The Great Escape

Chapter-22

A/N: Unbelievable, I know, but I am actually not dead lol. To everyone still reading this, thank you so much for sticking around and bearing with my sporadic, non-existent updating schedule.

This is a fairly long chapter, I think around 3000 words, and I am working on the next one. So without further ado~

Kiara was lost.

At some point, the growls had become too loud and the guards too fidgety. With their hackles raised, ears keen, eyes wary and hearts wavering— Lady Kiara had to maintain a larger distance from them. Despite that, she was doing just fine. Her small frame and dark cloak mingled well with the obscure background. Her straw padded feet produced negligible sound. Her eyes did not deter from the guards even for a second. She was vigilant and inconspicuous.

Abruptly, it all boiled down to nothing.

A menacing roar shook the trees of the woods and the guards' hearts gave into it. They ran away. Breaking the formation, they shivered and shriveled away. Kiara had blinked— absolutely, utterly confounded— at the blithering idiocy the supposedly well-trained men showed as they dashed pell-mell, absconding the trail and each other.

And now she was all alone in the middle of the woods. She hoped the guards were at least alive.

Not exactly alone. She rubbed her nose bridge at the thought. Looking around, she tried to listen to any sound but it was quiet.

Too quiet.

Then, an owl hooted from some distance.

Wind picked up speed.

The hair on the nape of her neck raised.

Someone was watching her.

Closely, attentively.

Danger.

She tensed up, breath hitched, eyes narrowing as she scanned around her.

Again, nothing.

"What is this?" She mumbled, "Th—"

Growls.

Kiara froze.

Loud, inhuman growls.

Not missing a beat, Kiara charged towards the origin of the sound and not some minutes later, she saw a horrific scene in front of her. The gruesome sight making her sick in her stomach.

"Holy fuck..." String of curse words left her mouth as she took several staggering steps behind. Eyes wide, heart palpitating.

Lifeless bodies.

Strewn around on the grassy floor of the forest.

Their limbs bent at odd angles.

Dead faces scrunched up in horror.

All chalky white.

Deprived of blood.

Deprived of life.

The sight brought back memories of her guards, lying cold and dead on the bloodied marble floor back in the dingy unlit store room of the Monroe mansion. Her harmless people.

Her innocent, harmless people.

Kiara's hold around the dagger in her hand tightened. A rush of repent and sorrow rolled down her spine. The scene was like a bucket full of icy water. Poured on her head without a second of thought, pulling up the hair out of her flesh and making them stand upright on her skin.