Elias stood frozen in the cold, empty warehouse. The shadows seemed to grow longer around him as the reality of the situation settled in. Emilia was standing right in front of him, yet she felt a million miles away. Her blank stare, the way she spoke—he could barely recognize the woman he had once known.

"Emilia..." His voice was soft, pleading. He moved closer, his hands trembling as he reached out to her. "I’m here. Whatever Lucian has done, whatever he's told you... none of it matters. You can fight this."

She looked at him, but her gaze was hollow. "There’s nothing to fight. You don’t understand, Elias. You’ve never understood. He showed me the truth."

Elias shook his head, struggling to maintain his composure. He had to keep her talking, had to find some way to reach the person inside, the Emilia he knew was still in there. "What truth? Emilia, this isn’t you. Lucian’s twisted everything. He’s using you."

Her expression didn’t change. "You keep saying that, but you’re wrong. Lucian hasn’t used me. He’s given me clarity, showed me the lies I was living under. All my life, I thought I needed saving, that I needed someone to fix me... but now I see that I was never broken."

Elias clenched his fists, desperate to shake her free from the grip Lucian had on her. "You weren’t broken, Emilia, but Lucian wants you to think you were. He wants you to believe that he's the answer, but he’s not! You were fine before him—don’t let him take away who you really are!"

For the first time, something flickered in Emilia’s eyes, a brief flash of emotion that gave Elias hope. She blinked, and for a moment, it seemed like she might respond. But then, her expression hardened again, her voice distant and cold. "No, Elias. He’s freed me from all of that. From the lies, from the fear, from everything. You’ll never understand because you’re still trapped. You’re still clinging to a world that doesn’t exist."

Elias’s chest tightened, his heart racing. He couldn’t believe how far gone she seemed. How deeply Lucian had sunk his claws into her mind. "What are you talking about? What world? The world we live in isn’t perfect, but it’s real, Emilia. You’re real. What Lucian is offering you... it’s an illusion."

"You’re wrong," she whispered, her voice softer now, almost sad. "You’ll see it eventually. You’ll understand once you stop trying to save everyone, once you stop trying to save me."

Elias shook his head, his voice breaking. "I’m never going to stop trying to save you."

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from outside, and Elias instinctively reached for his phone, realizing Lestrade and the team must have arrived. But before he could take another step, Emilia grabbed his wrist, her grip surprisingly strong.

"You need to leave," she said, her tone urgent, her eyes locking onto his. "They’ll arrest you. They won’t understand."

Elias’s pulse quickened. "Emilia—what are you saying?"

"I can’t go back with you," she whispered, her voice trembling for the first time. "If you don’t leave now, they’ll think you’re involved. Lucian has already set everything up."

"What do you mean? What has Lucian done?"

Before she could respond, footsteps echoed through the warehouse. Elias turned to see Lestrade and a group of officers rushing in, their guns drawn. "Elias!" Lestrade called out, her eyes scanning the room, locking onto Emilia.

Elias raised his hands instinctively, stepping in front of Emilia. "Wait, Lestrade—she’s not herself. Lucian’s done something to her!"

Lestrade’s eyes flicked to Emilia, then back to Elias, her expression hard. "We’ll sort this out later. Right now, we need to secure the situation. Where’s Lucian?"

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"He was here," Elias said, his voice tense. "He’s gone now. He’s been manipulating Emilia—he’s brainwashed her."

Lestrade took a cautious step forward, her gaze narrowing. "We’ll deal with Lucian, but first, we need to bring Emilia in. She’s been missing for days, Elias. We can’t risk letting her out of our sight again."

Elias turned back to Emilia, his heart aching. She looked so fragile, standing there with her blank expression, like a shadow of the woman she once was. "Please," he whispered. "Come with us. Let us help you."

Emilia stared at him, her lips trembling as she hesitated. But before she could answer, the door to the warehouse swung open violently, and two more officers burst in, shouting orders.

"Freeze! Hands where we can see them!"

Elias stepped back, raising his hands again. "Don’t hurt her! She’s not dangerous—she’s been manipulated."

One of the officers moved toward Emilia, his hand on his gun. "Ma’am, we need you to come with us."

Emilia glanced at the officer, her expression unreadable, then looked back at Elias. For a brief moment, Elias saw the conflict in her eyes—the Emilia he knew was still in there, struggling beneath the surface.

"Emilia..." he said softly, his voice breaking with emotion. "Please. Don’t do this."

But before anyone could move, Emilia’s hand shot out and grabbed the officer’s wrist, twisting it with a shocking strength that sent him stumbling backward. In the same fluid motion, she turned and sprinted toward the exit.

"Emilia!" Elias shouted, running after her.

"Stop her!" Lestrade ordered, her voice sharp as the officers rushed forward.

But Emilia was fast, her movements agile and precise. She weaved through the crates and machinery like she had memorized every inch of the warehouse. Elias pushed himself harder, his legs burning as he chased after her, but she was already disappearing into the shadows.

He reached the exit just in time to see her slipping into the fog outside. He called out her name again, his voice hoarse, but she didn’t stop.

"Elias!" Lestrade’s voice cut through the air, and he turned to see her running up behind him. "We need to call for backup."

"No!" Elias snapped, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "If we bring in more people, she’ll run further. I can get through to her, Lestrade—I just need time."

Lestrade shook her head, her face grim. "She’s dangerous, Elias. Whatever Lucian’s done to her, she’s not the same person anymore."

"She’s still in there!" Elias insisted, his voice rising. "I saw it in her eyes. She hesitated. If we push her too hard, we’ll lose her for good. Please... just give me a chance."

Lestrade stared at him for a long moment, her expression torn. Finally, she sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Alright. But you only get one shot at this, Elias. If she runs again, we’ll have no choice but to bring her in by force."

Elias nodded, already moving toward the fog where Emilia had vanished. "I won’t let her run again."

As he stepped into the cold night, the fog swirled around him, thick and impenetrable. His heart pounded as he scanned the streets, searching for any sign of Emilia. The city felt like a ghost town, the silence broken only by the distant hum of traffic.

And then, he saw her. Standing at the edge of the street, her figure barely visible through the mist. She was facing away from him, her shoulders hunched, her hands clenched into fists.

Elias approached slowly, his voice soft. "Emilia... it’s just me."

She didn’t turn around, but he could see her shoulders tense. He stopped a few feet away, afraid to push her too hard. "You don’t have to run anymore," he said gently. "Whatever Lucian has told you, whatever you’re feeling right now—it doesn’t have to be this way."

For a long moment, there was only silence. Then, slowly, she turned to face him. Her eyes were filled with tears, her expression torn between fear and anger. "You don’t understand, Elias. I can’t go back. Not now. Not after everything."

"You don’t have to go back," Elias said, taking a tentative step closer. "But you don’t have to run, either. We can figure this out together. You don’t have to do this alone."

Emilia’s lips trembled, her voice breaking. "I’m not who you think I am anymore."

Elias’s heart ached as he saw the pain in her eyes. "You’re still Emilia. You’re still the woman I love. And I’m not giving up on you."

For the first time since she’d vanished, something in her seemed to soften. She took a shaky breath, her hands relaxing at her sides. But before either of them could say another word, the sound of sirens pierced the air, growing louder as they approached.

Emilia’s eyes widened in panic, and she took a step back. "No... no, they’re coming for me."

"Wait—" Elias reached out for her, but it was too late. She turned and sprinted into the fog, disappearing once again into the shadows.

Elias stood there, breathless, as the sirens grew louder and louder. His heart pounded in his chest, the weight of everything pressing down on him. He had been so close. So close to reaching her.

But now, she was gone again.