Part 3 - THE HUNT BEINGS

⚡ ILLUSION

Part 3: The Hunt Begins

Written by Kingson Das

“He runs, she follows—not to punish, but to claim. Tonight, desire and desperation collide.”

Ethan Walker ran.

Not thinking.

Not planning.

Just running.

His breath came in sharp bursts, chest burning, legs screaming with every step. The pain from his bruises hadn’t faded—if anything, it had settled deeper, like a reminder carved into his bones.

But fear was stronger than pain.

Fear pushed him forward.

The hallway stretched endlessly.

Too long.

Too quiet.

Too wrong.

His house… wasn’t his house anymore.

The walls seemed to shift, shadows stretching unnaturally, as if watching him the same way those eye-plants had.

Every step echoed louder than it should have.

Too loud.

Like something wanted him to hear it.

“Running won’t help you.”

Her voice.

Soft.

Close.

Too close.

Ethan didn’t stop.

Didn’t turn.

Didn’t even breathe properly.

He just ran.

His hand slammed against another door.

He opened it—

Darkness.

He stepped inside anyway.

Because behind him—

Was worse.

The door shut on its own.

A click.

Locked.

Silence.

Heavy.

Pressing.

Ethan leaned against the wall, gasping for air.

“Think… think…” he muttered.

But his mind wasn’t working.

Every thought kept circling back to one thing—

Nyx.

Her eyes.

Her voice.

Her power.

“You’re trying to escape me… inside your own world?”

The voice came again.

But this time—

It wasn’t behind him.

It was—

Everywhere.

Ethan froze.

Slowly…

He turned.

She stood there.

Right in front of him.

Nyx.

Unmoving.

Calm.

Watching.

“How…” Ethan whispered, stepping back.

There was nowhere to go.

Still—

He stepped back.

She tilted her head slightly.

“Do you really think walls can stop me?”

Her voice wasn’t loud.

But it filled the room.

Controlled it.

Owned it.

Ethan’s jaw tightened.

“No… but I can try,” he said, forcing strength into his voice.

Even if it wasn’t real.

For a second—

Something changed in her expression.

Not anger.

Not amusement.

Something else.

Then it vanished.

“You’re still trying to resist,” she said.

A faint smile.

“You don’t understand, do you?”

“I understand enough,” Ethan snapped.

“You’re a demon. You want the Aion. Fine. Take it.”

Silence.

Nyx stared at him.

Longer this time.

Deeper.

“If it were that simple…” she said quietly, “you wouldn’t still be alive.”

Ethan’s breath hitched.

She took a step closer.

Slow.

Deliberate.

Ethan stepped back.

Again.

“Stay away,” he warned.

Even though he knew—

It meant nothing.

“Or what?” she asked.

Not mocking.

Just… curious.

Ethan didn’t answer.

Because he didn’t have one.

Nyx moved again.

Faster this time.

Closing the distance in a blink.

Her hand grabbed his wrist.

Firm.

Cold.

Unbreakable.

Ethan tried to pull away.

Nothing.

It was like being held by gravity itself.

“You keep running,” she said softly, her eyes locking onto his.

“But you don’t even know what you’re running from.”

“You,” he said immediately.

Her grip tightened slightly.

Not enough to hurt.

But enough to remind him—

He wasn’t in control.

“No,” she whispered.

“You’re running from what you are.”

Ethan froze.

Her words hit differently.

Not like a threat.

Like truth.

“That thing inside you,” she continued, “the Aion… it’s waking up.”

His heartbeat quickened.

“And you’re afraid,” she said.

“I’m not afraid,” he snapped.

“Then why are you shaking?”

Ethan looked down.

His hands.

Trembling.

Damn it.

Nyx’s fingers moved slightly—

Not tightening.

Not hurting.

Just… holding.

“You feel it, don’t you?” she said.

Ethan swallowed hard.

Because—

He did.

Something inside him.

Warm.

Alive.

Watching.

Like it was listening.

Like it was waiting.

“I don’t know what it is,” he said quietly.

Nyx stepped even closer now.

Too close.

“You don’t need to know,” she murmured.

“You just need to accept it.”

“I’m not accepting anything from you.”

A pause.

Then—

She smiled.

Not dark.

Not cruel.

Different.

“Then I’ll make you understand.”

Her hand moved—

From his wrist…

To his chest.

Right where his heart was.

Ethan stiffened instantly.

“Don’t—”

Too late.

A sudden surge of energy exploded through him.

Light.

Heat.

Power.

Ethan gasped.

His back arched as something inside him awakened.

Not pain.

Not exactly.

Something deeper.

Like his body wasn’t just his anymore.

Like something else had taken notice.

“Feel that?” Nyx whispered.

Ethan couldn’t speak.

His vision blurred.

Colors twisted.

Reality—

Shifted.

And then—

Darkness.

But not empty.

This time—

It wasn’t fear.

It was presence.

Ethan stood somewhere else.

Again.

But this place—

Was different.

No fire.

No monsters.

No eyes.

Just…

Space.

Endless.

Silent.

And in the center—

A light.

Floating.

Breathing.

Alive.

The Aion.

Ethan stared at it.

Drawn to it.

“What… are you…” he whispered.

The light pulsed.

Once.

Twice.

And then—

It moved.

Toward him.

Ethan didn’t step back.

Didn’t run.

This time—

He stayed.

The light stopped right in front of him.

And for a moment—

Everything was still.

Then—

A voice.

Not loud.

Not clear.

But there.

“You… belong…”

Ethan’s eyes widened.

“Belong… to what?” he asked.

Silence.

Then—

The light touched him.

And everything shattered.

Ethan snapped back.

Back to the room.

Back to Nyx.

Back to reality.

He dropped to his knees, breathing hard.

“What… was that…” he gasped.

Nyx stood in front of him.

Watching.

Carefully.

“You saw it,” she said.

Ethan looked up.

“The Aion…” she continued, “is not just power.”

A pause.

“It chooses.”

Ethan’s chest tightened.

“And it chose you.”

“No…” he shook his head.

“Yes.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Ethan pushed himself up slowly.

Still weak.

Still shaking.

“Then why do you need me?” he asked.

Nyx didn’t answer immediately.

For the first time—

She hesitated.

Just a second.

Then—

“It was mine first.”

Ethan froze.

“There it is…” he muttered.

A small truth.

A crack.

He stepped closer.

“You lost it,” he said.

Her eyes flickered.

“And now you want it back.”

Her silence confirmed it.

Ethan let out a slow breath.

“So I’m not the problem,” he said.

“You just want what you lost.”

Nyx’s gaze hardened.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Then explain,” he challenged.

A long pause.

Then—

She stepped forward.

Close again.

Too close.

“It was never meant for you,” she said.

“Maybe not,” Ethan replied.

“But it’s in me now.”

Their eyes locked.

Tension.

Sharp.

Electric.

“You think that gives you power?” she asked.

“No,” he said quietly.

A pause.

“But it gives me a choice.”

That—

Changed something.

For the first time—

Nyx didn’t look in control.

Just for a second.

Then it was gone.

Her hand shot forward—

Grabbing his collar—

Pulling him closer.

“You don’t get to choose,” she whispered.

Ethan didn’t look away.

“Then make me.”

Silence.

Dangerous.

Unpredictable.

Then—

She let go.

Stepped back.

And smiled.

Not cruel.

Not soft.

Something in between.

“Run,” she said.

Ethan frowned.

“What?”

“Run,” she repeated.

Confusion hit him.

“Why?”

Her eyes glowed faintly.

“Because this time…”

A pause.

“I want to see how far you can go.”

Ethan didn’t wait.

He ran.

Again.

But this time—

It wasn’t just fear.

It was something else.

Something building inside him.

Behind him—

Nyx walked.

Not chasing.

Not rushing.

Just following.

Like she knew—

He wouldn’t get far.

And maybe—

She didn’t want him to.

Ethan turned a corner—

Then another—

Then another—

But the house…

Kept changing.

Stretching.

Breaking.

Reforming.

Like it was alive.

Like it belonged to her.

And he—

Was just moving inside it.

A game.

A hunt.

And he was the prey.

Or maybe—

Something else.

He stopped.

Breathing hard.

Listening.

Nothing.

Silence again.

Too quiet.

Then—

A whisper.

Right behind him.

“Found you.”

Ethan turned—

Too late.

Nyx was already there.

Closer than before.

Closer than ever.

Her hand reached out—

Almost touching his face

But stopped.

Just inches away.

Her eyes locked onto his.

Searching.

Not for fear.

For something else.

Something deeper.

Ethan didn’t move.

Didn’t run.

Didn’t speak.

Because for the first time—

He wasn’t just afraid.

He was… drawn.

And that—

Was far more dangerous.

Nyx smiled faintly.

“Good,” she whispered.

A pause.

“You’re starting to understand.”

Ethan’s voice came out low.

“I’m not running anymore.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

“Then what are you doing?”

He looked straight at her.

“Facing you.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Unpredictable.

Then—

She stepped closer.

No space left between them.

“Careful,” she said softly.

“Why?”

Her lips curved slightly.

“Because once you stop running…”

A pause.

“You become mine faster.”

Ethan didn’t step back.

Didn’t break eye contact.

“Then come and take me.”

For a moment—

Everything stopped.

The air.

The sound.

The world.

Then—

Nyx laughed.

Low.

Dark.

Beautiful.

“Interesting…” she whispered.

Her hand finally touched his face.

Cold.

Soft.

Deadly.

“Very interesting.”

Ethan’s heart pounded.

Not just fear.

Something else.

Something dangerous.

Something he didn’t understand yet.

And neither did she.

But both of them felt it.

Clear.

Unavoidable.

And that—

Changed everything.

Nyx stepped back slowly.

Her eyes still locked on him.

“This won’t end quickly,” she said.

A pause.

“It’s just beginning.”

Ethan took a breath.

Steady this time.

Not running.

Not breaking.

Just standing.

Watching her.

Waiting.

For whatever comes next.

Nyx turned away.

But before disappearing—

She looked back once more.

A faint smile.

Predatory.

Certain.

“Run, fight, resist…” she said softly.

“It won’t change the ending.”

A pause.

“You’re already mine.”

And then—

She was gone.

Ethan stood alone.

But not free.

Never free.

Because now—

He understood.

This wasn’t escape.

This wasn’t survival.

This was something else entirely.

A connection.

A bond.

A hunt.

And he—

Was right in the middle of it.

This is only the start of the hunt.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***