The forest held its breath as we ran.
My heart thundered against my ribs, lungs burning with every frantic stride. Branches whipped at my arms and face, but I didn’t slow. I couldn’t.
Freedom was just ahead....I could taste it in the air, feel it pulsing beneath my skin. The moon hung low like a ghostly eye, casting silver light through the trees, showing us the way.
But it was never going to be that easy, was it?
The second we burst through the treeline, shadows moved too fast, too deliberate. Five figures emerged, armor laced with obsidian runes glinting ominously. Their blades were already drawn.
Bloodmoon Hunters.
"You didn’t think it’d be that easy, did you?" one of them sneered, stepping forward.
Luca immediately shifted in front of me, his stance protective. My fingers went
