*Briella*

I leaped over a fallen log, my paws barely making a sound on the soft forest floor. The wind whispered through the trees, ruffling my fur in cool caresses. It made my heart swell with an untamed joy. For the first time in what felt like ages, the weight of responsibility was lifted from my shoulders and replaced by an exhilarating freedom that surged through my veins with every bound I took.

"I could do this forever," I thought, my breath coming out in misty ...