The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the clouds in fiery streaks of orange and crimson. A heavily pregnant woman, every inch of her dark skin caked with dirt, bruises, and bites, crawled through the silent forest. Her groans were muted, swallowed by the eerie quiet, as if the very air held its breath. A trail of blood stained the ground behind her, but her focus was elsewhere, on the desperate need to escape the nightmare she’d left behind.

She knew who she was dealing with. He would never let her go. Her survival wasn't destined, yet she had to for the life stirring within her. He despised it, would destroy it without a second thought. She had to live for her child.

But he wouldn't let her, not while she carried what was 'his.' He would find her. There was no escape from a demon, a monster of unimaginable power. She imagined him near, his coal eyes glowing red, fangs bared, chuckling at her pathetic struggle. Exhaustion claimed her. She collapsed onto the wet grass, hands wrapped protectively around her swollen belly. Her eyelids, heavy as lead, succumbed to the encroaching darkness. Her last conscious thought: This could be one of his mind games.