Demyan’s POV
The forest road ahead was shrouded in fog, the trees skeletal under the weight of the night. My cloak billowed behind me, boots crunching over damp leaves and broken twigs. Beside me, Karl kept pace—silent, but alert. We had already crossed the border of the capital and were now moving toward the outskirts of the northern villages.
I should’ve waited until sunrise.
But I couldn’t.
Every second Pearl remained imprisoned, accused of a crime she didn’t commit, was a second too long. Her face, shocked, wounded, betrayed wouldn’t leave my mind. That moment when the guards dragged her away, and I stood there… frozen. Powerless.
I clenched my jaw as I gripped the reins tighter.
Never again.
I had promised to protect her.
And now, I will make it right.
“We’re close,” Karl mur
