She had snuck off plenty of times, creeping out into the forest late at night to go and find some peace for herself away from watchful eyes. Away from the pressure of expectation and responsibility. She had been stalked before, too. Plenty of predatory beasts roamed the wilds outside the shelter of her home, but none had made her feel as exposed as she did now.
The weight of eyes on her back was a physical thing, weighing her down and slowing her steps. The sound of a twig snapping somewhere in the dark had her whirling to face the direction the noise had come from. Her throat was dry and it felt like a struggle to suck in enough air to fill her chest. No matter how deeply she inhaled through, she couldn’t still the subtle tremble in her legs.
She swallowed the urge to call out, knowing her voice would not project the strength she needed it to. She lifted her chin, staring into the dark void of night. She could not see whoever it was that pursued her, but she would not allow them to see her fear. Sylenei had worked too hard to get this far, and she was not about to go down without a fight.
