章 4: A Shadow of Jealousy

Elian finally drifted into an uneasy sleep, but it was not a peaceful one. His dreams were plagued with images of Cedric's leering gaze and Isla's cold, calculating smile.

He awoke in the middle of the night, his heart pounding in his chest, a cold sweat clinging to his skin. The room was dark, the only light coming from the pale sliver of moonlight that filtered through the small window. But there was something else, something that made Elian's breath catch in his throat, a sound, soft and stealthy, like the rustling of fabric.

He sat up in bed, the shadows of the room pressing in on him. He could feel it, something was wrong. Very wrong

A soft creak outside his door.

His breath hitched, his blood turning to ice. He held his breath, straining to hear over the pounding of his heart.

The door to his room slowly began to open.

Before Elian could react, a hand clamped over his mouth, and he was yanked from his bed.

Panic surged through him as he struggled against his captors, but they were too strong, too many. He was dragged from his room, his muffled cries for help echoing in the empty halls. He tried to fight, to kick and claw at the hands that held him, but it was no use. They were too strong, and Elian was too weak, too terrified.

They dragged him through the manor, through dark, deserted corridors, and out into the cold night. The chill of the air bit into Elian's skin, and he shivered, more from fear than the cold. He was tossed into the back of a waiting carriage, the door slamming shut behind him. The carriage lurched forward, and Elian was thrown against the hard wooden wall. He tried to push himself up, but his hands were bound, and the fear that gripped him was paralyzing.

Time passed in a blur of terror and confusion as the carriage rumbled through the night. Elian had no idea where they were taking him, but he knew it wasn't anywhere safe. The men who had taken him were silent, their faces hidden in the darkness, but Elian could feel their malicious intent like a suffocating blanket.

Finally, the carriage came to a stop, and the door was flung open. Elian was roughly pulled out and dragged into the forest. The trees loomed above them, their branches twisting together to form a canopy that blocked out the moonlight. Elian's heart pounded in his chest as he was pushed forward, deeper into the forest. The men said nothing, but their hands were rough, their grip unyielding.

They stopped in a small clearing, the trees surrounding them like silent sentinels. Elian was shoved to the ground, his knees scraping against the cold, hard earth. He looked up, his breath coming in ragged gasps, and saw Isla step out from the shadows. She was dressed in a dark cloak, her face hidden in the shadows of the hood, but Elian could see the glint of malice in her eyes.

"Well, well," Isla said, her voice dripping with venom. "Look at you, Elian. So helpless, so pathetic. Did you really think you could come into my house, try to steal my fiancé, and get away with it?"

Elian's heart sank as he realized what this was about. "I..... I didn't," he stammered, his voice shaking. "I didn't try to steal anything. I swear, Isla, I'm not interested in Lord Cedric. I..... I didn't do anything."

Isla laughed, a cold, cruel sound that sent a shiver down Elian's spine. "You think I'm stupid, Elian? You think I didn't see the way he looked at you? The way you looked at him? You're just like your whore of a mother, always trying to take what doesn't belong to you."

Elian flinched at her words, his heart pounding in his chest. "Please, Isla," he begged, his voice breaking. "Please, I didn't do anything. I don't want anything from you or Lord Cedric. Please, just let me go."

Isla sneered down at him, her eyes cold and unforgiving. "You think I'm going to let you go? After everything? You're nothing, Elian. A bastard. A mistake. You don't deserve to live."

Elian's blood ran cold as he realized what she meant. "No," he whispered, his voice trembling. "Please, Isla, don't do this. I..... I'll leave. I'll go away and never come back. Just... just let me go. Please."

But Isla was unmoved. She turned to the men who had brought Elian to the forest, her voice cold and commanding. "Do what you were paid to do," she said. "Make sure he suffers."

The men grinned, their faces twisted with cruel anticipation. Elian's heart pounded in his chest as he looked at them, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. He tried to scramble to his feet, to run, but one of the men grabbed him by the hair and yanked him back to the ground.

"Please," Elian begged, tears streaming down his face. "Please don't do this. I'll do anything. Please."

But the men only laughed, their eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure. "Oh, we're going to have some fun with you, boy," one of them said, his voice low and menacing. "And when we're done, there won't be enough left of you to bury."

Elian's heart raced as he struggled against the ropes that bound his hands, but it was no use. The men were too strong, and he was too weak, too terrified. He looked up at Isla, his eyes wide with fear and desperation. "Please," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Please, Isla. Don't do this."

Isla looked down at him, her expression cold and unfeeling. "You deserve this, Elian," she said, her voice flat and emotionless. "You deserve to die."

With that, she turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows of the forest. Elian's heart sank as he watched her go, a cold, crushing despair settling over him. He was alone, completely and utterly alone, and there was no one to help him, no one to save him.

The men closed in around him, their eyes gleaming with malicious intent. Elian's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to think of a way out, but there was nothing. He was trapped, and there was no escape.

But then, in a moment of sheer desperation, Elian made a decision. He would not let these men take him, would not let them have their way with him. He would rather die than suffer the indignity they had planned for him.

With a sudden burst of strength, Elian broke free from the man holding him and bolted toward the edge of the clearing. He could hear the men shouting behind him, could hear their heavy footsteps pounding the ground as they chased after him, but he didn't stop. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, his heart pounding in his chest, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

But the forest was dense, the trees close together, and Elian's path was blocked at every turn. He could hear the men getting closer, their laughter ringing in his ears as they taunted him, mocked him.

"Run all you want, boy," one of them called out. "You won't get far."

Elian's heart raced as he reached the edge of a cliff, the ground dropping away beneath him to reveal a rushing river far below. He skidded to a stop, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. The men were closing in, their footsteps growing louder, their voices filled with cruel anticipation.

Elian looked down at the river, the water churning and frothing as it rushed past. He knew it was a long drop, knew the chances of surviving were slim. But he also knew that he would rather take his chances with the river than with the men who were closing in on him.

With a final, desperate glance over his shoulder, Elian made his decision. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and jumped.

The wind whipped past him as he fell, the sound of the river growing louder, deafening in his ears. The last thing he heard before he hit the water was the sound of the men's laughter, echoing through the trees.

Then, everything went black.