The forest was pitch black, the thick canopy above swallowing any light from the moon. Your breath came in ragged gasps as you sprinted through the endless expanse of trees, your heart pounding so loudly it drowned out everything else. The only sound that rivaled it was the soft crunch of leaves behind you—the footsteps of someone who wasn’t in a rush, someone who knew they didn’t need to run.

You dared a glance behind you, your stomach sinking as you saw the faint outline of his figure in the darkness. Nightmare. The black mask, the glowing red eyes like smoldering embers, and that unnerving red line of a smile that didn’t move.

"Keep running, little one. Makes this so much more interesting," his voice called out, low and chilling, a cruel tease laced with certainty.

You pushed yourself harder, adrenaline surging through you, until a hidden rock caught your foot. You tumbled to the ground, the sharp pain in your ankle shooting through you like fire. You scrambled, trying to get up, but before you could, the sound of his footsteps stopped right behind you.

The silence was worse than the chase.

You felt the air shift as he crouched beside you, his mask tilting to meet your gaze. His voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried the weight of finality.

"You thought you could escape me, didn’t you, darling? Cute."

Your heart sank as he reached out, his gloved hand brushing a stray leaf from your hair with unnerving calm.

"Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. It’s over, sweetheart."

The predator had caught his prey. And he wasn’t letting go.