Seraphine's breaths came ragged and uneven, her lungs burning with every step.
The pounding of her boots against the cracked pavement echoed in her ears, but it wasn't the sound that unsettled her — it was the chaos in her mind.
'Where did my life go wrong?'
She had always known danger, yes, but never like this. Her world had been filled with shadows, power, and ambition… but it had never been about survival.
Now, she was running for her life, heart hammering wildly, fear coiling in her chest like a tightening rope.
The streets blurred around her. Kana's grip on her wrist was the only thing anchoring her to reality.
Yet even as they ran, Seraphine could feel it — the oppressive weight of eyes on them, predators lurking just beyond sight. Her instincts screamed that someone was targeting them.
And then she saw it.
A faint glint of metal. A raised arm hidden in the distance. A heartbeat later, she realized the truth — someone was aiming for Kana.
