, her hands sifting through leaves. But what she received was a low growl in the dark, which had her almost dead in her tracks as she froze. W—What was that?!

A rustle softly moved from the other side of the foliage wall, and Ruelle didn't dare to move in fear. Her breath was caught in her throat, eyes darting as the rustle moved closer to her. On the second growl, it had her running through the maze, trying to leave. But the moment she was about to reach the exit, a growl was heard from the front in darkness, having her turn around.

Fear flooded her senses, and before she could think, her legs propelled her forward. She began running, the lantern swaying wildly in her hand, throwing chaotic shadows onto the walls of the maze. The sound of something large moving behind her quickened, its growls sending chills down her spine. The creature was hunting her!

Ruelle continued to run, which felt like an endless maze to the point she was getting familiar with a few foliage in there. Her breath came in ragged gasps, feet stumbling over uneven ground. She turned sharply until she paused and found a corner when the rustling sounds stopped. The world plunged into eerie silence, broken only by her labored breathing.

She glanced around, wide-eyed, searching for any sign of the creature. Her eyes remained fixed on the path, waiting, listening for any sign of movement. Minutes passed—maybe hours. She wasn't sure. The weight of her fear and exhaustion were quick to press down on her.

She tried to stay awake, to remain alert for the creature lurking somewhere in the darkness. But as the silence of the maze deepened, the weight of her exhaustion became too much to fight. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she sank deeper into the foliage.

And before she knew it, she fell asleep.

The first rays of dawn slanted through the twisted branches of the maze, dappling the ground with soft golden light. Ruelle stirred, at the rustle of the ground, the faint sound of footsteps—loud and deliberate.

"Ruelle! I found you!"

Blinking blearily, Ruelle squinted up at the figure looming over her. Hailey's voice broke through the fog of sleep, and Ruelle slowly gathered her bearings, the cold morning air biting at her skin far more sharply than the night before.

"Hailey?" she asked groggily, pulling herself into a sitting position.

"I waited for you, but you never came back and then I fell asleep." Hailey's voice was a mixture of relief and exasperation. "I was worried you'd gotten caught by some vampiress. I had no idea you'd fallen asleep in the maze!"