Upstairs – Sisi’s Room
Sisi stuffed the last vial into her satchel, her heart hammering wildly.
Then she heard it.
Boots. Voices. Dozens of them. Coming closer.
Panic ripped through her.
“They’re here,” she breathed, eyes wide. “No... no no no—”
She snatched up her bag and darted to the window again—but outside, she saw them. Warriors. Archers. Guards. All waiting.
She was trapped... She stumbled toward the door, but froze.
Boots. Several. Fast. Heavy.
They were coming.
Her eyes darted to the back wall—the vent.
Dropping to her knees, she pried it open with a sharp blade and crawled in, dragging her bag behind her. The metal scraped her skin, and her shoulder burned with every movement, but she gritted her teeth and pressed forward. She had mapped this passage years ago—one of t
