Layla’s POV
I ran till my lungs felt like they would tear apart.
Branches whipped at my skin, roots snagged my feet, and the night swallowed me whole but nothing could stop me.
The hideout fell behind in fragments of stone and shadow, replaced by forest and cold air.
At some point, I ran like a madman on a mission.
Till I was out of breath.
I didn’t know how long I ran. But knew I had to leave there. I just couldn't bear another moment of not knowing what could happen to me.
Anymore. Then I felt it.
The shift in the air. The entire pressure.
“Layla.” I heard someone say. It was a familiar voice but my heart was thudding too fast for me to register any voices. Even familiar ones.
The sound of my name hit me harder than any blow though.
I stumbled to a stop just as a dark sha
