Our Shattered Souls: Into the Abyss

“Hurry, Lucas! We have to run faster, or they’ll catch us!”

Celine’s voice cut through the dense forest air as she dragged her younger brother through the tangled undergrowth. They were running for their lives, fleeing the clutches of ruthless abductors who had hunted them down for one reason: the extreme rarity of their brilliant golden hair. Celine’s clothes hung from her frame in ragged shreds, and her skin was heavily bruised from the terrifying ordeal. She had survived their cruelty, but she would die before she let her little brother experience the same horror.

As they ran, her mind raced with a bitter, recurring question: How did we end up like this? Hunted through the woods like prey by vicious predators? The answer lay in the ashes of her past. It was all because of her family—the proud House of Whitebourne. Six years ago, they had greedily schemed to overthrow the ruling vampire royalty. But the tables had turned with horrific consequences. While the royal vampires were ultimately wiped out, the coup had cost the Whitebournes their lives. Celine and Lucas were only thirteen and four back then, cast out into the world to pay for sins that weren’t their own. Now, six years later, that bloody night was still haunting them. Through the trees, the weathered outline of their hidden cabin came into view. It was the only sanctuary they had known since their escape.

Celine skidded to a halt, breathing heavily, her chest heaving with exhaustion. “Lucas, listen to me. Hide inside the cabin. I’m going to draw their attention and make them follow me. When the path is clear, take the opportunity and run to Catherine’s house for help.”

Lucas’s large eyes welled with tears, his small hands gripping her tattered sleeves. “But what about you? What if they hurt you? You’re the only family I have left!”

“Lucas, look at me.” Celine forced a fierce, unyielding determination into her gaze. She adored her little brother with every fiber of her being; a sister’s love was an unbreakable shield, and she would gladly trade her life for his. She patted his head, pressing a desperate, loving kiss to his brow. “Your sister is incredibly strong. I’ll hold them off until you bring Catherine. Understand?”

Without waiting for his answer, she pushed him inside the cabin and locked the heavy wooden door from the outside. Reaching down, Celine pulled a small, concealed dagger from the strap at her knee. Pressing the sharp blade against her forearm, she dragged it across her skin. She winced as a shallow wound opened, leaving a trail of dark crimson drops on the forest floor—a deliberate blood trail to manipulate her hunters.

“Good. Now they’ll follow me,” she whispered.

The moment she heard distant, gruff voices crashing through the brush, Celine bolted.

“There she is! Catch her, this instant!” the abductors roared, spotting her golden hair flashing through the shadows.

Her clever diversion had worked perfectly. She ran as fast as lightning, the wind whipping against her face, her pursuers refusing to let her out of their sight. Even with panic clawing at her throat, her lips moved in a silent, desperate prayer. Dear God, let Lucas reach Catherine’s house safely. Please. If this is my last wish on earth, just let him make it.

She kept murmuring the plea, pushing her body past its limits until her breath completely failed and her legs gave out. She tumbled to the earth, her heart hammering against her ribs. She had no idea where she had run, but the heavy silence of the woods assured her of one thing: she had successfully lost the abductors. Struggling to her feet on shivering knees, she took one step forward when the unstable ground beneath her suddenly crumbled.

With a gasp, Celine tumbled down a steep embankment. How much more misfortune can one person face? she thought bitterly before her head struck a rock, and darkness claimed her.

When Celine finally regained consciousness, her head felt incredibly heavy. Gasping for air, she realized she had luckily landed in a shallow, hidden lake. Shaking the water from her golden hair, she dragged herself onto the rocky bank, unsure whether to be grateful for surviving the fall or miserable about her current state.

“Curse my horrific luck,” Celine choked out, her voice breaking. Even a girl who had spent her entire life running had a breaking point, and she was dangerously close to hers. “What did we do to deserve this? I hate them... I hate my family so much. They’re dead, and yet we are the ones paying the price for their sins.”

She forced her tears back, trying to comfort herself with the thought that Lucas must have reached Catherine by now. Help had to be on the way.

But a dark thought lingered in her mind. Isn’t it taking too long?

The chilling silence of the woods answered her—until a sound in the distance made her blood run entirely cold. A sharp, terror-filled scream cut through the trees. Celine froze. She would recognize that voice anywhere. It was her brother’s cry.

“Lucas!” she cried out, her fatigue instantly forgotten.

She scrambled to her feet and sprinted back toward the direction of the cabin. But she never expected the figure she was about to encounter in the deep woods. Blinded by panic, Celine failed to see a massive tree root jutting from the earth. “Ouch!” she gasped as she tripped, crashing hard onto the forest floor.

Groaning, she lifted her head to push herself up. But instead of seeing the open sky, her gaze met a dark silhouette. Someone was standing there, mounted atop of a horse. Instantly, her warrior instincts flared. Celine got her guard up, slipping her fingers back around the hilt of her hidden dagger as she rose to her feet.

For a breathless moment, she froze, trying to decipher who—or what—was standing before her.

He was tall, possessing a striking, commanding masculine figure. Long, sleek black hair framed a face of ethereal, pale skin. But it was his eyes that caught her completely off guard—they were a piercing, frozen crimson, locked onto hers with an intensity that seemed to hold a thousand hidden stories. He wore an elegant black coat lined with intricate golden embroidery, and at his hip rested a magnificent sword, a massive red ruby embedded at the center of its hilt.

The gem caught the sunlight, and for a fraction of a second, Celine forgot the danger. She found herself utterly bewildered, momentarily swayed by his dark, breathtaking beauty, even though her own beauty was just as striking. She had no way of knowing that she was staring directly at the Crown Prince of Standford. She didn’t even know what the prince looked like—until this very moment.

The moment that would change both of their destinies forever.

Celine abruptly slapped her own cheek, shaking off the trance. Lucas is in danger! she reminded herself fiercely. Turning her back on the stranger, she began to sprint toward the cabin until a cold, alluring voice echoed through the clearing.

“Stop.”

The command made a shiver run straight down Celine’s spine. She heard him clearly, but she chose to ignore it. She had far more important things to do than entertain a strange nobleman. She took another step forward.

“Are you deaf?” the voice asked, dripping with a sarcastic, demanding arrogance.

Celine halted, pausing to glance over her shoulder. What an annoying nuisance, she thought. Aloud, she asked, “Huh? Are you by any chance referring to me?”

“Can’t you hear me? Of course, I am referring to you.”

Celine labeled him an arrogant prick in her mind. Deciding he wasn’t worth her time, she turned away again, stepping toward the path.

“I see. You can’t speak either,” the stranger murmured, his tone infuriatingly smug.

He was testing the absolute last of Celine’s nerves. Realizing he wouldn’t let her leave without an answer, she turned to face him, suppressing the urge to scream every insult she knew at him. No one ever expected such a sharp tongue from a girl who looked like her.

“Yes, I can speak perfectly fine,” Celine stated sharply. “Do you need something from me?”

“No,” he replied bluntly, without a second thought.

“T-then I’ll be leaving,” Celine stated, a slight stutter betraying her anxiety.

“Stop. Another step, and you’ll be dead.” The man’s crimson eyes narrowed as he looked her up and down. “Now, tell me why you are in such a horrible state.” As a prince, it was technically his duty to survey the citizens of his kingdom, though his curiosity felt far more personal.

“Well, it doesn’t concern you, sir, does it?” Celine shot back; her voice tight. “Now please, if you’ll excuse me, I am in a rush.”

She bolted toward the trees, but his voice sliced through the dark air behind her once more.

“I told you—move one more step, and you die,” he threatened, his tone dangerously calm. “Tell me your situation. I am willing to help.

“Help?” Celine let out a cold, humorless laugh. “How incredibly kind of you, sir. But I must politely decline, as I have absolutely nothing to offer you in return.”

She was losing precious time. Lucas was out there, terrified, and she needed to reach him immediately.

“An offer in return?” The stranger’s voice softened slightly, turning smooth and intrigued. “I never asked you for anything in return.”

“Everything comes with a price,” Celine stated flatly, facing him with the harsh reality she had lived by for six years. “Nothing in this world comes for free. Nothing at all.”

A slow, amused smile tugged at the corner of the stranger’s lips. “I see. It seems I have underestimated you. You are quite fast to catch on.”

“Hmph. I’ll be going now. Please do not get in my way again, as I have officially declined your offer. Thank you.”

With that, Celine gathered the last of her strength and sprinted into the woods as fast as she could, her heart pounding against her chest. Please, let Lucas be safe.

The Crown Prince watched her golden hair disappear into the dense shadows of the forest, letting out a faint, dark laugh.

“What an interesting young lady,” he murmured to the empty air. “Though I am still curious as to why she was covered in all those bruises. And that brilliant golden hair... I’ve never seen anything like it.”

From the shadows behind the house, a loyal guard materialized.

The Prince turned his head slightly, his crimson eyes gleaming in the dark. “Cedric, let us continue our hunt. I am entirely certain we are about to find some wonderful, tasty prey.”

Cedric bowed his head deeply into the darkness. “As you command, Your Highness.”