We ran until our lungs burned, until my paws felt like they were going to split apart from the earth beneath them. The forest blurred around us trees stretching endlessly, branches clawing at my fur as if they wanted to hold me back. I didn’t even know where we were going anymore. We just ran. Away from the smell, away from the chanting, away from Sophie’s eyes.
By the time we reached the lake, the sun had climbed high, hanging like a pale coin in a gray sky. The air was heavy and wet, carrying the scent of damp soil and moss. My legs trembled beneath me, refusing to take another step.
Limene groaned inside me, her voice low and worn out.
“I’m exhausted… and hungry. I’m not sure I can move any further from here,” she said weakly.
I didn’t answer at first. My throat burned with dryness
