"Damn. That was a close one," I muttered under my breath, glancing over my shoulder.
The towering silhouette of the Valstein family estate still loomed in the distance, its ornate spires catching the last traces of moonlight. The main gates were behind me now—closed, silent, and thankfully, not sounding any alarms.
I didn't stop.
I couldn't afford to.
My mana reserves were running dangerously low after that last stunt. Pulling it off once had nearly drained me. I didn't have the energy to do it again if they came chasing.
So, without hesitation, I broke into a run—legs burning, lungs tight, every step pushing me further away from the Valstein grounds and closer to the Draken Duchy.
The sky was starting to pale at the edges. Dawn would be here in less than an hour.
I had to make it back before then.
Hans always shows up at my door right as the sun rises, ready with his lectures if I'm even a minute late.
Punctual, obsessive, annoying Hans.
But he only acts that way with me.
