Prologue
Cold.
The feeling wrapped around her like icy fingers.
She took a sharp breath and opened her eyes.
Above her, towering trees stretched toward the grey sky, their branches woven together so tightly that only small drops of rain slipped through. The air smelled of wet earth, moss, and fresh leaves. A narrow stream flowed beside her, its clear water rushing over smooth stones.
She blinked.
Her head throbbed.
Slowly, she pushed herself up from the muddy ground. Water dripped from the long cloak hanging over her shoulders. Beneath it was a simple cream-colored dress, soaked through by the rain and stained with dirt.
She stared at her trembling hands.
Where... am I?
She looked around.
Nothing looked familiar.
Only endless trees.
Only rain.
Only silence.
Then a sudden pain shot through her forehead.
She lifted her hand and touched it carefully.
When she pulled it away, her fingers were covered in blood.
She frowned.
How did I get hurt?
She tried to remember.
Nothing.
Not where she came from.
Not why she was here.
Not even...
"My name..."
She whispered the words to herself.
Nothing came.
She didn't know her own name.
Fear settled deep inside her chest.
Then it came.
A feeling.
Not a sound.
Not a voice.
A feeling so powerful that it stole her breath.
Run.
Her heart began pounding wildly.
Danger.
Something terrible was coming.
She didn't know what.
She didn't know why.
But every part of her body begged her to run.
Without another thought, she turned and fled into the forest.
Branches whipped against her face.
Sharp stones cut into her bare feet.
Roots twisted beneath the wet leaves, making every step dangerous.
She stumbled again and again, but she never stopped.
Rain poured harder, soaking her hair until it clung to her face.
Her cloak grew heavier with every step.
She couldn't breathe properly anymore.
Her legs burned.
Her feet screamed in pain.
Still...
Run.
She kept running.
"I... who am I?" she gasped between breaths.
She searched her mind.
Nothing.
Only darkness.
A broken memory flashed before her eyes.
A flash.
A castle.
Someone laughing.
The sound of steel striking steel.
A woman's frightened cry.
Golden light.
Then darkness.
The memories vanished as quickly as they had come.
She stumbled, nearly falling.
"No..." she whispered, though she did not know what she was begging for.
She forced herself forward.
The forest grew darker. Mist curled between the ancient tree trunks. Strange flowers glowed faintly beneath giant ferns, and vines hung from the branches like sleeping snakes.
Every shadow looked alive.
Every sound made her heart race.
She glanced behind her.
Nothing.
Only trees.
Only rain.
Yet the feeling remained.
Run.
Run faster.
Her legs grew heavier with every step. Her lungs begged for air. Her vision blurred.
She could not keep this up much longer.Only darkness.
Only fear.
The forest stretched on endlessly until, far ahead, a warm golden glow appeared between the trees.
A lantern.
As she drew closer, she could make out a small stone cottage standing quietly beneath the trees. Warm light shone through its windows, welcoming against the cold, rainy night.
Just a little farther.
She tried to run faster.
But her body refused.
Her legs trembled beneath her.
The world around her blurred.
Darkness crept into the edges of her vision.
As she slowly collapsed, a strange image flashed through her mind.
She was falling.
Not onto the forest floor...
But from somewhere impossibly high.
The wind roared around her.
Above her stood a handsome young man, reaching toward her.His hand stretched as if to catch her.
She reached for him.
Their fingers never touched.
Everything faded into darkness.
Outside the lonely cottage, beneath the soft glow of the lantern, the girl lay unconscious as the rain continued to fall.
