Caroline’s breath came in ragged gasps as she sprinted through the door and into the night. The cool air hit her like a slap to the face, filling her lungs with a sense of freedom she hadn’t felt in days, weeks, maybe even months. She could feel the weight of Damon’s presence behind her, even though he hadn’t yet made a move to follow. The silence was deafening.
The castle loomed in the distance, its dark silhouette towering over her like a cruel reminder of what she was running from. Caroline didn’t look back. She couldn’t. She knew that if she did, she might lose all the strength she had left. So she pushed forward, faster, her legs burning as she ran through the dense forest that surrounded the castle grounds.
The trees were thick and twisted, the moonlight filtering through their bra
