The city felt different at night. The streets that once seemed familiar now pulsed with shadows, and every step I took felt like walking into a trap. Arion led the way, his movements quick and deliberate, like he'd done this a hundred times before.
"Who's after us?" I whispered as we ducked into an alley.
"The Keepers," he said grimly.
"Keepers of what?"
"Control."
He glanced at me, his dark eyes serious. "They don't care about you, Melody. They care about the playlist. It's not just music it's a key. And they'll do anything to get it back."
Before I could process his words, a sharp noise echoed behind us. Footsteps. Fast and heavy.
"They found us," Arion muttered.
He grabbed my hand, and we bolted. My lungs burned as we weaved through narrow alleys and side streets, the footsteps growing louder with every turn.
"Why are they chasing me?" I gasped.
"Because you activated it," he said. "And now they think you're the new Keeper."
We turned a corner and skidded to a stop. Three figures in dark suits stood in our path, their faces obscured by shadows. They didn't speak, but their presence was suffocating, like the air itself was bending around them.
Arion stepped in front of me, his body tense. "Stay behind me," he said.
One of the figures raised a hand, and the ground beneath us began to tremble. The air crackled with energy, and I felt the MP3 player grow hot in my pocket, as if it were reacting to them.
"You don't know what you're dealing with," one of them said, their voice low and mechanical. "Give us the key, and we'll let you go."
"No, you won't," Arion shot back.
Without warning, he pulled a small device from his jacket and pressed a button. A burst of blinding light erupted from it, and the figures staggered, momentarily disoriented.
"Run!" Arion shouted.
We sprinted down another alley, my heart pounding like a drum. When we finally stopped, I collapsed against a wall, gasping for air.
"Who are you?" I demanded.
"Someone who's trying to keep you alive," he said.
I pulled the MP3 player out of my pocket and held it up. "And what about this? If it's so dangerous, why not destroy it?"
His expression darkened. "Because if you destroy it, you destroy everything it's touched. Including you."
The weight of his words settled over me like a storm cloud. The playlist wasn't just a tool or a toy. It was something much bigger, something I was now a part of whether I wanted to be or not.
And I had no idea how to escape it.
YOU ARE READING
The Enchanted Playlist
FantasíaIn the bustling city of Harmonia, music isn't just an art it's magic. Melody, a talented but struggling musician, discovers an ancient playlist on a vintage music player. Each song possesses the power to alter reality, from controlling the weather t...
