I did not stop running.
The forest swallowed every sound except my own breathing and the pounding of my feet against the damp earth. Branches clawed at my skin as I forced my way through thick undergrowth, and exposed roots threatened to send me crashing to the ground with every desperate step.
I expected to hear them behind me.
The heavy footsteps.
The guttural growls.
The relentless pursuit of the Krackans.
It never came.
At first, I thought it was a trick.
I refused to slow down, convinced they were allowing exhaustion to do their work for them. My lungs burned until every breath felt like swallowing fire, but fear drove me forward far more effectively than strength ever could.
The forest seemed endless.
Ancient trees rose like pillars into the sky, their branches weaving toge
