[center][url=https://open.spotify.com/track/5gWtkdgdyt5bZt9i6n3Kqd?si=37957e6e11974ccb][img]https://i.postimg.cc/05m61xNT/Elena-Castellano-removebg-preview-1.png[/img][/url][/center][right][sub]Interactions: Luciana/Loni [@FernStone][/sub][/right][hr]
[indent][color=#ffffff]Elena’s arms throbbed with fatigue, yet she held onto Luciana as if her life depended on it. The tiny girl curled against her, trembling slightly, while her warm, tear-streaked face snuggled into Elena’s neck, seeking comfort and safety. Each heart-wrenching whimper of “Mama” pierced through Elena's heart, stitching guilt into her very core. Luciana's pudgy little fingers reached out in a plea for Loni, even as Elena pulled her closer, whispering empty words of comfort into the soft curls that smelled of baby shampoo. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]“It’s alright, sweetheart. Everything will be okay,” the young woman wanted to claim, but the truth gnawed at her thoughts like a hungry wolf; the lurking monster was just outside the flickering boundaries of the salt circle, waiting patiently for it to drop. Because surely it wouldn’t last forever, especially given Loni’s injuries. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]Loni's shaky nod and meek smile provided just a bit of comfort. Yet, Elena could not overlook the bated rhythm of her trembling hands or the lifelessness slowly creeping into her eyes. It was evident that Loni was clinging to hope, but the effort was beginning to wear her thin. The dim room, bathed in feeble light, spotlighted the crimson stain blossoming on her shoulder, mocking her already-tattered jumper. [/color]

[color=#ff7360]“Thanks- Can y’keep holdin’ her for me?” [/color][color=#ffffff]the mother whispered. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]Elena nodded wordlessly in reply, even as Luciana wriggled again, her tiny hands trembling as she reached toward her mother. The heartbreak in her voice splintered Elena’s already frayed nerves. Her cries were quieter now—no longer frantic, but soaked with exhaustion and confusion, the kind that left a sting behind Elena’s eyes. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]Suddenly, the loud crash of a chair jolted Elena back to the here and now. She spun around quickly, her eyes darting to the unstable figure stumbling towards them, blood trickling like a morbid stream down his temple. His gaze, vacant and haunting, fixed on her with an intensity that felt like icy fingers tracing her spine, sending a wave of dread through her core. The way he moved was unnatural, his body jerking and rigid, as if marionette strings were being pulled by a malevolent hand, manipulating him like a puppet lost in the throes of horror.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]The barrier flickered away for an instant, and in that moment Elena's heart felt like it had stopped beating. Instinctively, she pivoted her body to serve as a shield for Luciana, her arms wrapping around the child like a protective cocoon, ready to bear any danger that might come their way. But his potential touch never came. Instead, Loni sprang into action, an acrid, chemical scent hitting Elena's nostrils as a follow-up. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]The man reeled backward, his face twisting in horror as though the very air had ignited an invisible fire within, his mouth gaping open in a silent scream, a grotesque mime of suffering. Then, like a puppet untethered from its strings, his body contorted in a twisted ballet, retreating into the murky depths of the shadows, where he seemed to evaporate into darkness.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Elena stared after him as Loni explained her reaction, her heart pounding so hard it hurt. She gulped, her throat feeling as heavy as a boulder as Loni’s grateful words were then given. What could anyone truly be grateful for in a moment like this, however? Was it for clutching Luciana? Just drawing breath? Or merely for standing still like a statue while Loni fought the tide of red spilling from her injuries? [/color]

[color=#ffffff]A hot spark of shame flickered inside Elena, urging her to shift Luciana in her embrace, taking on the full weight of her small form as if it were a mantle of responsibility.[/color]

[color=#f9c2bf]“I’ll keep her safe,”[/color][color=#ffffff] Elena promised, though her voice felt too small, too thin. It wasn’t a grand vow—just a quiet truth. She wasn’t like Loni [/color][color=#ffffff][i]or[/i][/color][color=#ffffff] her twin; she couldn’t fight this thing with claws or barriers, but she could hold Luciana. She could move when everything in her told her to freeze. That's what she could do for the worried mother and herself. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]Her eyes swept the room as her mind raced for a possible next step. Loni’s shield wouldn’t hold forever—not with her bleeding, not with the way the barrier flickered every few breaths. There had to be something they could do, some way out. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]Her mother’s words whispered in her mind again, steady as ever: [/color][color=#f881ae][i]Trust your gut.[/i][/color]

[color=#ffffff]Elena’s gut told her that waiting here meant death. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]She looked at Luciana’s tear-streaked face pressed into her jacket, then at Loni, and finally at what was occurring outside the circle.[/color][color=#ffffff]Elena’s eyes darted to the coarse salt strewn haphazardly across the cold floor before shifting toward the bakery counter, where a torn bag of sugar lay awkwardly tipped over, its sweet contents spilling out like little white pebbles. A flicker of memory blinked into her mind—a vivid image of her mother stirring together salt and sugar into a makeshift potion, a rough remedy that served to stem the flow of blood in dire situations. It wasn’t a definitive cure, but it could provide them with fleeting moments of hope and the gift of time itself.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Yet, a heavy weight settled in her chest. She would have to leave the circle. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]Elena's heart raced as she hesitated, the warmth of Luciana nestled snugly in her arms, her small fingers firmly gripping the soft fabric of Elena’s coat like a stubborn vine clinging to a trellis. The idea of placing her down, even for the briefest heartbeat, felt like a terrible idea. However, she realized that remaining still was a luxury no one could afford; if she didn’t act, if she didn’t reach out to help Loni, the protective barrier would crumble—leaving them all exposed to the thing lurking just beyond it. [/color]

[color=#f9c2bf]“Loni,” [/color][color=#ffffff]Elena called out.[/color][color=#f9c2bf] “I can help with your shoulder. My mom taught me a trick to slow the bleeding. But I need…” [/color][color=#ffffff]Her gaze fell longingly on the sugar, which seemed to shimmer just out of her grasp, a glint of promise amidst desperation. [/color][color=#f9c2bf]“I need that sugar. I’ll be fast. I swear.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Her heart drummed an urgent rhythm against her ribs as she knelt down, careful as glass, to lay Luciana tenderly on the ground.  The little girl whimpered softly, her small hands reaching instinctively for Elena as though sensing the shift in safety.[/color]

[color=#f9c2bf]“I’ll be back in a heartbeat,” [/color][color=#ffffff]Elena murmured, her voice laden with emotion.[/color][color=#f9c2bf] “Stay here with Mama, alright? You’re so brave.” [/color]

[color=#ffffff]She then rose and turned toward the counter, every fragment of her being focused on the task ahead. [/color]

[color=#ffffff]Stepping outside the protective circle felt akin to plunging into frigid waters, the cold biting into her skin, sending shivers racing up her spine like an army of tiny icy fingers. [/color][color=#f9c2bf][i]“Just keep going,” [/i][/color][color=#ffffff]she urged herself, pushing her way toward the counter in three quick strides, her boots slipping slightly on the sugar-speckled tiles. Her hands shot forward, starting to scoop the sugar into her quivering palm, the grains digging into her skin like tiny needles.[/color]

[color=#ffffff]Now came the hardest part—getting back to the circle before the monster noticed.[/color][/indent]