***ESTHER***
The night grew heavy and dark. The cold pressed down on my skin and made breathing difficult. The moonlight lit a faint light that showed mists over the castle building. I clutched my lantern tighter, its flickering light was the only thing between me and the dark.
Every step I took felt wrong and the rustling of leaves sounded like a whisper telling me to go back.
I know I shouldn’t have been out here. Not at this hour. Not in this place.
But a mother will walk through hell for her child — and tonight, that was exactly what I was doing. That was what I've been doing for a while now despite how much I hated it.
The castle’s figure finally disappeared behind me, swallowed by fog. Ahead, the forest thickened—and I was just alone by myself. The air grew colder, and silence r
