The silence that followed Alexa's departure was suffocating. Alex had tried, truly, to hold on, but she had made her choice. After the breakup, after everything they had been through, she walked away, leaving nothing but a void in her wake. He knew she was hurting, but this—this was different.
It was hours after Alexa left when the news came, shattering everything he thought he knew about reality.
Alexa was dead.
Her lifeless body was found deep in the woods, cold and abandoned, as if the world had already forgotten her. No one knew how or why it happened. No one could piece together the puzzle of her death. It felt wrong, unjust. She was gone, but her absence left a void that nothing could fill. It wasn't just her death—it was the way it had come, so suddenly, so violently.
Alex had no time to grieve. Ethan was still out there, and the hunt had already begun.
The hunters were relentless. They had found the baby—the key to the world's future—and they were closing in fast. The child's disappearance, the mystery surrounding it, was not a random event. It was the culmination of everything that had led to this moment, and the fate of so many now rested in the hands of the hunters. If they found the baby, if they got to her first, there would be no stopping the chaos that would unfold.
Alex ran through the forest, the scent of damp leaves and the cold night air filling his lungs. He didn't care if the hunters were after him, too. He couldn't stop. He had to find Ethan. He had to make sure the boy was safe.
But then, he reached the house. It was time to tell Elena. She needed to know.
"Elena," Alex said, his voice barely above a whisper as he approached her. "The baby... she's gone. The hunters... they took her. And Ethan... Ethan is missing."
Elena's face went pale. For a moment, she seemed frozen, as if she couldn't process the words, the weight of the news. But the panic in Alex's eyes was enough. The danger was real.
"No... no. We can't—" Elena started, but Alex shook his head.
"We have no time," he urged. "The hunters are closing in, and if they find her before we do... everything is lost."
Elena's breath caught in her throat as she processed what was at stake. She had always known the baby was the key to something much bigger, something dangerous. But now the truth was undeniable. They had to act fast.
Without a second thought, Elena turned to her phone. Her fingers moved with precision, dialing a number that had always been a last resort. It was the one number she had hoped never to use, the one that led straight to the heart of the hunters. They were ruthless, relentless, and they would stop at nothing.
The line rang for a few seconds before someone answered. Elena's voice was steady but firm.
"It's Elena," she said. "The baby is gone. Ethan is missing. We need your help... and we need it now."
The voice on the other end was cold, emotionless.
"We've been expecting this. We'll begin the search immediately."
Elena's eyes met Alex's, and in that moment, they both understood. They were no longer in control. The hunt had officially begun, and there was no turning back.
"They'll find them," Alex said softly, though his voice lacked conviction. "They always do."
But Elena wasn't so sure. She had made her choice. The hunters were coming, and they were about to learn the full extent of the game they were all playing.