CASSANDRA’S POV
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The night air was thick with the scent of damp earth and pine, clinging to my skin like a second layer. My lungs burned, my legs ached, but I couldn’t stop.
Branches lashed against my arms, sharp and unrelenting, but I barely felt the sting. My breath came in ragged gasps, each one louder than I wanted it to be. Too loud. Too obvious.
I didn’t dare look back.
I didn’t need to see what chased me—I could feel it.
The weight of something unseen pressed against my spine, a cold dread curling around my ribs. The pounding of my heart was deafening, matching the rhythm of my pounding footsteps against the damp forest floor.
Run. Run Cassandra, Run.
Don’t look back.
That was the only thought in my mind. Run and don’t stop.
Because if I did…
I might not get back up.
