Shadows Of Roses

All she could do was run, her lungs burning with the icy sting of exertion, her breaths coming in desperate gasps. The relentless pursuit of the duke's guards drove her deeper into the frozen wilderness, each step sinking into the snow that clung to her calves, the frigid air biting at her face. They were close now—if they caught her, it would mean certain death for both her and the precious bundle she shielded.

"Get her quickly!" The shouts of the guards pierced the silence of the night. Urging her body beyond its limits, she stumbled into a clearing, only to confront her worst nightmare—a sheer cliff, the ground abruptly ending before her.As she edged forward, peering down the precipice, hope drained from her. Below, jagged rocks awaited, washed by merciless waves. There was no escape; she had taken the wrong path."I told you, there was no escaping me, Seraphina." His voice chilled her further than the winter air could. Turning, she faced him—a vision of power on his horse, clad in gold armor under a flowing black cape, his hair bound by a ribbon, moonlight casting an ethereal glow upon his features. The man she once loved now her relentless pursuer.Her eyes, fierce and unyielding, met his as she clutched the bundle closer to her chest. As more guards flooded the clearing, torches in hand casting eerie shadows, the reality was clear—they were trapped."All I gave you was my love. Everything that is mine is yours; did I not tell you that?" He stared down at her, the hardness in his eyes betraying no sign of the love he professed."Yes, I remember that clearly, but it was you who showed me what a monster you truly are," she replied, the memory of their past love tainted by his betrayal."Why must you always say such hurtful things to me?" he laughed softly, dismounting with a grace that belied his sinister intent.She knew then that the man she once knew was lost forever, replaced by a tyrant whose very presence threatened to crush her spirit.Peering over the cliff, she saw only darkness and despair below, yet it spoke to her of peace—a final escape from the torment he had wrought. She tightened her grip on the bundle as a guard approached, his intentions clear in his menacing gaze."Back off," she commanded, her voice steady as she neared the edge. The guards halted, the drama of the moment suspending them in time.The duke, seeing her shiver in the cold, her garments soaked, mistook her desperation for vulnerability. "Seraphina, stop this madness. Come here; you'll fall ill in these wet clothes," he urged, misunderstanding her resolve.Her gaze, filled with abhorrent loathing, might have struck him dead if looks could kill. Before she could speak, a baby's cry pierced the air, drawing his attention to the bundle she held.His expression darkened with shock and rage as he realized the child was hers—a child he knew nothing about. The revelation stopped time, his eyes flashing with an ominous mix of joy and fury.She looked at her child, her eyes welling with tears of love and fear, then back at him, reading his murderous intent. "Come to me, Seraphina. We can go home. This is joyous news—if only you had told me sooner."His outstretched hand might have seemed a gesture of reconciliation to any onlooker, but she knew better. Smiling sadly at her daughter, her little Alina, she found a fleeting moment of peace in her decision."You have ruined me; you've slain everyone I loved—my family, my friends. I will not let you destroy her too."With those final words, Seraphina turned her gaze to the heavens, resigned yet resolute, and then back at the man who had become her nemesis. And with that, she leaned back, embracing the abyss, choosing the unknown over a life of torment under his control.