Something snapped behind her, but Lucrezia ignored it, propelling farther and farther into the forest. For all she knew, she would not die today.
The motivation burned deep in her tongue as her heart pounded in her chest, matching the echo of her own footsteps. She didn't care if she stumbled or if her skirt was torn or if her hair was disarranged. She rose to her feet, ripped it loose, and went on, the chill beneath her feet hurting her but not stopping her.
As she continued pacing into the cold and empty forest, it was just the sounds of her ragged breaths that proved the eeriness and absolute silence around her. But that silence felt unsettling. It felt… wrong.
