Her Gargoyle Captor

Chapter 1

Serena

Branches whip across my face as I tear through the forest. My lungs burn, desperate for air. The voices of my pursuers echo behind me, their cruel laughter sending chills down my spine.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," a silky voice calls.

"We promise to make it quick," another taunts. "Well, maybe not too quick."

Their laughter rings out again, closer this time. My heart pounds in my chest, threatening to burst. I can't outrun them forever.

"Found you, pretty thing," a voice whispers right next to my ear.

I scream, whirling around. A dark elf materializes from the shadows, his eyes glowing with malice. Without thinking, I grab a fallen branch and swing it with all my might. It connects with a satisfying crack.

"You little bitch!" he snarls.

I don't wait to see if I've done any real damage. I bolt in the opposite direction, crashing through the underbrush. The full moon hangs overhead, but its light barely penetrates the thick canopy. Shadows dance at the edge of my vision, playing tricks on my mind.

My foot catches on an exposed root, and I stumble. Pain shoots up my leg as I crash to the ground. I scramble to my feet, but my ankle throbs in protest.

"I can smell your fear," a voice purrs from the darkness. "It's intoxicating."

Panic claws at my throat. I limp forward, each step sending spikes of agony through my body. Branches scrape my arms, drawing blood. I collide with a tree trunk, the impact knocking the wind from my lungs.

"Please," I whimper, though I know it's futile. These monsters have no mercy.

The forest seems to close in around me. Every shadow holds a potential threat. My chest heaves as I struggle to draw breath. How long can I keep this up? The dark elves are toying with me, prolonging the chase for their own sick amusement.

Hope slips away with each labored step. I'm lost, injured, and alone. The inevitability of my fate settles over me like a shroud.

The trees part, and I stumble into a moonlit clearing. My legs give out, and I collapse at the base of a massive statue. Obsidian wings glitter in the pale light, a strange beast frozen in time.

Pain lances through my arm. Blood seeps between my fingers as I clutch the wound. Those bastards. They stabbed me to make me easier to track. Like I'm nothing more than prey for their sick game.

Rage and betrayal burn hotter than the pain. How could he do this to me? That lying, spineless weasel I called a boyfriend. Sold me out to dark elves to cover his gambling debts. I hope he rots.

My vision blurs. No way out now. Not like this, bleeding out at the feet of some forgotten god. It's over. I'm done.

A memory surfaces, unbidden. Mom's face, radiant and kind. Her smile could chase away any darkness. One of the few memories I have left of her.

Will I see her again, wherever I'm going? The thought brings a strange comfort as my eyes grow heavy. Maybe there's peace waiting in the Abyss after all.

A bone-chilling screech of stone jolts me from my daze. My heart leaps into my throat as I scramble back, eyes wide with terror. The statue - it's moving.

Glowing blue eyes flicker to life, piercing through the darkness. The beast's limbs twitch and flex, stone grinding against stone as it awakens. Those otherworldly eyes lock onto mine, and I can't breathe. Can't think. Can't move.

Before I can process what's happening, voices cut through the night.

"There she is!"

"Nowhere to run now, little mouse."

The dark elves burst into the clearing, wicked grins stretched across their faces. My blood runs cold. I press myself against the base of the statue, desperate for any shred of protection.

"Please," I beg, voice cracking. "Let me go. I won't tell anyone, I swear."

One of the elves laughs, a cruel sound that sends shivers down my spine. "Oh, we're not letting you go anywhere. The fun's just getting started."

They stalk towards me, weapons glinting in the moonlight. I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable. But instead of pain, I hear a thunderous roar.

My eyes snap open just in time to see the statue - no, the creature - leap into the air. It crashes down on the nearest elf with devastating force. There's a sickening crunch, and the elf goes still.

"What in the Abyss?!" another elf shouts, his voice cracking with fear.

The beast's massive head swivels, those piercing blue eyes now fixed on the remaining elves. I watch, frozen in place, as they stumble back, their weapons raised in shaking hands. The moonlight glints off their blades, but the trembling metal offers little comfort against this monstrous creature.

"Kill it!" one of them yells, his voice a desperate, shrill command that echoes through the clearing.

But it's too late. Oh gods, it's far too late for them. The creature moves with impossible speed, a blur of stone and fury. It tears through the elves like they're made of paper, ripping and crushing with terrifying ease. 

Screams of terror turn to gurgling gasps, a horrifying symphony that makes my stomach churn. Blood splatters across the moonlit grass, staining the silvery blades crimson.

In mere moments, it's over. The clearing falls silent save for my ragged breathing. I can hear my heart pounding in my ears, feel it threatening to burst from my chest. Slowly, those glowing eyes turn back to me.

"P- Please," I stutter. My entire body shakes, trembling in shock and terror.

If I could escape the elves this monster swatted like bugs, there's no way I can escape it, either.