Lyra’s POV
The sun had barely risen, casting a pale grey light over the forest, when I found myself packing what little I could carry. Every movement felt mechanical, folding clothes, stuffing bags, zipping compartments. But beneath the motions, my heart was a storm. My children were gone, stolen into the night, and now I was preparing to walk straight into the fire I’d spent years avoiding.
Elista was already awake, pacing the length of the living room, her silver hair tumoring wildly over her shoulders. Her eyes, once soft with patience, now burned with fierce determination. “Lyra, we need to move quickly. I’ve arranged a vehicle that will take us halfway to the capital. From there, we’ll have to go on foot. The woods are too dense for cars.”
Her words barely reached me. I kept foldin
