Hellbound Heart - Chapter 300 Rusted

N0v3lTr0ve served as the original host for this chapter’s release on N0v3l–B1n.

Elle’s heart pounded fiercely in her chest as she stared at the man before her, his name formed on her lips in a disbelieving whisper. “E-Elijah?” The very sound of it sent shivers down her spine. The sinister atmosphere of the ancient underground cemetery that surrounded them was now more palpable than ever. Elijah, the man who was now standing before her, was the last person she was expecting to see in this place.

Panic flooded Elle’s mind as she realized that she had made a terrible mistake by coming here! And adding to that, she had come all alone!

Elijah was  wearing that intricate mask of his that she had been curious about the last time. That beautiful but creepy mask he had worn when she saw him for the first time during his birthday. Just the mere sight of that mask had immediately made her believe the man was no other than Elijah, as no other person she knew would have that unique but creepy mask on.

But after a few moments, her mind began to convince her that it might not be him. That this man – this stranger, must have just worn the same mask that Elijah did.

Deep within her, she prayed and hoped that it was not Elijah behind that mask. But he made a sound and the unease that had somewhat settled for a moment, now churned so wildly in her stomach. An unknown fear gripped her tightly, like a vice around her heart. It was him. This was indeed Elijah’s voice!

Fury and betrayal boiled within Elle as she turned towards Snow. How could Snow betray her like this? Was he not supposed to be her support and confidante? Her disappointment and hurt were palpable as she stared furiously into Snow’s eyes, which now held regret and apology. ‘Why? Why would you betray me like this?’ she asked the wolf through her eyes but Snow looked away, as if to hide the emotions in his eyes from her.

Elle’s heart shattered into a million pieces as she realized that she had been used as a pawn in someone else’s game. Gritting her teeth, Elle suddenly felt as though she was a fool, being played into thinking she was smarter than she was. And a wave of heat and rage bubbled from within her.

With adrenaline pumping through her veins, Elle made a desperate dash towards the exit, her heart pounding with fear and her breaths coming out in short gasps. But her escape was short-lived as Elijah appeared before her out of nowhere, his towering figure blocking her path like an impenetrable wall.

Elle’s eyes widened in terror as she realized the gravity of the situation she was in. She had blindly and foolishly sent herself into the lion’s den, and now she was trapped. Nowhere to run and trapped like a fly in a spider’s web.

For a moment, they just stood there, staring at each other in a tense silence. Elle could feel the fear and panic rising within her, threatening to overwhelm her. She knew she had to find a way out of this, but the question was, how? Her mind seemed to be running into a dead-end, not able to come up with anything useful right now.

In a split second decision, Elle tried to dodge past Elijah, hoping to catch him off guard. But he was too quick for her. Using his superhuman reflexes, he had easily reached out and grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back towards him with a force that made her stagger.

Elle gasped in shock. Could he see her? How did he manage to catch her while she was still in her invisible form? Did he anticipate her move?

Elle’s heart raced as she struggled to break free from Elijah’s grip, but his hold was unrelenting. She knew she had to come up with a plan, and fast–if she had any chances of getting free. She scanned her surroundings, searching for a way out, but the ancient underground cemetery had no other door except the one Elijah was blocking.

Desperate, Elle summoned all her strength and pushed against Elijah with all her might. To her surprise, he stumbled backward, caught off guard by her sudden burst of energy. Elle took advantage of this opportunity and backed off a few steps away from him, not even having the luxury to realize that she had used what could only be called as magic to break free from Elijah’s earlier tight grip on her.

Elijah’s chuckle echoed around them, sounding surprised and amused at the same time.

Then the sound of the ancient steel door closing echoed like a death toll. The door was massive, made of dark, rusted steel and looked as if it had been forged in a time long forgotten. Her panic surged even more as she stared at the one and only door leading to her freedom, now slammed shut in her face. She could feel the darkness closing in around her, suffocating her with its cold embrace.

Elle tried her bestest to calm herself down. Despite the fear that churned in her stomach, she knew she needed to stay rational and stop being rendered useless by fear. She needed to calm down and think!

“Been waiting for you…” Elijah said, walking towards her with a predatory grace that made Elle take a step back. She somehow felt that there was a smirk behind that creepy mask of his as well. Another shiver crawled up her spine.

When he reached the rectangle-shaped table-like object in the middle of the circular altar, Elijah stopped and turned to face her. “Don’t you have any questions, Princess Izabelle?” he asked when Elle was still too scared to speak. She had made herself invisible once again but judging from Elijah’s nonchalance, she could sense that it did not quite matter to him whether she was invisible or not. Was it because he was confident that she could never make it out by herself?

She clenched her fists and her hand brushed against the gun hidden at her side.