Lilet POV
The ground beneath me was uneven, roots clawing at my feet as I ran deeper into the forest. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my body ached with exhaustion. I stumbled once, then twice, before finally losing my footing completely. But I couldn’t stop—not now. Not when there was nowhere else to go.
Pain wracked my body, and my heart ached with a sorrow too deep to name. My vision blurred, the edges of my world darkening. I didn’t know how long I had been running, only that the sun now stood high in the sky, casting golden light over the vast, unknown land I had crossed into.
A river appeared before me, its waters shimmering like salvation. I fell to my knees, scooping handfuls of water into my parched mouth. The cold liquid burned down my throat, shocking my senses. But exhau
