Chapter 37

~Valeria~

One blink and the guy I’d risked everything to chase had disappeared into nowhere like he was never really there to begin with.

I stood there, strained and annoyed, staring into the empty space like it owed me answers.

I wasn’t even mad that I didn’t catch him. I was mad because… I don’t know. It felt like I walked into a trap without even knowing it. Like he wanted me to follow. Like he was measuring how far I’d go for my foolish curiosity.

Whatever the case, I knew one thing, I couldn’t stay here sulking in the dark like a lost kitten. I had to go back.

So I turned around, brushed the dust off my clothes, and started walking like nothing happened even though everything in my gut told me something very, very wrong just did.

By the time I made it back to the challenge grounds, the entire place looked like a different world.

Did I miss something? I sure did and I hated that it could have been the most interesting part.

The chaos? Non-existent. The bruises? Healed. The petty