The woods seemed endless, a maze of twisted trees and shadows that stretched on forever. I'd been walking for hours, my feet aching and my stomach growling in protest. The adrenaline that had carried me through my escape was long gone, replaced by a bone-deep weariness that made every step a challenge.
I cursed myself for not taking that boy up on his offer of food. At the time, I'd been too focused on getting away, on putting as much distance as possible between myself and the empire. Now, as the sun began to set and my hunger gnawed at me, I was starting to regret that decision.
Just as I was considering calling it a night and finding a safe place to rest, a scent caught my attention. Smoke. And beneath that, the unmistakable aroma of meat cooking over a fire. My stomach let out an emb
