[Sequel of Warm Love, hence can't be read as a standalone.]
In the first phase, Reyansh concealed a web of mysteries, but as they stand face to face once more, it's Kiraz who holds the tantalizing secrets waiting to be unveiled. These hidden truths...
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Adrenaline pumps through me like blood, mixing with it, running like an electric shiver through my veins.
My skin is sweaty, drenched in it, making my shirt stick against my body. The wintry cold air slaps my skin, breezing cool kisses. The heels of my shoes click against the concrete road as I advance further into the twinkling darkness, which is chased away by the flickering lights from the lampposts. Not a soul wanders to join me and the devil running behind me in this twisted game.
A sharp jolt of wind whips past me, fluttering my red strands. I want to throw a glance over my shoulder to know how far he is to reach me, grab me, and do whatever his warped mind thinks to do with me. However, glancing means getting delayed, and delay means getting caught.
But it's not the only reason for the goosebumps trailing on my skin. It was the unusually polished calmness with which he chased me. He wasn't running; no, he was walking towards me like a lone wolf approaching his prey. Slowly, with soft footsteps, lazily licking his lips, eyes glinting with delight. The chameleon bastard was enjoying chasing me, challenging me to run with all my might. Yet, whenever I thought I had evaded him, he was right behind me, as though breathing down my neck.
I didn't know why I was even running. All my senses were clouded with this strange adrenaline that pushed me closer to a question every time I took a step: What happens if he catches me?
Not that I wanted him to catch me, but why did I take the opposite lane, pushing myself further from my house? I should have made a run for my house like a sane person. Yet, here I was caught in a situation where the chances of escaping his grasp were becoming slim.
My lungs burned, my legs on the verge of giving up. The throbbing pain in my ankle seemed to have vanished into thin air, or perhaps my mind was too occupied trying to protect me from this game to focus on the needling pain.
"Give up," I heard a taunting voice from behind me.
"Like heck," I retorted, increasing my pace. My hands clutched the strap of my purse as I pushed myself further into the darkness of the night. I had spent five years in this neighborhood and knew every lane like the back of my hand.
I sprinted down a small lane cloaked in darkness, my breath coming in short pants, hairs sticking to my sweaty skin. The walls on either side loomed tall and oppressive, reeking of urine and other discarded filth crunching under my shoes, sending disgust crawling over me. My heart pounded against my ribcage as I spotted a narrow gap between two buildings, just wide enough for me to squeeze through but too narrow for him to follow with his wide frame.
Without hesitating, I ducked into the darkness, pressing my back against the cold, damp brick, hoping my rapid heartbeat wouldn't give me away. I held my breath, straining to hear any sound over the roaring blood in my ears. Sweat tickled down from my forehead, disappearing into my clothes. Taking a deep, quiet breath that shrank my chest, I cautiously stepped out from the narrow gap, hurriedly pressing my back against the wall when a faint rustling noise made my pulse spike.
