In the dim, crumbling streets of the abandoned part of town, shadows twisted like living things.
The unknown awakener sprinted through the narrow alleys, her breath ragged, every step a desperate bid for freedom.
Her heart thundered in her chest, drowning out the sound of her own footfalls.
She could still hear them—her chasers—moving through the darkness, their presence a constant pressure at her back.
'I-I need to run! I need to get away before I am caught. I do not want to die-'
She darted through a gap between two leaning buildings, her shoulder scraping against brick, but she didn't dare slow down.
The street ahead opened up, and for a brief, fleeting moment, hope flared in her chest. If she could just make it to the next block, maybe she could lose them.
Maybe she could finally be free.