"Ughhh"
A groan escaped Zayne's lips as he came to life.
He blinked several times, trying to get his bearings.
His head was throbbing, and his vision was blurry.
"Ugh, where am I?"
He muttered, trying to stand up.
His legs were shaky, and he stumbled, almost falling over.
But he managed to stay upright.
Then, he heard a scream.
"SEARCH EVERYWHERE!"
The voice was so loud that even Zayne who was quite far away from the mansion heard it.
Turning around and acting on basic instinct, Zayne sprinted in the opposite direction.
His legs were weak, and he could barely keep himself upright, but he pushed on, determined to escape.
As he ran, his mind was racing, trying to figure out what had happened.
Had he been captured?
No, that couldn't be it.
They would've already killed him.
So what was going on?
The memory of the creature flashed through his mind.
What had that thing been?
And what had it done to him?
Why did he find himself outside the mansion once again?
Did he succeed in killing Heath.
There were so many questions he didn't have time to think about.
He had to focus on escaping.
As he ran, he noticed the sound of sirens approaching.
The police.
They must've been called in after the explosion.
He needed to get out of here.
As the sirens drew closer, he quickened his pace.
But, despite his efforts, his body was still weak.
His legs were like jelly, and his vision was blurry.
He could barely stay on his feet.
With his reduced vision and weary legs, Zayne couldn't avoid losing his balance in the rough terrain and stumbled, falling on the ground.
"Ugh!" He groaned, his head hitting the hard earth.
The impact dazed him, and he struggled to get up.
He felt something wet and sticky on the side of his head.
Blood.
He must've hit his head when he fell.
He needed to stop the bleeding, but there was no time.
Thunk!
As he tried to get up, Zayne's hand hit something metallic.
The hit seemed to jolt Zayne's eyes awake and he felt a surge of adrenaline.
Picking the item up, his vision cleared and his head seemed to clear a bit.
it was the box Heath had possessed.
Under the gaze of the full moon, the box shined a bright golden light, the symbol on the top glowing.
"Ardea Verne...Ardea Verne..." Strange whispers seemed to come from the box, filling Zayne's ears and making his heart beat rapidly.
He could not hear clearly but the name echoed in his head, Ardea Verne.
"What are you?" Zayne muttered.
He could feel the energy emanating from the box.
It was an odd sensation, like a mixture of fear and excitement.
Zayne stared at the box for a moment, transfixed by its mysterious aura.
But, as the sirens grew louder, he snapped out of his trance.
"No time for this."
He pocketed the box and staggered to his feet, stumbling slightly.
"Damnit"
He muttered, steadying himself.
He had to get out of here, before the police arrived.
He took a deep breath and ran, pushing his body to its limits.
Boom!
An explosion rocked the area, sending a shockwave throughout the surrounding forest.
"What was that?" One of the officers exclaimed.
"I don't know, but we better hurry and find out" another replied.
"What the hell is going on tonight" the other muttered as they went on the trail.
The officers sped off in the direction of the explosion, their sirens blaring.
...
Meanwhile, Zayne was out of his mind.
Trees blitzed
The wind roared
His heart raced
As his feet touched the ground, his speed seemed to increase.
His senses were heightened.
He could hear everything, smell everything.
The trees, the leaves, the soil, the air.
It was like he was one with nature.
It was a euphoric experience.
His vision blurred as multiple trees flashed past him, he could barely maintain his balance as he sped through the forest.
It was exhilarating.
As the adrenaline coursed through his body, his thoughts were both clear and scattered.
He could hear the blood pumping through his veins.
His mind was racing, a thousand thoughts flashing by.
It was the feeling of being high, on top of the world.
He was lost in the moment, unaware of his surroundings.
"Fuck"
He suddenly lost his footing and the world spun several times soon after.
Thud!
Zayne landed on his back.
Hard.
The impact jarred him back to reality.
He groaned, his head spinning.
His body was bruised and battered, his clothes tattered.
But, strangely, his open wounds were healed.
How?
What had just happened?
"Ahhhh!"
Zayne's brief moment of self reflection was halted by the scream of a woman.
He sat up and looked around, ignoring the fleeing woman, his vision slowly returning.
"T-this..."
His jaw dropped.
Rubbing his eyes he stood up, staring around vigilantly.
He was in the middle of town, and all around him were buildings and cars.
It was a normal, everyday sight.
But it was the dead of night, and everyone was asleep.
There was no way he could have reached the city in such a short time.
Yet, he was here, in the middle of the street.
How had he gotten here?
"What's going on?"
He whispered, his voice hoarse.
He had no idea.
Clunk
The sound of something metal hitting the ground drew Zayne's attention.
His eyes widened.
The box.
He quickly bent down and picked it up, checking it for any damage.
The box was unharmed, and its aura had returned.
He could feel its energy, a strange, almost intoxicating sensation.
"This...could it have done this?"
He muttered, staring at the box.
Was it some kind of teleportation device?
Or something else entirely.
He had no idea.
"Well, no matter."
He pocketed the box and got up.
He had to get home, and fast.
He walked towards the sidewalk, his mind reeling.
There were so many questions he wanted answered.
But he knew they would have to wait.
For now, he had to focus on getting home