The street outside the bakery was empty, but the shadows were not. Ella could feel them crawling over the walls, pooling in corners, stretching across the cracks between buildings. She held Lucas's hand tighter as they moved quickly, Ben just ahead, scanning the darkness.
"Where are we going?" Lucas whispered, voice trembling.
"To somewhere safe," Ella said, though she was not entirely sure it existed.
Ben's jaw was tight, his eyes sharp in the dim light. "No one follows us here. The alley splits ahead. One path takes us toward the old warehouse district, the other… into the riverfront. I want the warehouse. Less traffic, easier to hide."
Ella nodded. "Then lead."
The three of them stepped into the narrow alley, the walls pressing in as if the city itself was trying to keep them inside. Lucas stumbled once, almost falling, and Ella caught him, her pulse quickening. Every sound—the distant clatter of a trash can, a stray cat yowling—made her jump.
"Lucas," Ben said softly, "stay close. Don't look around."
Lucas swallowed, eyes wide. "I can't help it. I feel like… like someone is watching."
"That's because someone is," Ben muttered. "Rita isn't the only problem now."
Ella froze mid-step. "What do you mean?"
Ben did not answer. He stopped at the fork in the alley, listening. Nothing. Then, a faint shuffle, almost like a shadow moving against the wall.
"There," he said, pointing toward the riverfront path. "Footsteps."
Ella's heart slammed against her chest. "Then we go the warehouse. Quick."
They ran. Not full sprint, but fast enough to keep the shadows behind them. Ella's hand burned from holding Lucas's, but she did not let go. Not for a second.
The warehouse district was deserted, old buildings leaning at odd angles, windows cracked or boarded up. The perfect hiding spot, Ben said. The perfect trap, Ella thought.
They slipped inside the largest building, a wide, empty space smelling of dust and rust. Beams of sunlight filtered through broken windows, cutting the darkness into long strips on the floor. Ella let Lucas sit on a stack of crates while she and Ben checked the doors and windows.
"Barricade anything that moves," Ben said. His hands were steady, but his voice carried a tension that made Ella shiver.
Hours passed like minutes. Lucas fell asleep, exhausted from fear and adrenaline. Ella leaned against the wall, rubbing her arms. Ben paced slowly, muttering under his breath, his eyes scanning the shadows as if the darkness itself could attack.
Then, from somewhere deep in the warehouse, they heard it—a soft, deliberate tap. Tap… tap… tap.
Ella froze.
Ben's hand went to the knife at his belt. "Stay here. Don't move."
Lucas stirred, murmuring in his sleep. Ella shushed him, pressing a finger to his lips.
The tap came again, closer this time. A slow, steady rhythm that echoed off the metal walls. Someone was in the building. Someone was moving toward them.
Ben whispered, "Split up. Go quiet. I'll check the back. Ella, take Lucas into the corner by the crates. Hide him."
Ella obeyed, her hands shaking as she helped Lucas behind a stack of old boxes. She could see Ben slip into the shadows, blending with the darkness like he was part of it.
The tapping stopped. Silence.
Then a voice, low and controlled, echoed through the empty warehouse.
"Looking for someone?"
Ella froze. Lucas squeezed her hand in his sleep, muttering something. She pressed a finger to her lips again, heart hammering.
Ben stepped forward from the shadows, knife in hand. "Who's there?"
The figure emerged slowly from the darkness. Tall, lean, dressed in black. A face half-hidden under a hood. The air felt colder just where he stood.
"I'm Mister Gray," the man said, voice smooth, almost charming. But his eyes… his eyes were sharp, cold, and calculating. "And I want the boy."
Ella's stomach turned. Lucas stirred again. "He's not yours," she said, voice shaking but firm.
Mister Gray smiled faintly. "Ah, but he is. Or at least, he could be. You see, I gave Rita instructions. And she… followed them."
Ella's blood ran cold. "Instructions? What do you mean?"
Mister Gray's gaze flicked to Ben. "It's simple. You're not the only players in this game. Every move matters. And your little team here? They're pawns in a bigger plan."
Ben stepped in front of Ella and Lucas, knife still ready. "You touch him, and I swear…"
Mister Gray raised a hand, shaking his head. "No need for threats. Not yet. I like a little… suspense. Watch. Observe. Learn. That's how the strongest survive."
Ella's fists clenched. Lucas stirred awake, looking up at her. His small face pale, eyes wide with fear. "Ella…?"
"It's okay," she whispered, though her chest felt tight. "We're together. I won't let him take you."
Mister Gray tilted his head, studying them. "Brave. Foolish. Either way, it will be… entertaining."
Then, just as suddenly as he appeared, he turned and melted into the shadows, leaving only the echo of his steps behind.
Ben exhaled sharply, lowering the knife. "We can't stay here. He knows we're here now. We need to move."
Ella gathered Lucas in her arms, holding him tightly. "Where do we go?"
Ben looked around, thinking fast. "We head to the safe house. Now. Don't stop. Don't look back."
As they slipped out into the shadows again, the warehouse door closed behind them with a loud clang, and the city outside remained oblivious to the new storm that had just entered their lives.
Someone had arrived.
Someone worse.
And the fight was far from over.