I tightened my grip on the leather reins, my fingers stiff from the cold air that cut through the dense forest. The rhythmic pounding of hooves against damp earth filled the silence between Cairon and me, the tension between us a thread stretched too thin. I knew why—our departure from the city hadn't been easy, and the weight of expectations pressed down on my shoulders with every passing mile.
Master the Codex. That was the council's command, spoken with absolute finality. As if it were something I could simply unlock like a chest of gold.
Cairon rode slightly ahead, his gaze sweeping the darkened path ahead. His presence was steady, but I could sense the guarded edge beneath his calm exterior. He had been the one to push for us to leave sooner rather than later, and now, away from the walls of the city, I could no longer ignore the truth.
I wasn't just running toward power. I was running away from something, too.
