I had no choice but to stay where I was. The room felt colder now, the silence pressing in on me from every direction. I kept replaying the woman's words in my mind. "You've been marked. You're part of something much bigger." The weight of those words felt like a heavy chain around my neck, pulling me deeper into confusion and fear.

I needed answers, but the more I tried to think, the more the pieces refused to come together. My mind was a tangled mess of questions, doubts, and the terrifying knowledge that someone-or something-was out there, watching me.

Hours passed-or maybe it was minutes; I couldn't tell. The room was suffocating, and I felt like I was losing my grip on reality. But I couldn't just sit here. I couldn't let the woman's cryptic warning be the end of it. I had to find a way out, to understand what had happened to me.

My legs were still shaky, but I forced myself to stand up, moving slowly toward the door. I had to make it out of here-I had to. I couldn't let fear dictate my next move. With a final deep breath, I stepped into the hallway, my eyes darting around for any sign of the woman. The silence was deafening, and every creak of the floor under my feet seemed impossibly loud.

I crept down the narrow corridor, my heart hammering in my chest. Each turn I made felt more uncertain than the last. I had no idea where I was, no idea who these people were, but I wasn't going to let them control me anymore.

Suddenly, I heard a door creak open ahead. I froze, my pulse quickening. Someone was coming. I pressed myself against the wall, holding my breath. A figure passed in front of me, but I didn't move. I didn't want to risk being seen.

It was her. The woman. But this time, she wasn't alone.

A man stood next to her, tall and imposing, with dark eyes that seemed to pierce through me. His presence felt... powerful. Like he knew something I didn't. He glanced toward the hallway, his gaze lingering on the spot where I was hiding. My heart nearly stopped.

I didn't breathe until they passed, their footsteps echoing down the hall. When they were out of sight, I exhaled slowly, my hands clammy. But I couldn't just hide. I couldn't live in fear. I had to know what was going on.

I moved as quietly as I could, creeping down the hallway until I reached a door that was slightly ajar. Through the crack, I saw the woman and the man. They were sitting at a small table, speaking in low voices. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but the way they moved-calm, controlled-was enough to make my skin crawl.

I edged closer, straining to hear.

The woman's voice was soft, but I could catch a few words.

"...she's still asking questions. We need to keep her in the dark for a little longer..."

"...She'll figure it out. They always do."

I felt my stomach drop. What the hell are they talking about?

The man leaned forward. "It's dangerous. You know what they'll do if they find out."

"I'm not worried," she replied coldly. "She doesn't know enough yet. We can control this."

I had no idea what they meant, but every word felt like a needle digging into my chest. They were talking about me, about my fate, and I didn't even know why.

Before I could react, the door creaked behind me. Someone was approaching.

I darted away from the door, back down the hallway, my heart hammering in my chest. This was bad. I had to get out of here before they knew I was listening.

I ran down another hallway, trying to find a way out, but it seemed like every door I opened only led to another locked room. Panic was beginning to set in. I had to think-think fast.

And then I saw it. The exit. A set of stairs leading up to a rooftop. I didn't hesitate. I bolted toward the stairs, my body moving on instinct. If I could make it up there, maybe I could find a way to escape-at least, get a better view of where I was and what was really happening.

I reached the rooftop and paused, breathing heavily, my eyes scanning the area. I was on a high building, but everything looked unfamiliar. The city stretched out below me, but it felt like I was in some kind of isolated compound, far away from anything that could help me.

Then, I heard it.

A voice, clear and commanding, cutting through the air. "I knew you'd try to run."

I turned around to find the woman standing at the edge of the rooftop, her eyes locked on mine. She looked... different. More menacing. Her smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked, her voice eerily calm.

I backed away slowly, my feet slipping on the gravel rooftop. There was nowhere to go. No way to escape.

"You can't outrun this," she said softly, her eyes narrowing. "You're marked, and there's nothing you can do about it."

I didn't respond. There were no more words left. I could only feel the weight of her gaze on me, the inescapable sense of being trapped, and I knew, deep down, that there was no escaping this dark game they had already started.

And whatever it was, it was only just beginning.