❛ 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆 ❜

22

ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ'ꜱ ɴᴏᴛᴇ: oh my gosh, i can't believe this is almost at 100k views already. thank you all so much for the undying support...i literally have no words. you all are so amazing 😭💗

- ͙۪۪̥˚┊❛ ❜┊˚͙۪۪̥◌

y/n had been walking for what felt like an eternity, her legs aching, and muscles burning, but she refused to stop. the night air was cool against her skin, a stark contrast to the warmth of the castle she had fled from. her breath came in shallow, labored gasps as she trudged through the uneven terrain. the wind whipped through the trees, the only sound accompanying her footsteps in the darkness. she couldn't stop. not yet. she had to keep going, had to put as much distance between herself and howl as possible. every step felt heavier than the last, her exhaustion settling deep in her bones, but the thought of freedom— of being truly free— kept her moving. if she could just get back to the folding valley, to her village, she would be safe.

maybe she wouldn't even have to face her mother or brother right away...that could wait. sophie and the rest of the hatter family would surely take her in.

she was almost certain of that.

y/n's heart clenched at the thought of her mother. there was no telling how she would react once she realized y/n had returned. after everything that had happened, after all the chaos and drama surrounding her time with howl, it was doubtful that her mother would want to see her. not yet, anyway. the very idea of facing her sent a chill down y/n's spine. her mother had always been so controlling, nagging her about getting married, and pushing her into things y/n didn't want. and now, after everything, she couldn't imagine how disappointed her mother would be.

she let out a bitter chuckle, inhaling sharply as the air caught in her throat. it seemed no matter where she went, her bad luck followed her. if she hadn't met howl, none of this would have happened. no wicked witch of the waste, no curses, no running. but at the same time, she would've still been stuck with her mother's constant demands, and her incessant badgering about finding a husband. would her life have been any better? y/n sighed deeply, glancing over her shoulder.

the landscape behind her was shrouded in darkness, with no sign of the castle in sight. relief washed over her like a wave. for the first time since she left, she felt like she could breathe again. she had managed to go in the opposite direction of where howl had ordered calcifer to move the castle. even though she wasn't sure if this path would lead her home, any place that wasn't near howl was an improvement.

she paused at the foot of a hill, her legs finally giving out beneath her as she sank against the cold earth. her back pressed against the slope, her fingers digging into the soil as she tipped her head up toward the night sky. the stars twinkled overhead, distant and cold, but strangely comforting. they reminded her of simpler nights, nights where she had nothing more to worry about than her mother's scolding or her brother's teasing. the silence around her felt almost too peaceful. for so long, her life had been consumed by the chaos of magic, of the unpredictable world howl had dragged her into.

now, in this moment of quiet, y/n realized just how tired she truly was. not just physically, but emotionally. her heart ached, her mind weighed down by the whirlwind of recent events. she felt torn between wanting to leave it all behind and the strange, lingering attachment she still felt toward howl.

despite everything, a part of her had grown used to him—used to his presence, his protectiveness, even if it had become suffocating. but she couldn't live like that. she couldn't let someone have that much control over her life, not again. the thought of being trapped, of being someone's possession, made her stomach turn. she needed to be free. she needed to live her life on her own terms, no matter how difficult or uncertain that might be. she let out a shaky sigh, her breath visible in the cool night air as she hugged her knees to her chest.