Lucia's heart pounded in her chest as she ran through the forest, the dense canopy above barely allowing any moonlight to penetrate. The night was cold, and the damp earth beneath her feet squelched with each hurried step. Branches snagged at her dress, tearing at the fine fabric, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t afford to stop. Miranda was just ahead, her figure a blur of movement in the shadows.
They had left the palace behind—its grand towers and gilded walls receding into the distance as they fled into the wilderness. The plan they had so carefully crafted was now in motion, but the fear that gripped Lucia’s heart refused to let her feel any sense of relief. They were free, yes, but only for the moment. The palace guards would discover her absence soon, and then the hunt would begin
