His Possession To Claim

Aria edged closer to the cottage, but the energy surrounding it felt off, almost unnatural. The place exuded an eerie aura, as though it had been abandoned for decades. The absence of any visible movement added to the unsettling atmosphere. Even the faint rustling of leaves seemed ominous. Dark clouds fumbled and gathered in the sky, a forewarning of the impending storm. Aria hesitated, her feet rooted to the spot.

She wasn't sure whether to take another step forward or retreat to safety. Dying here, in the middle of nowhere, was definitely not part of her plan. Her poor mother,who was still recovering and getting back to her feet, gave her reason enough to think twice. She sighed, glancing around before her instincts prompted her to pull out her phone. She dialed Jenny's number.

Earlier, she'd tried to locate Jenny before leaving, hoping her friend could wait with the others in case she didn't return on time, but she hadn't found her. The rest of the group had been too occupied to listen to her concerns—except for Daphne. And Daphne… Aria still couldn't shake the odd feeling about her. Could she have ulterior motives? Aria didn't know, but she was beginning to suspect so.

Dialing Jenny's number again proved futile, as her screen flashed "No Signal." Her heart sank, but she forced herself to focus.

"Let's get this over and done with. Aria, you shouldn't be afraid. You are a light; the light fears no darkness," she muttered under her breath, willing herself forward. With each hesitant step she took toward the cottage, her grip on her phone tightened, her thumb instinctively redialing Jenny's number out of desperation.

Finally, she stepped inside. The cottage was cramped, rusty, and smelled of decay. Dust motes swirled in the faint light, and cobwebs clung to every corner. She spotted the tent lying on the floor, poles scattered around it. As she approached, a loud crash echoed from somewhere deep within the cottage, and her soul momentarily left her body before snapping back.

Aria didn't wait to find out what caused the noise. She knelt quickly, folding the poles into smaller segments and stuffing them into the bag she'd found tossed across the room. Every nerve in her body screamed at her to hurry, and she obeyed, shoving the tent into the bag without a second thought.

Stepping outside, her knees almost buckled when she saw five hefty men with stern looking demeanor blocking her path. Their presence was suffocating, their gazes sharp and unreadable. Aria's pulse skyrocketed. Her sixth sense kicked in, warning her of danger, but she tried to calm herself. Maybe they were just workers or part of the farm team.

"Good evening," she greeted, her voice steady despite the hammering in her chest. Silence followed. Her stomach twisted, but she pressed on. "Uh… I came to get my teacher's tent. I didn't mean to trespass."

Still no response.

She could really sense something was off,her sixth sense was going to be right today. It had always been wrong,it had caused her to overreact and easily lose trust in people,which of course earned her cold shoulders in return. So she always tried to brush off any feelings it gave her,she tried to dismiss the dread clawing at her chest. But this time, it wouldn't go away. She was a bit afraid it might be right this time around.

"Hehehe" she gave a sheepish grin. "Carry on with whatever you were doing. I'll just… take my leave now." If they were not going to speak up,she might as well shoo them away and take her leave. She took a step forward, determined to brush past them and pretend nothing had happened.

"Are you Aria Houston?"

The question froze her mid-step. She squinted, her entire body tensing. "I'm… not sure. Why are you looking for her? If it's urgent, you can follow me back to the quarters. I'll take you to her." She wasn't going to lie–that went against her faith—but she wasn't going to admit anything either.

Her response didn't seem to faze them. Instead, one of the men, lankier than the rest, leaned toward a rough-looking man who seemed to be their leader.

"Scar, I meant boss, isn't that the shirt madam told us she would wear?" the lanky man whispered,

"Shirt?" she repeated, confused. Though the man had whispered,his deep voice was loud enough to give away what he said.

"Check it again," Scar commanded, his voice sharp and authoritative. The lanky man pulled out his phone, scrolling through something before nodding. "Yes, that is the shirt."

Scar's gaze darkened as he turned to her. "Get her."

Aria needed no one to tell her they were referring to her. Her adrenaline kicked in, and she bolted. Her heart pounded as her legs carried her forward, the heavy tent bag hindering her pace. She barely managed a few strides before two of the men caught up, yanking her to the ground. She hit the dirt hard, her knees scraping against the rough surface. She clutched the bag tightly, her breaths coming in short, shallow gasps.

"Gimme that phone," Scar barked.

The phone was handed to him, and he stepped closer, scrutinizing her intently. His proximity sent a shiver down her spine, and she turned her face away, his gaze too invasive.

"The shirt looks the same," Scar said aloud, but Aria barely heard him over the pounding in her head. Shirt? What shirt? She glanced down at her shirt,it wasn't hers,it was borrowed and suddenly it clicked. Earlier that morning, Daphne had spilled coffee on her original shirt. She'd refused the replacement Daphne had offered, but Daphne had insisted which she found quite odd. Daphne wasn't one to take responsibility for what she did,if anything,she brushes it off lightly.

Her heart sank. This wasn't a coincidence.

"She kinda looks… much better in real life, or is it just ma eyes?" Scar muttered, still comparing her to whatever was on his screen.

"Don't blame me, chile," Scar added after a beat. His voice wavered slightly, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. "Just doing what I was told to do."

"Boss, we get this over with. Me don't want madame's trouble," the lanky man urged, his accent thick and voice anxious.

"Madam? Which madam?" Aria's voice trembled. "Is it Daphne? Did she put you up to this? Did she pay you for this?" Her mind raced, and tears welled up in her eyes.

They didn't answer, but their silence spoke volumes. Scar remained still, while the other men leered at her. Their eyes roamed her body in ways that made her stomach churn. She wasn't naïve—she knew what those looks meant.

Aria's heart raced, her thoughts scrambling for a way out. She had to act fast. Without hesitation,she did what first came to her mind,she swung the tent bag with all her strength, the heavy poles inside knocking one of the men off balance and into the others. The commotion bought her precious seconds, and she took off running.

"Get her!" Scar barked, though he remained rooted in place.

Aria didn't dare look back. She sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her, the sound of pounding footsteps growing louder behind her. Her lungs burned, but she refused to stop. Their stride and pace were much longer than hers but she was going to show them that her legs does wonders. During her younger days,she had always taken part in marathons, relay races,long distance,you name it she'd always been among the best. Now, those skills might just save her life.

But the path ahead was uncertain, and fate seemed determined to push her to the edge. Would she escape? Or was this the beginning of her nightmare? Aria didn't know, but she planning to go down without a fight, that was for sure.