Then, Erik suddenly stopped. His smirk faded, and his eyes darted to the side like he sensed something or someone. His jaw clenched. He stared at me for a moment longer, then scoffed under his breath.
Without saying another word, he turned around and walked away.
I stood there frozen, unable to process what just happened. I waited until his figure disappeared into the shadows before I let out the breath I didn't realize I had been holding. My chest rose and fell in fast, uneven gasps. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it wanted to tear through my ribs.
I wrapped my arms around myself and started walking again, this time heading back toward the mansion. My feet moved quickly, but my thoughts lagged behind. My legs felt like jelly beneath me, but I didn't stop until I reached the stairs.
'What just happened? Why did he leave? He doesn't seem like someone who would leave just like that. Why do I have a feeling that something terrible is going to happen?'
