ISOLDE

The forest welcomed us with its evening breath; it was cool, damp, and carried the smell of wet leaves. It wrapped around me, seeping into my bones like freedom itself. My chest loosened for the first time in days.

The weight I carried seemed lighter, replaced by a kind of wild relief. I could almost hear laughter that wasn’t mine; it was my sister’s, and it made me smile before the sound even reached my ears.

Elsa’s laugh was bright and careless, bouncing against the trees ...