The rain was relentless. It hammered the windows of the small cabin tucked away in the woods, turning the landscape into a blurred painting of grays and blacks. Ivy felt the cool chill creep under the door, but she didn't move. Her gaze stayed fixed on the empty chair across from her, where he had sat only hours ago.

Dorian.

His face had been imprinted on her mind ever since the night they met. It was supposed to be a simple getaway. She had rented the cabin alone, hoping for peace and quiet after months of city life. But then he had shown up, looking like someone out of a dream - or a nightmare. Dark eyes that seemed to see right through her, a mysterious aura that made her feel like she was standing on the edge of a cliff.

She had been drawn to him. So drawn that she couldn't resist.

But now, everything was different. The air was thick with tension, heavy with words left unspoken. She could still hear the echo of his voice in her ears, the warning in his words, the words he had spoken just before he disappeared into the storm.

"Stay inside, Ivy. Do not follow me."

Her heart beat faster, her fingers gripping the edge of the table as if it could anchor her to reality. She had done everything he told her to. She stayed inside. But she hadn't expected this - this feeling of impending danger, of something lurking just outside the reach of her understanding.

The door creaked open suddenly, a gust of wind swirling into the room. Ivy jumped, but then froze when she saw him.

Dorian.

His soaked figure stood in the doorway, framed by the storm. He looked as though he had just stepped out of the rain itself, drenched but somehow still immaculate, as if the storm couldn't touch him.

"Ivy," he said, his voice low, urgent. "You shouldn't have waited."

"I - " she stammered, her mind reeling. "I thought you - "

"Thought I left you?" he interrupted, stepping closer, his eyes flashing with something unreadable. "I didn't leave you, Ivy. I was trying to protect you."

She stood up, heart pounding, but something in her chest tightened at his words. "From what, Dorian? What are you protecting me from?"

His gaze darkened. "From everything. From them."

A chill ran down Ivy's spine. "Them?" she whispered, not understanding.

He turned to face the storm, his jaw clenched. "I didn't want you involved. But you've already seen too much. Now they'll come for you. They won't stop until they have you, Ivy."

She felt the weight of his words, but there was something in them that didn't sit right. Something that told her he was hiding more than he let on.

"I don't understand," Ivy said, her voice barely a whisper. "Why me?"

"Because of who you are." His eyes met hers, and for the first time, she saw something other than the impenetrable walls he had built around himself. "Because of what you're about to become."

"Become?" She shook her head, trying to make sense of his cryptic words. "Dorian, please... just tell me what's going on."

He hesitated, as if torn between telling her everything and keeping her in the dark for her safety. Finally, he sighed and stepped toward her, taking her hands into his. His touch was warm, grounding her, but there was something desperate in the way he held her.

"You're not who you think you are, Ivy," he said quietly. "You're... you're part of something much bigger. Something ancient."

Ivy shook her head, trying to pull away, but he held on tighter. "What do you mean?"

He took a deep breath, as if bracing himself. "I was sent to protect you. To keep you safe from those who will do anything to control you. They've been watching you for years, Ivy. The moment you were born, your life was never your own. And the storm... it's the signal. The one I've been waiting for. You're the key."

The words hit her like a wave, crashing over her. She stumbled back, her mind spinning. "The key? Key to what?"

Dorian didn't answer immediately. Instead, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, ornate key. The metal glinted under the dim light of the cabin.

"This," he said, holding it up, "is the key to unlocking what you don't remember. What's buried deep inside you."

She stared at the key, the weight of its significance pressing down on her chest. "But I don't - "

"You will, Ivy. Soon, you will remember everything. Who you really are. Why they want you. And what you have to do to stop them."

Before she could respond, a sudden noise outside cut through the air - a low growl, distant but unmistakable. Dorian's face hardened. He turned to her quickly.

"Get out," he commanded. "Go to the back. Now."

She didn't question him. Ivy ran to the back door, throwing it open, but as she stepped outside, the cold wind hit her like a slap. The woods around her were silent - too silent. Then she heard it: the sound of branches snapping, footsteps crunching in the snow.

"They're here," Dorian's voice echoed from inside. "Run, Ivy!"

She didn't need any more words. She ran into the forest, the key burning in her pocket as if it was alive. Every step felt like a heartbeat - faster, louder. The footsteps behind her grew closer, but she refused to look back.

And then, just as she thought she couldn't run any longer, the ground beneath her feet gave way. She tumbled, falling into darkness.

When she opened her eyes, the world was different. The trees, the air, everything felt older, ancient. A faint glow surrounded her, and in the distance, she saw a figure. Not Dorian, but someone else. Someone who looked like him - but different.

"You've awakened," the figure said, its voice smooth, knowing. "Now, Ivy, the real test begins."

And as the darkness swirled around her, Ivy realized the truth: nothing would ever be the same again. The world was larger, more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. And Dorian had been right all along - she wasn't just a woman. She was the key to something far more powerful, far more deadly.

And the storm had only just begun.

---

The End