The night of the festival came cloaked in music, laughter, and the heartbeat of drums that echoed across the pack grounds. Lanterns flickered like stars that had fallen to earth, casting a golden glow on the painted faces of children and the dancing bodies of men and women. Costumes of every color swirled like waves of fire and silk, and the chanting of the crowd rose in praise of the moon goddess.
To everyone else, it was a night of joy, a celebration of unity.
To me, it was the night of my escape.
While they reveled in freedom, my heart sat like a stone in my chest. I was preparing for something much heavier than a celebration—I was preparing to run. To leave this house that had been nothing but a prison. To carve a path into a future I wasn’t sure I was ready for. A future where I wo
