The night air was crisp as we fled the clearing. Seraphina was unconscious for now, but that wasn't going to last long. With every step I took, I kept expecting flames to burst through the forest behind us.
"Any brilliant ideas on where we go next?" I asked, panting as we ran.
Lyra glanced back at me. "Away from her. That's as brilliant as it gets."
"Fantastic. I'll just add 'run blindly' to my survival guide."
System chimed in, as ever. "You should also add, 'Don't tick off yanderes with fire powers.' You're really bad at that."
"System, I swear, one day I'm going to find a way to uninstall you."
"Oh no, I'm trembling in fear."
---
Temporary Shelter
We eventually stumbled upon a rocky outcrop hidden deep within the forest. It wasn't much, but it provided enough cover for us to catch our breath.
Lyra slumped against the rocks, wiping sweat from her brow. "We bought ourselves some time. What now?"
I collapsed beside her, trying to ignore the way my muscles screamed in protest. "We can't keep running forever."
"No, we can't. But fighting her head-on is suicide."
"And talking her down is out of the question."
Lyra nodded grimly. "Yandere logic."
"Exactly."
For a few moments, we sat in silence. My mind raced with possibilities, none of them particularly promising.
System, ever the peanut gallery, piped up again. "You know what you need? A bigger distraction."
"Like what?" I snapped. "A meteor strike?"
"Don't tempt fate."
---
A Desperate Plan
Lyra suddenly straightened. "Wait. There might be a way."
"Please tell me it doesn't involve sacrificing me."
"No promises," she said with a smirk. "There's a ruined temple not far from here. It's filled with old magical traps. If we can lure Seraphina there—"
"—we might have a shot at taking her down," I finished. "That's… actually not a terrible idea."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"But how do we get her there?"
Lyra's eyes gleamed with mischief. "We let her chase us."
I groaned. "I'm starting to regret teaming up with you."
"Too late for regrets."
---
The Chase Resumes
We didn't have to wait long. The sound of crackling flames echoed through the forest, and the temperature began to rise. Seraphina was awake—and furious.
"She's close," Lyra said, her voice tight with urgency.
"Time to play bait."
We took off running, weaving through the dense underbrush. Behind us, the forest lit up with an eerie orange glow.
"Alex!" Seraphina's voice rang out, filled with rage and desperation. "You can't run from me forever!"
"Wanna bet?" I muttered under my breath.
System chuckled. "Ten bucks says you trip and fall within the next minute."
"Shut up!"
Branches whipped at my face as we sprinted toward the temple. My lungs burned, but fear kept me moving. Every instinct screamed at me to keep going, to put as much distance as possible between myself and the pyromaniac behind us.
Lyra was a few steps ahead, her pace steady and determined. "Almost there!" she called over her shoulder.
---
The Temple of Traps
The temple loomed ahead, its ancient stone walls covered in moss and vines. It looked like it had been abandoned for centuries—a crumbling relic of a long-forgotten civilization.
"This place gives me the creeps," I said as we approached.
"Good. That means the traps are still active."
We darted inside just as Seraphina burst into the clearing. Her eyes locked onto me with laser-like intensity.
"Alex! You're mine!"
"Not today!" I shouted back.
Lyra grabbed my arm and pulled me deeper into the temple. "Stay close. One wrong step, and we're toast."
"Reassuring."
The temple's interior was dark and labyrinthine. Ancient symbols adorned the walls, glowing faintly with residual magic. The air was thick with the scent of damp stone and something metallic.
"Are we sure the traps still work?" I asked.
"Only one way to find out."
Seraphina's footsteps echoed behind us, growing louder with each passing second.
---
The First Trap
We rounded a corner, and Lyra suddenly stopped short. "Watch out!"
A section of the floor collapsed, revealing a pit filled with jagged spikes.
"Yikes."
Lyra leaped over the pit with practiced ease. I followed suit, barely making it to the other side.
Seraphina, however, didn't slow down. She launched herself across the pit with a burst of fire, landing gracefully on the other side.
"Impressive," System commented. "She could medal in the psycho Olympics."
"Not helping!"
---
The Gauntlet
The deeper we went, the more traps we encountered. Arrows shot from hidden walls, stone slabs slammed down from the ceiling, and strange vines tried to grab us at every turn.
Somehow, we managed to avoid them all.
Seraphina, however, wasn't so lucky. She dodged most of the traps with ease, but her growing frustration was evident.
"You can't hide forever, Alex!" she screamed.
"I'm not hiding—I'm surviving!"
---
The Final Trap
We burst into a large chamber at the heart of the temple. A massive, rune-covered pedestal stood in the center, radiating ancient magic.
Lyra skidded to a stop. "This is it."
"What does it do?"
"Something bad. Stand back."
I didn't need to be told twice.
Seraphina stormed into the chamber moments later, her eyes blazing with fury. "It's over, Alex."
Lyra raised her staff, chanting an incantation. The runes on the pedestal flared to life, and the air around us shimmered with raw energy.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then the pedestal erupted in a blinding explosion of light.
---
Aftermath
When the light faded, Seraphina was lying unconscious on the chamber floor. The pedestal had crumbled to dust, and the runes were nothing more than faint etchings.
"We did it," Lyra said, her voice filled with relief.
I collapsed onto the floor, every ounce of energy drained from my body. "Remind me never to date again."
System snickered. "Good luck with that."
As we dragged Seraphina's unconscious form out of the temple, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of foreboding.
This wasn't the end. Not by a long shot.
But for now, we had survived.
And that was enough.
To Be Continued…