Tangled!

The lanterns had long since faded into the starry sky, but Rapunzel's heart still soared with the magic of the night. She sat patiently in the boat, her hands resting on the wooden edge as she gazed at the reflection of the sky in the water. Yet, beneath her joy, a flicker of unease nagged at her.

Eugene had been gone too long.

She shifted, glancing toward the treeline where he had disappeared. He had promised to return. He wouldn't break that promise… would he?

Then, movement!

A figure emerged from the shadows.

A relieved smile spread across her face, and she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "I was starting to think that you abandoned me and ran off with the crown," she teased, her voice light but tinged with an edge of uncertainty.

The figure stepped closer, but something was wrong.

Rapunzel's stomach twisted as the lone shadow split into two. The dim moonlight revealed them. Not Eugene. Not the man she had given her heart to.

The Stabbington brothers!

One of the brothers smirked. "He did."

Her breath hitched.

Her body stiffened. "No… he wouldn't."

"See for yourself," the other said, gesturing toward the open water.

Rapunzel hesitated before turning.

Her heart shattered.

Out on the lake, in the distance, a boat moved steadily across the water. And in it, standing at the helm, his hands gripping the steering wheel, was Eugene. The moonlight illuminated his form, and clutched in his hands was the satchel. The crown.

Her breath came in short gasps. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.

"No…" she whispered, shaking her head.

Her chest tightened painfully as she watched the boat disappear into the darkness, swallowed by the night.

The Stabbington brothers' laughter sent shivers down her spine.

"Fair trade, he did…" one sneered.

Rapunzel barely heard him over the sound of her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.

The other brother stepped forward, his deep voice filled with cruel amusement. "He traded the crown… for the girl with the magic hair."

Her pulse thundered.

The first brother reached behind him, pulling out a rough burlap sack. He grinned wickedly. "How much do you think people would pay to stay young forever?"

The realization crashed down on her.

They were here for her.

She took a step back. "No…"

They stepped closer.

She turned.

Then!

She ran.

Terror gripped her as she fled into the night, the sound of their laughter echoing behind her. Branches tore at her arms, her breath coming in frantic gasps. The darkness of the forest loomed ahead, swallowing her in its depths.

And still, the brothers followed.

To be continued…