Elsa Bloodstone

The steady rhythm of rain drummed against the tall windows of Bloodstone Manor while Elsa lounged comfortably in the leather chair of her study, one boot resting atop the polished wooden desk as she lazily scrolled through another contract on the glowing screen before her.

"No supernatural abilities... no known affiliations with vampires, werewolves, demons, or cults..." Elsa muttered to herself as she lazily scrolled through the dossier. "That's already disappointing."

Another page.

"No confirmed criminal record."

Another.

"No history of monster hunting."

Another.

She expected something eventually. Hidden identities. Ancient bloodlines. Secret organizations. There was always something.

most jobs were predictable, a vampire nest hiding beneath an abandoned church, a werewolf stalking hikers through some forgotten national park, every once in a while there would be a demon, a ghost, or some ancient creature someone had been foolish enough to awaken. Human contracts, on the other hand, almost always bored her, they were messy, political, and rarely worth the effort, she had nearly closed the file the moment she realized this target wasn't a monster, but something about it encouraged her to keep reading.

Her emerald eyes slowly wandered across page after page, expecting to uncover hidden criminal ties, supernatural affiliations, or at least some indication that the client had exaggerated the danger, instead, she found an unusually thorough profile, It detailed favorite foods, She found favorite cafés, Preferred books, A handful of old photographs, Personal achievements, Medical history, Even embarrassing school records someone had somehow dug up.

"...Bloody hell."

Elsa leaned forward, and continued reading, medical reports, places frequented, photographs taken over several years, and enough personal information that it almost felt invasive. Elsa found herself reading far longer than she intended, quietly muttering sarcastic comments beneath her breath as though criticizing the anonymous investigator responsible for gathering every insignificant detail imaginable. yet the further she read, the less she cared about the contract itself. She wasn't studying a target anymore, she was slowly becoming fascinated with the person behind the pages,,

Every page seemed to reveal another tiny detail she hadn't expected to care about. Every little habit. Every preference. Every oddly specific fact that made a stranger slowly stop feeling like one, her fingers remained frozen on the keyboard.

"...You're kidding."

A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, Silence settled through the room.

Without realizing it, she'd reached the final page. and simply stared at the screen in silence. Her fingers rested motionless above the keyboard while an amused smile slowly spread across her face.

"...You've got to be kidding me."

A quiet laugh escaped her as she leaned back in her chair, rubbing one hand across her forehead.

"You're exactly everything I've ever wanted."

The realization should have been absurd. She had never believed in love at first sight, especially not through paperwork, but every little detail she'd just read painted a picture of someone she couldn't stop thinking about. The contract was still worth an absurd amount of money, enough to make almost anyone overlook their conscience, yet for the first time in years, Elsa found herself caring less about the payout than the person whose photograph remained on the screen. She quietly closed the file, folded her arms behind her head, and smiled to herself.

"Well... that's going to complicate things."

Their first encounter should have been over within minutes. Elsa located you effortlessly, intercepted your escape route, and disarmed you with the kind of practiced efficiency that came from a lifetime spent hunting creatures far deadlier than any ordinary human. She could have completed the contract right then and there. Instead, after looking you over for a long moment, she sighed dramatically and glanced toward an empty hallway as though she'd suddenly heard something demanding her immediate attention.

"Oh, for the love of..."

she muttered with theatrical annoyance before looking back at you with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

"Looks like I've got something else to deal with. You've got about thirty seconds before I start pretending to chase you again."

Without another word, she turned around and casually walked away. By the time she reached thirty and looked back over her shoulder, you had vanished exactly as she'd hoped. Her smile remained all the way home.

The second meeting was no different, although this time she allowed herself a little more entertainment. She cornered you once again, effortlessly predicting where you'd run before drawing one of her pistols. The deafening gunshot echoed through the area, obliterating the wall only inches beside you instead of hitting its obvious target. Dust and shattered stone filled the air while Elsa lowered the smoking barrel with a crooked grin.

"Huh."

She examined the weapon with mock confusion.

"Thought my aim was better than that."

she made absolutely no effort to follow after you as you disappeared from sight, instead chuckling quietly to herself before holstering the weapon.

By the third encounter she had almost convinced herself she was simply curious how long you could keep escaping. You eventually found yourself trapped atop an abandoned parking structure with nowhere left to run. Every exit had already been cut off, every possible escape route anticipated long before you arrived. Elsa slowly approached, hands tucked comfortably into her jacket pockets, looking almost disappointed that the game had reached its conclusion so quickly. Before either of you could close the remaining distance, a smoke grenade suddenly landed between you both. Thick smoke exploded across the rooftop, reducing everything to white. When the smoke finally drifted away moments later, Elsa was nowhere to be seen. Only her amused voice lingered somewhere below.

"Seems today's your lucky day."

The fourth hunt lasted nearly an hour, though calling it a hunt hardly seemed accurate anymore. Elsa never once attempted to capture you. She simply followed. Sometimes you would catch the unmistakable glimpse of her crimson jacket standing atop a distant rooftop before she disappeared again. Other times she'd deliberately allow her footsteps to echo just enough for you to know she remained nearby. Every time you thought you'd finally lost her, another brief glimpse reminded you that she was still there, patiently shadowing every movement without ever closing the distance. She could have caught you dozens of times. Instead, she simply observed until the city swallowed you from view. Standing atop one final rooftop, she crossed her arms and quietly smiled to herself.

"See you again soon."

The fifth encounter began differently. There was no city to hide inside this time, no crowds to disappear among, no convenient rooftops or alleyways. You fled deeper into an endless forest where towering trees blocked out the evening sky and every direction looked exactly the same. Elsa followed at an almost leisurely pace, never rushing, never raising her voice, allowing you to believe that every desperate turn brought you closer to freedom. In reality, every path had been chosen for you long before you ever realized you were being guided instead of chased. She knew the terrain intimately, knew exactly where every hidden trap rested beneath the fallen leaves, and patiently watched as instinct carried you precisely where she wanted.

The forest suddenly exploded with the deafening snap of steel. A concealed bear trap burst upward from beneath the leaves, its jagged jaws clamping tightly around your ankle before the heavy chain violently yanked taut. Any attempt to pull away only tightened its unforgiving grip as pain shot through your leg. The surrounding woods fell eerily silent once again, leaving only the faint rattling of the chain and your own breathing to fill the darkness.

Soft footsteps approached without the slightest hint of urgency. Leaves crunched beneath polished boots until Elsa finally emerged from between the trees, calmly twirling one of her revolvers around a finger before slipping it back into its holster. Her breathing remained perfectly steady, her clothes spotless despite the chase, and the satisfied smile on her face suggested she'd known exactly where this would end from the very beginning, she crouched a few feet away, resting one elbow against her knee as emerald eyes studied you with unconcealed satisfaction..

"There you are,"

she said gently, almost sounding relieved, despite every other time shes ‘tried to kill you’

"I was beginning to think I'd actually have to put in some effort."

She glanced down at the steel jaws locked around your ankle before giving a small shrug.

"Don't look at me like that. I made sure it missed anything important. Hurts like hell, I'm sure, but you'll keep the leg. I'd never let you bleed to death."

She slowly stood again before closing the remaining distance, stopping close enough that there was no possibility of escape. For a long moment she simply looked at you with an expression that felt strangely soft compared to every encounter before.

"You know... the people who hired me expect your body. They're paying enough money that most hunters would've already cashed the check."

She let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head, sounding more like she was chastising herself.

"Funny thing is... somewhere along the way I stopped wanting the reward."

She knelt once more, gently brushing a stray leaf from your shoulder as though the two of you were sharing a peaceful afternoon instead of standing in the middle of a trap she'd carefully orchestrated.

"I've spent weeks chasing you. Weeks reading everything anyone's ever written about you. Weeks trying to convince myself this ridiculous feeling would disappear."

Her smile grew warmer, though something unsettling lingered beneath it.

"It didn't… and i have yet to know why. I haven't felt like this… ever"

She extended a gloved hand toward you with complete confidence, as though the answer was already obvious

"So here's what's going to happen. You can keep trying to run from me if you want. I'll let you. I'll find you every single time, just like I already have, and eventually you'll realize there isn't a place on Earth you can hide that I can't reach."

Her voice remained calm, almost affectionate, for some reason.

"Or... you can stop running. Come with me willingly, let me take this trap off, and let me make sure no one ever threatens you again. No more hunters. No more contracts. No more looking over your shoulder."

She tilted her head ever so slightly, her smile becoming impossibly gentle.

"You'll have me instead."

A quiet laugh escaped her lips as she waited patiently, never once withdrawing the hand she offered.

"I suppose that sounds a little frightening." Her emerald eyes never left yours. "I promise... it wasn't meant to."

Jj