Her blonde hair was a matted mess of tangles, her ice blue eyes the only bright shade above the dark ovals under her eyelids, her face streaked with exhaustion. It nearly brought tears to her eyes—before her father d*ed, she’d been one of the richest people in Rovirc City, dressed in the prettiest clothes. But that was three years ago. Mira couldn’t care for the house, her unexpected duty to actually know how to care for the house, and she had too many loans, no more family… Mira broke down, sobbing as the tears trickled from her eyes. Riven shivered at the sound as if caressed by Mira’s touch and nudged her forehead on Mira’s scalp. Mira sank into the warmth of the mare, trying to drown out the sounds of her cries. Wolves would be among these trees. Mira's eyelids fluttered and the world around her began to blur into soft shadows. The relentless storm, the cold, the pain—all faded into the background as sleep crept in. Sleep wasn’t the sanctuary it promised. The darkness in her dreams wasn’t the gentle kind of night; it was a suffocating void that pulled her deeper, drowning her in its endless expanse. She ran, though her legs were heavy and slow, every step sinking into the thick, wet ground. Behind her, a shadow loomed, creeping closer, its form indistinct, but its presence unmistakably menacing. A hollow voice called her name—soft at first, then louder, more urgent, until it echoed through the storm and twisted into a scream. Mira tried to scream back, to wake, but her voice betrayed her. Her limbs refused to move, like they were bound by invisible chains, and the shadow surged forward, swallowing the air around her. Her heart pounded in her chest, the terror felt real, suffocating—like the weight of a thousand dark skies pressing down on her. She could hear the sound of hooves approaching, but when she turned, Riven was not there. The storm raged on, louder than ever, and the nightmare continued its endless chase. END OF CHAPTER ONE
Sounds: Scratch provided Image: Online Writing: Me
