Seraphine did not stop running until Nightfall was nothing more than a distant shadow swallowed by fog and moonlight.
The forest thinned into open plains scarred by ancient battles, the earth cracked and dry beneath her feet. Wind tore at her hair and clothes, but she barely felt it. Her lungs burned, her muscles screamed, yet she welcomed the pain. It grounded her. It reminded her she was still alive.
Because inside, something had died.
You’re not worth my blade.
The words echoed in her mind like a curse.
She stumbled, catching herself against the twisted trunk of a dead tree. Her breath shattered into sobs she could no longer contain. The strength left her legs, and she collapsed into the dirt, fingers clawing at the ground as if she could tear the memory out of herself.
She had fa
