THE NEXT MORNING
ISABELLA'S POINT OF VIEW:
The morning sun barely peeked over the horizon when I swung my bag over my shoulder and made my way toward the door. My heart pounded, but my steps were quick and steady. I didn't have time to hesitate. I had to leave. Last night had been too much. Seeing Elena, feeling the weight of their gazes on me, knowing the system was still lurking over me like a predator waiting for its moment if I stayed, it would only get worse. They knew too much already. And I… I wasn't meant to be here. I reached for the door handle.
"Where do you think you're going?"I heard a voice.
My hand froze mid air. I turned slowly, my breath hitching. Xavier stood just a few steps away, arms crossed, his blue eyes sharp with suspicion. Behind him, Adrian leaned against the wall with a tired sigh, while Alastor's crimson eyes were locked onto my bag.
"I—I was just going to get some air."I whispered.
Alastor's eyes darkened.
"With all your belongings?"Alastor asked.
Damn it. Adrian let out a humorless chuckle, shaking his head.
"You're a terrible liar, Isabella."Adrian said.
"I-"I started.
I turned back to the door, trying to make a run for it, but before I could even reach it, a firm hand grabbed my wrist. Xavier.
"Let go." My voice was barely above a whisper, but the way my body trembled betrayed my words.
He didn't. Instead, he tightened his grip, his expression unreadable.
"You're not going anywhere." Xavier said.
Adrian pushed off the wall, stepping closer.
"You're running away. Again."Adrian said.
I clenched my jaw, yanking my wrist free.
"You don't understand-"I started.
"Then make us understand." Alastor interrupted sharply, his tone edged with frustration. "Because I am sick of watching you act like you're alone in this."
I opened my mouth, then closed it. I was alone in this. They might think they wanted to help, but the system wasn't going to let them. The moment they got too involved, the moment they learned too much, they would be discarded. Just like I would be. I took a shaky breath, tightening my grip on my bag.
"I have to go."I said.
Xavier's eyes narrowed.
"Where?"He asked.
I hesitated to answer it.
"You don't even know, do you?"Adrian scoffed.
My stomach twisted.
I didn't. I had no plan, no real direction only the desperate need to escape. Alastor took a slow step toward me, his voice softer this time.
"Isabella… you're not going to survive out there alone."He said.
I flinched.
"Then let me die." The words came out before I could stop them.
The air grew deathly silent. I regretted it the second I saw their faces. Xavier's grip on his arms tightened, his jaw clenching hard enough to crack. Adrian's usual sharp, teasing demeanor vanished, replaced with something cold, something unreadable. Alastor… looked almost hurt.
"No." Xavier said, his voice dangerously low. "That's not an option."
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"I don't belong here. This isn't my world. I-" My voice cracked, and I forced myself to breathe. "If I stay, the system will-"
"You think we care about the system?" Adrian snapped, his golden eyes burning. "We all know something is wrong, but you running away like this isn't solving anything."
I shook my head.
'You don't-"I started.
Alastor stepped in front of me, towering over me now, his crimson eyes piercing into mine.
"You do belong here." He said, each word firm. "And I don't care what the system says. I'm not letting you disappear.""
Xavier nodded, his voice final.
"Neither are we."Xavier said.
I looked between the three of them, my chest tightening.
Why? Why were they still trying? Didn't they understand that the more they stayed around me, the worse this would get? The system wouldn't let this continue forever.
One day, it would take me away. Even if they begged me to stay, even if they thought they could protect me, I knew the system wouldn't allow it. The longer I remained with them, the worse it would get. So the moment Xavier loosened his grip even for a fraction of a second I moved. I shoved past him and sprinted toward the door.
"Isabella!" Xavier's voice was sharp, but I didn't stop.
Adrian cursed behind me, and I heard the quick shuffle of boots against the floor as they moved after me.
I yanked open the door and dashed outside, my heart hammering against my ribs. The cold morning air bit at my skin, but I didn't care, I ran. Down the stone steps.
Past the courtyard. Through the empty streets. I ran like my life depended on it. Because it did. Behind me, I heard them shouting Xavier, Adrian, Alastor. Their voices filled with panic, with frustration, with something dangerously close to desperation.
"She's running-!"Adrian shouted.
"Get her!"I heard Alastor's voice.
"Isabella, stop!"Xavier shouted.
I pushed myself faster, lungs burning, legs screaming for rest. But I couldn't stop. Not now. Because if they caught me if they dragged me back I would never be able to leave again. I turned sharply into an alley, my breath ragged. My hands trembled as I reached into my bag, pulling out a small bottle the healer had slipped me the night before. An emergency potion.
For wounds. For exhaustion. Or in my case for escape.
I uncorked it with my teeth and drank. The moment the liquid touched my tongue, my vision sharpened, my legs felt lighter. The pain in my body dulled, and I surged forward with renewed speed. I ran past startled villagers, past merchant stalls. A few people gasped, recognizing me, but I didn't slow down. And then I reached the forest. I dove between the trees, heart pounding, chest heaving. The shadows of the branches swallowed me whole, and I finally finally, felt like I was getting away. Until I heard them.
Too close. A shiver ran down my spine, but I didn't look back. I couldn't. I just ran.
''Isabella! You can't leave us like that!"Xavier shouted.
"Don't you dare, Isabella!" Adrian's voice rang out, but I ignored him, my breath ragged as I threw myself into the shadows of the trees.
The moment I crossed into the forest, panic set in behind me.
"Where is she?!" Alastor's voice was sharp with barely contained fear.
"She ran into the woods damn it, she's fast." Xavier growled.
"Fan out! Find her!" Adrian orderered.
I pressed myself against the rough bark of a tree, trying to quiet my gasping breaths. The moonlight barely pierced through the canopy, casting eerie shadows across the undergrowth. Every muscle in my body screamed for rest, but I couldn't stop. Not yet. I turned, deeper into the darkness, ignoring the sharp branches that scratched at my arms and legs. My dress was torn, my hair a tangled mess, but I kept moving. I had escaped. I crouched behind the thick roots of an ancient tree, my heart hammering against my ribs. My hands were scraped, my legs ached, but I didn't care, I was hidden. For now.
The shouts of my pursuers echoed through the trees.
"She couldn't have gone far." Xavier's voice was tight with frustration.
"She's injured, she won't last long like this." Adrian added, worry laced in his tone.
I pressed my hand against my mouth, stifling my ragged breathing. They were too close. Too persistent. Then, suddenly, a sharp pain exploded in my head.
"Youdisobeyedagain, Isabella." System said.
The System's voice slithered through my mind like ice. No. Not now.
"Runningisuseless. Youhavenochoice. Youwillcomply"System said.
I clutched my head, biting my lip to hold back a pained whimper as agony rippled through my body. My vision blurred, my limbs trembled. The System wasn't just angry it was punishing me.
"Goback. Playyourrole. Stopresisting."System said.
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay silent even as the pain coiled around my chest like a vice. The last time the System punished me like this, I had barely been able to stand afterward. But I refused.
I *wouldn't* be its puppet. I dug my nails into my palm, focusing on the sting to ground myself. I bit back a sob, trying to push myself up, but my body was weak, too weak. My vision swam, dark spots dancing at the edges. The System was making sure I couldn't run any farther. A branch snapped nearby. I froze, my breath hitching.
No. They were close. I forced my trembling body deeper into the roots, praying they wouldn't find me before I had the strength to move again.
### **Isabella's POV**
I didn't know how long I had been running. The dense trees stretched endlessly, their branches clawing at my clothes as if trying to pull me back. My breath came in harsh gasps, my legs trembling from exhaustion. But I couldn't stop.
*I made it. I finally got away.*
Leaning against a tree, I clutched my chest, trying to steady my breathing. My heart pounded wildly, not just from exertion but from the System's wrath.
**[Warning: Unauthorized escape detected.]**
**[Punishment in process.]**
A sharp, searing pain shot through my head, making me gasp. I bit down on my lip, stifling a cry.
*Shut up. Just shut up.*
I slid down the tree, curling into myself as I rode out the pain. I had made it this far—there was no turning back now.
AT THE SAME TIME
XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:
"She actually ran."I said.
The words tasted bitter in my mouth as I stared at the forest's edge. The guards had already spread out, searching frantically, but the further she got, the harder it would be to find her.
"Damn it!" I clenched my fists.
How could she do this? After everything, after we…
"She's terrified." Adrian muttered beside me, his face pale with worry. "And the System… we don't even know what it's doing to her."
Alastor said nothing, his jaw tight, his eyes dark with frustration. The anger rolling off him was nearly suffocating. Then, as if the situation couldn't get worse, a familiar voice cut through the tense air.
"She ran because she knows she doesn't belong here." Elera said.
We all turned sharply. Elena stood before us, her long crimson hair catching the dying sunlight. Her emerald eyes held something unreadable pity, frustration, maybe even satisfaction. Adrian was the first to step forward, his usual calm cracking.
"You—" Adrian started.
But I was faster. I grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer.
"What did you say?" I growled.
Elena didn't even flinch.
"She's an anomaly, Xavier. You all know that. The System won't let her exist here forever." Elera said.
My grip tightened.
"Is that why you didn't tell us everything sooner?" I growled.
Her eyes narrowed.
"I told you what I could." She said.
"She's *suffering." Alastor's voice was low, dangerous. "And you act like it's just… fate?"
Elena let out a slow breath, glancing toward the trees.
"I never wanted her to get hurt." Elera said.
"Then help us 'find her'." I growled.
For a second, her face softened. Then she nodded.
"Fine."She said.