Content Warning: This chapter contains themes of violence and implied gore.
Chapter 29 - Lost and Hunted
Talia's POV
The morning sun filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled shadows across the forest floor. I pushed through the undergrowth, my lungs burning with exertion and my heart pounding against my ribs. Twigs snapped beneath my feet, and branches clawed at my skin, leaving stinging welts in their wake.
But I barely registered the pain, my entire being focused on a single, all-consuming goal: finding Ruby.
I'd been searching for hours, scouring every inch of the woods surrounding the cottage. My voice was raw from shouting her name, my eyes gritty and swollen from the tears that wouldn't stop falling.
"Ruby!" I called out again, desperation clawing at my throat. "Please, where are you?"
