Ivan rode his horse for hours.
He had no destination in mind.
He only knew that he needed to get away from the palace.
He needed to breathe.
Everything inside him felt too crowded. His thoughts were moving too quickly, and no matter how hard he tried to clear his mind, Lydia's face kept appearing before him.
So he rode.
He passed the palace gates and continued farther away from Svetlana.
The wind hit his face as the horse carried him across the quiet roads.
He did not know how long he had been riding.
He only stopped when darkness had finally covered the earth.
Ivan looked around.
He had somehow reached the outskirts of Svetlana.
There were fewer houses here, and the roads were quiet. Most people had already gone home for the night.
Ivan slowly got down from his horse.
His body felt tired.
He tied the horse to a nearby pole and noticed a wooden bench a few steps away.
He walked toward it and sat down.
