Jessamyn's heart pounded like a war drum in her chest as she tore through the dense forest, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The air around her crackled with the remnants of powerful magic, the energy still lingering in the atmosphere like a storm that refused to dissipate.
Her legs burned with exertion, but she couldn't afford to slow down, not when the shadow of death loomed so close. Her eyes darted desperately from side to side, searching the darkness for any sign of life, any creature that could come to her aid.
And then, she heard it—the faint, rhythmic pounding of hooves in the distance. Horses.
Relief washed over her for a brief moment, but it was quickly replaced by a cold dread. She didn't know who was riding those horses.
Were they friend or foe?
Allies sent by Jerrick to find her, or enemies intent on her destruction? The uncertainty gnawed at her, a relentless fear that twisted her insides.
