The wind howled as the carriage bounced through the cold streets, its wheels grinding over the soil. The horses' hooves clattered against the ground as Banrik urged them on with relentless urgency. His voice, low and sharp, commanded them to push forward, and he lashed the reins harder, willing the steeds to gallop faster.
"Faster, come on! We can't afford to slow down!" he muttered under his breath, his eyes darting nervously to the rearview, scanning for any sign of pursuers. The city of Aralis was rapidly disappearing behind them, but the tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating. Every sound seemed amplified, every shadow a potential threat.
Princess Liria sat upright, her hands gripping the edge of the seat, her heart pounding in her chest. Her thoughts raced as the carriage rattled on, bouncing across the uneven path. Tia, sitting beside her, was quiet, her face pale with fear, her eyes darting nervously toward the woods that loomed ahead. It was the one place they could hide—where the assassins wouldn't expect them to go—but even the thought of entering the forest filled Liria with dread. She felt a cold chill in the air, one that wasn't just from the crisp autumn wind. It was fear, creeping in like a shadow.
Suddenly, the carriage lurched, jolting the princess and her servant forward. Liria gasped, clutching the seat, while Tia let out a startled cry.
"What happened?" Liria gasped, looking toward the front of the carriage.
Banrik's voice rang out, sharp and full of warning. "We're hit—hold on!"
The horses stumbled, their hooves sliding on the slippery ground. Something had struck the path, a fallen log or some other obstruction, and the momentum of the carriage caused it to flip sideways. There was a sharp crash as the horses whinnied in distress and the vehicle collapsed onto its side, throwing the princess and Tia to the ground.
Liria's heart raced as she pushed herself up, her vision spinning from the shock of the fall. She gasped for breath, her chest tight, and her hands scrambled to steady herself as she tried to assess the situation. The horses were tangled in the broken carriage, struggling to get up, their panicked neighs filling the air. Banrik was already on his feet, drawing his sword with a grim expression.
"Leave, Princess!" Banrik shouted urgently. "Run! Hide! I'll hold them off!"
Before Liria could respond, Banrik had already charged toward the sound of approaching footsteps. The assassins were upon them, their dark figures emerging from the trees like shadows in the night. Liria's heart lurched in her chest. She glanced at Tia, who was already scrambling to her feet, her face full of confusion and fear.
"Tia, we must go!" Liria cried, her voice trembling with fear.
But Tia hesitated. "Princess, I—"
"No!" Liria's voice was sharp with panic. "Run, now!"
With a frightened nod, Tia turned, following the princess as they dashed into the forest. The trees loomed ahead like silent sentinels, their branches swaying in the wind. The forest was dense, and Liria couldn't help but feel like they were running into the jaws of some invisible beast. But there was no choice. Her brother had promised he would come for her, but for now, she was alone. They were alone.
The sound of Banrik's sword clashing with the assassins echoed through the woods behind them. Liria could hear the frantic shouts, the grunts of battle, but she didn't dare stop to look back. The sound grew fainter as they moved deeper into the forest. Still, she ran with all her might, each step desperate, fueled by fear and adrenaline.
But Tia was struggling to keep up. The distance between them widened with each passing second, and Liria's heart clenched with guilt. She couldn't slow down. She couldn't risk being caught.
"Please," Liria whispered to herself, "please let us be safe."
The ground beneath her feet grew softer as the snow began to fall, delicate flakes swirling in the wind. At first, it was nothing more than a light dusting, but soon, the snowflakes thickened, covering the forest soil, making it slick and treacherous. The cold bit into Liria's skin, but she barely noticed. Her focus was only on running, her breath coming in ragged gasps as the cold air burned her lungs.
The snow made her movements unsteady, and she slipped once, nearly falling to her knees, but she caught herself, pushing forward again. Every breath felt like it was pulled from her chest with a violent tug, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. Not when her brother was still fighting, and not when danger was so close.
But then, her foot caught on a hidden root, and she went crashing forward. Her body hit the ground with a painful thud, the cold earth pressing against her cheek. The breath was knocked from her lungs, and for a moment, everything spun. She barely had time to react before a sharp pain shot through her head, and the world went dark for a fleeting second.
Liria blinked rapidly, trying to clear the fog in her vision, and realized with a shock that her forehead had struck a jagged rock. Blood trickled down her face, mingling with the snow that was now beginning to blanket the ground.
Groaning, Liria pushed herself up, her body weak and trembling, the wound on her forehead aching fiercely. She pressed her hand against the injury, but there was no time to tend to it. She had to keep moving. She had to survive.
She staggered to her feet, her legs unsteady beneath her, and took a few shaky steps forward, her breath coming in shallow gasps. The snow had thickened, and she could barely see through the swirling storm. The forest felt endless, as if the trees were closing in on her from all sides.
And then she heard it.
A rustle behind her. A sound too deliberate to be the wind.
Liria froze.
Her heart raced, her pulse hammering in her ears. She could hear the snow crunching underfoot, the unmistakable sound of someone approaching.
Her instincts screamed at her to run, but her body felt heavy, as though the weight of the snow and her fear was dragging her down. She could barely move, and when she did, it was slow, uncertain.
And then, in the distance, she saw him.
A figure on a black horse emerging from the trees, tall and imposing, his dark cloak billowing in the wind. His features were obscured by the shadows, but his presence was unmistakable.
An assassin.
The cold steel of his sword glinted in the dim light of the falling snow, and his eyes were cold, calculating, as they fixed on the princess. Liria's breath caught in her throat, and she stumbled back, her heart thudding in her chest.
"Run," she whispered to herself, her legs refusing to move.
The assassin stepped forward, his sword raised. Liria could feel the fear choking her, could see the death in his eyes. She was too slow, too weak. She was done for.
And then the assassin spoke, his voice low and chilling.
"Your journey ends here, Princess."
Liria's heart pounded. Her hands shook, but she didn't have a choice. The assassin was closing in on her, and there was no one to help her now.
She stumbled backward, her feet slipping in the snow, but before she could react, the assassin lunged. The cold steel of his sword glinted in the dim light as he aimed it directly at her heart.
In that instant, Liria's world seemed to slow down, her vision narrowing to the point where all she could see was the sword coming for her.
The assassin's sword lifted the hood that covered half of her face, a stain of blood was seen on it from the wound on her forehead. She looked up at him in horror and she drew herself back as a response of fear that haunting her mind at the moment. Her white cloak seemed to blend with the snow as her heart started to beat faster. The assassin stood still while looking at her in silence, they stared at each other with no words uttered for a while.
"I see you are a weak princess." The assassin finally broke the silence.
The princess made no response and then she blacked out, her body slamming into the ground again.