After my breakdown, I washed the guilt off my face and stitched my spine back into place. No more tears. Not tonight. I pulled on my boots and slipped out into the darkness.
The sky was thick with shadows, only a smattering of stars blinking like they weren't sure they wanted to witness what came next. Good. I didn't need an audience.
I grabbed seven knives and made my way deep into the forest. The deeper, the better—away from Malphas, away from eyes, away from everything that made me want to scream.
Finally, I found it. A small clearing, silent and untouched, hugged by tall trees. Perfect.
I scanned the area—left, right, behind. Alone. Relief bloomed in my chest like a bruised flower.
I crouched and picked up a jagged stone, carving uneven circles into the bark of three trees. Zig-za
