I didn’t care where I was going. I just had to get away. My feet pounded against the ground, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The edges of the village blurred as I sprinted toward the forest, the trees looming ahead like a dark wall. I didn’t even think about where I would hide—I just had to make it out of their reach.

“Julia! Stop!” tracy voice rang out behind me, closer than I expected. But I didn’t turn around. I couldn’t.

My lungs burned as I pushed myself harder, the forest just steps away now. The thick branches seemed to beckon me, promising safety in their shadows. I felt the ground beneath me shift from the dirt road to the soft, uneven earth of the forest floor, and for a moment, I thought I had made it.

But then, I felt hands grab my arm again, yanking me back with so much force that I nearly lost my footing. I screamed in frustration, twisting and kicking, desperate to break free.

“Julia, stop this!” Linda’s voice was breathless, her grip tightening as I fought her off. “Do you think running will solve anything? Where will you go? The king’s men are everywhere!”

“I don’t care!” I shouted, my voice hoarse. “I’d rather die out here than let them take me!”

Her face contorted in frustration. “You’re being stupid! Do you even understand what’s happening? It’s not just about you! If you run, they’ll come back for all of us. They’ll take everything—burn the house down, ruin us. Do you want that?”

I paused for a moment, her words sinking in. I hated that she might be right. But it didn’t change the fact that I couldn’t stay. I wouldn’t let them hand me over to be used however the king pleased.

“I’m not staying,” I whispered, more to myself than to them. I pushed at Linda’s arm again, but she didn’t let go.

“You don’t have a choice!” tracy was suddenly in front of me, blocking my path deeper into the forest. Her eyes, usually so full of mocking amusement, were now hard, her lips set in a thin line. “You think we want this? Do you think we asked for any of this? No one cares about what happens to us either, Julia! We’re just trying to survive!”

I glared at her, my chest heaving as I fought back tears. “Then why don’t you give yourselves up? Why does it always have to be me?”

“Because we have more to lose!” tracy shouted back, her voice trembling with barely contained anger. “You think anyone cares if you disappear? You think the village will mourn you? They won’t even notice!”

Her words hit me harder than any blow ever could. I wanted to scream, to tell her she was wrong—but deep down, I knew she wasn’t. No one would miss me. Not Aunt Garcia. Not the villagers. Not even Diego, who hadn’t bothered to show up today.

But that didn’t mean I was just going to roll over and accept my fate.

“I don’t care if no one notices,” I said, my voice steadier now. “I’m not going to be their prisoner.”

Linda sighed, her grip loosening just enough for me to pull away. She rubbed her forehead as if this was some exhausting task she had to get through, like I was just being difficult for no reason.

“Julia,” she said, her voice softening slightly, “you’re not thinking clearly. If you run, they’ll find you. And when they do, they’ll punish us for it. Do you want Aunt Garcia to pay for your mistakes?”

I clenched my fists. She was trying to manipulate me, guilt me into compliance. And maybe part of me did feel guilty—after all, I’d lived in their house, eaten their food, even if it was barely enough to keep me from starving. But I wasn’t going to let them use that against me now.

“I’m not doing this for you,” I spat. “I’m doing this for me.”

Tracy shook her head, her lips curling into a sneer. “You’re so selfish, Julia. Always thinking about yourself. We’ve done everything for you, and this is how you repay us?”

“Everything for me?” I laughed bitterly, feeling the anger bubble up inside me again. “What have you done for me, exactly? Ignored me? Treated me like a slave? Made me feel like I was less than nothing?”

Tracy eyes flashed with anger, but Lina stepped between us, holding up her hands. “This isn’t helping. Look, Julia, we get it. You’re scared. We’re all scared. But running isn’t the answer. If you come with us, we can figure this out together. Maybe... maybe we can negotiate something with the men.”

Her tone was calm, almost pleading, but I didn’t trust it. Not after everything they’d done. Not after they’d been so willing to hand me over without a second thought.

“I’m not going back,” I said, taking a step toward the deeper part of the forest. “And you’re not going to stop me.”

Linda sighed again, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—determination, maybe, or resignation. “You don’t leave us much choice, Julia.”

Before I could react, she lunged forward, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me down with her. I hit the ground hard, the air knocked out of my lungs. I gasped, trying to push her off, but she held on tightly, her grip unrelenting.

“Let go of me!” I screamed, thrashing beneath her, but tracy was already there, helping to pin me down.

“Stop fighting, Julia!” Linda shouted, her voice strained. “You’re not going anywhere!”

I could feel the panic rising in my chest, the sheer helplessness of the situation crushing me. But I wasn’t going to give up. Not now.

With a burst of strength I didn’t know I had, I kicked my legs out, catching tracy in the stomach. She let out a grunt of pain, falling back, and I took the opportunity to push Linda off of me.

I scrambled to my feet, my body shaking from the effort. I was so close—so close to getting away. But before I could take another step, I heard the sound of hooves pounding against the ground.

The king’s men.

They were coming for me.

I turned, but it was too late. Tracy and Lina had me surrounded again, and I could see the shadowy figures of the king’s men approaching through the trees.

“No!” I screamed, tears blurring my vision as I struggled against my cousins one last time. But it was no use. They were too strong, and the men were too close.

As the king’s men reached us, one of them dismounted, his cold eyes scanning the scene before him. He looked at Lina and tracy with mild interest before turning his gaze to me, his lips curling into a satisfied smile.

“Found her,” he said simply, his voice dripping with arrogance. He nodded to the others, and two of the men stepped forward, their hands gripping me tightly as they hauled me to my feet. My heart pounded in my chest, the reality of the situation crashing over me. This was it. I had failed.

I looked over at Linda and Tracy, standing a few steps away, their expressions unreadable. Lina wouldn’t meet my eyes, but Vera—Vera just stared at me with that same cold, calculating look she always had. She didn’t say anything, didn’t even flinch as the men began dragging me toward the road.

“No!” I screamed again, thrashing in their grip. But they were stronger than me, their hold unbreakable. My mind raced, desperately trying to think of something, anything, that could get me out of this.

I glanced back at the forest, the dark, looming trees that had almost been my refuge. I had been so close.