Rabbit

Chapter 1

I tugged nervously at the hem of my long flowing skirt as I walked beside Theo, the city streets buzzing around us. The sunlight bounced off puddles left from the morning drizzle, blinding in flashes, and the scent of coffee and pastries drifted past, making my stomach tighten in anticipation. Theo walked with that easy stride he always had, hands shoved into his leather coat pockets, hair tousled just so. He looked... calm. Too calm.
"So," he said, glancing at me with that smug half-smile, "has anything in your life gone terribly wrong lately? Or should I brace myself?"
I laughed, letting a little of my nerves escape through sound. "Terribly wrong? You know me, nothing ever goes smoothly." I nudged him lightly. "But you... you're still the same smug know-it-all."
He raised an eyebrow. "Flattery will get you nowhere, King."
I wanted to tell him I was fine. I wanted to tell him I wasn't thinking about everything that had gone wrong in my life lately. But it felt... good. Normal. A little piece of my old life.
Then my stomach twisted. "I'll be right back," I said, pressing a hand to it. "Bathroom."
I slipped into the café around the corner, thankful for the privacy. My reflection stared back at me: green eyes wide, fingers fumbling with my blouse buttons. Heart hammering. Calm. Just calm.
When I returned, the world tilted violently. Across the square, my chest seized. Malachi Crowley. My ex. And he wasn't alone. His fiancée, perfect in white, stood beside him, smiling, oblivious to me. My stomach lurched, my hands went cold.
Malachi... I whispered under my breath, but the noise of the city swallowed it.
Before I could do anything, a shove from behind sent me stumbling. Two masked figures grabbed my arms. Panic exploded in my chest. I struggled. I screamed. Theo! My voice cracked. My legs kicked, but I was powerless.
We moved like shadows through alleyways, the world spinning in dizzying turns. Somewhere behind me, muted and distorted, I heard Theo's voice. I screamed again.
When the spinning stopped, I was in a chamber of polished black walls that reflected endless lights. Rabbit-masked figures surrounded me. Their silence was worse than any scream.
Then the voice came. Cold, booming, omnipresent:
"Welcome... to the game."
I froze. My chest tightened so hard it felt like it would crack. My mind scrambled, searching for logic, for a way out. This isn't real. It can't be real. We'll figure this out. We have to.
But even as I told myself that, a shiver ran down my spine. This is just the beginning.
I looked around. Theo's eyes met mine, wide, fear-stricken. Hope's face mirrored my horror. I swallowed hard, trying to push down the panic threatening to rise, but the truth gnawed at me: We are trapped. And nothing will ever be the same again.