Fools

The night swallowed her whole as she moved, the scent of ash still clinging to her skin, the ghost of firelight flickering at the edges of her vision. The further she walked, the quieter the world became, as if the forest itself recoiled from her presence. Liria had never been afraid of silence before, but tonight, it clung to her like a shroud.

"Anywhere but here,"she'd said.

But where exactly was that?

[You need to decide,] the system murmured, its voice carrying an uncharacteristic softness. [Wandering without purpose will only make you easier to track.]

Liria let out a slow breath, watching the mist curl from her lips in the cool night air. "I know," she admitted, but the words felt hollow. For the first time in years, she was adrift. The Dark Sovereign had given her orders. She had obeyed. She had carried out her will.

So why did her stomach twist with something uncomfortably close to regret?