Rina’s lungs burned. Her legs trembled with every step, but she pushed herself forward, driven by fear, guilt, and the need to right her wrongs. The night seemed endless, the shadows of trees and rocks blurring past as she fled the Gamma’s estate, as if the darkness itself were trying to swallow her whole.
Her breath came in ragged gasps, the cold night air slicing into her throat. She didn’t stop—not once. Just a little further… just a little more… she told herself, her vision swimming with exhaustion. The lights of Lucian’s estate finally appeared in the distance like the promise of salvation.
When she reached the estate gates, her strength gave out at last. Her legs buckled beneath her. The world spun. She clutched at the iron bars as if they might hold her upright, but the words she
