Under the bright moonlight, her tiny, bloodied footprints trailed down the paved road as she desperately ran. With bruised knees, a bloodied dress, and a blistered foot, she clung to her breath and consciousness, she couldn't stop, not now. She needed to survive and find someone-anyone that could help her family.
Despite her fading consciousness, she bit her lip until blood trickled down her chin. Tears streamed down her face as the thought of her overwhelmed her. Are they still alive? Are they still waiting for her return with help? She kept running as if her life depended on it.
"Rizzy, don't ever look back. Run, okay? Your older brothers, Mom and Dad will be waiting for you …to come back with help"
"But-"
"No buts, Rizzy-ugh!" Blood spilled from her brother's mouth as his chest bled. Crimson red bloomed like a grotesque flower across his chest, mirroring the fiery determination in his blood- red eyes She wanted to move, but her body refused to obey. Helplessness clawed at her insides as her bloodshot eyes attempted to cry, but no more tears came.
"Rizzy! Wake up!"
Her brothers ragged shout jolted her back to reality. Gritting his teeth, he carried her out of the carriage and ran towards the dim forest. She saw men's pursuing them as their father fought to hold the attackers back.
Putting her down, her brother looked into her eyes.
"Rizzy you're a good girl, right? Then run, brother will catch up to you after helping the others…okay?"
Then with hurried hands, he gave her a gentle push and turned away without any hesitation. With a sword in hand, he ran back into the fray. Left alone, covered in his brother's blood, Elrize gritted her teeth and sprinted forward recalling her mother's words.
"Rizzy, do you know that if we keep going east from here, we'll be reaching a place where you can see the beautiful wide sea."
Her mother then stroked her hair, gazing at her warmly with her hazel eyes.
"Are we going there? Will there be lots of nice people?"
She tilted her head curiously, her mother smiled at the innocent gesture.
"Of course,"
With these words in thought she looked around her surroundings.
If she went east, she could find help. Fueled with determination, Elrize ran without looking back, leaving behind her shoes which hindered her pace.
But as she reached a steep slope, she lost her balance and tumbled down the mountain. Instinctively curling into a fetal position, she reached the bottom covered in dirt and scratches. Yet relief filled her heart when she saw the paved road ahead—it would guide her to her destination.
Ignoring the pain, she ran again.
Suddenly, the rustle of the leaves behind her caught her attention.
"Brother?!" she thought, turning back.
But it wasn't him. Men in black robes, with daggers in hand, emerged from the shadows. They're not her brother they are a part of the group of people who are after her family.
Terror gripped her, but she forced herself to run faster. Memories of her family flashed in her mind, and tears blurred her vision. Her battered body screamed for rest, but she pushed on. Ahead, a magnificent gate loomed—the place her mother had spoken of.
"Just a little more," she whispered willing her legs to keep moving. But her body betrayed her; she collapsed as her vision dimmed.
"Damn she really is the daughter of that monstrous family," one of the men sneered as he approached her. "To have made it this far with that body..."
Cold metal pressed against her neck.
Am I going to die? she wondered, staring at the man through blurry eyes.
But the expected pain never came. Instead, the pressure on her neck vanished. She opened her eyes to see an arrow lodged in the man's chest with the others on defensive postures. The shot had come from the direction of the gate.
"Fuck...."the man hissed, glaring at her. He muttered incomprehensible words, and suddenly, a searing heat engulfed her. It felt as though her body was burning from the inside out. Her throat constricted, silencing her screams. Through the unbearable pain, she saw the man along with his companions vanish into thin air.
It hurts... it hurts... it's too hot....
Her mind screamed for relief, for her family, for help. Curled into a ball, she sobbed silently under the moonlight.
Footsteps approached hurriedly, but her sight darkened as her body numbed.