𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘈𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘺.

Eleven.

Akira's breath came in uneven gasps as she walked further from the looming gates of Silvermoon Academy, each step carrying her deeper into the unknown. The weight of the revelations pressed down on her, a suffocating reminder of the secrets she had unearthed. The moon's silvery glow painted the landscape in shades of light and dark, and the forest around her whispered with the wind, as if sharing its own hidden truths.

She knew she couldn't stay in a place where deception wrapped itself around every corner, suffocating what was real. The academy had felt like a maze, trapping her within its mysteries, its beautiful facade disguising the darkness that thrived beneath. Even now, she could almost feel the eyes of the shadows watching her retreat, as if the very walls of Silvermoon mourned her departure or plotted against it.

"I won't let them control me," she muttered, her voice a fragile defiance against the chill of the night. Akira's hands trembled as she clutched her bag tighter, each tremor a testament to the fear she couldn't entirely suppress. But she pressed on, leaving behind the grand spires of the academy that once promised a new beginning and now held only bitter memories.

The night deepened, swallowing the path ahead in darkness. Akira's mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of truth she had gathered: her grandfather's involvement, the cryptic warnings from Lucian, and the strange tension between Amara and Nara. Questions coiled around her thoughts, each one sharper than the last.

A sudden rustle in the underbrush made her freeze, her heartbeat quickening as she strained to see into the shadowy woods. The silence that followed was almost deafening, each second stretching out into an eternity. She took a shaky breath, trying to reassure herself that it was just an animal, nothing more. But the feeling of being watched wouldn't leave her.

"I can't go back," she whispered to herself, the words strengthening her resolve. No matter how uncertain the road ahead was, staying meant being ensnared in a web of lies she might never escape. She needed distance from Silvermoon Academy, a place where she could think clearly and sort through the pieces of her grandfather's hidden life.

Summoning her last reserves of courage, Akira turned her eyes to the horizon, where the forest gave way to the unknown. Somewhere out there, beyond the reach of the academy's shadows, she hoped she would find the answers she sought. Even if the truth cut deeper than she ever imagined, she would face it on her terms.

The rustling noise grew louder, and before Akira could react, a wolf emerged from the dark forest, its silver eyes glinting in the moonlight. Fear clutched at her heart, and she stumbled backward, but the wolf did not attack. Instead, it halted a few feet from her, its ears perked up, eyes fixed on hers with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine.

Before she could even process what was happening, another noise behind her made her heart leap into her throat—a low growl, deep and menacing. Something else was out there, something far more dangerous than the wolf. The forest seemed to hold its breath, an eerie silence falling over the trees as if they, too, were waiting for what would happen next.

The wolf stepped forward, baring its teeth—not at her, but at whatever lurked behind her. It turned its head toward her, its expression almost urging her to move. In that moment, a strange understanding passed between them. The wolf wasn't there to harm her; it was trying to guide her.

Akira's instincts screamed at her to run, but she found herself frozen, caught between fear and the unknown. The growl behind her deepened, and she could feel the presence closing in, the air thick with the scent of danger. The wolf let out a sharp bark and lunged forward, circling her before racing into the woods, stopping only to look back and see if she would follow.

Without a second thought, Akira sprinted after it, her legs moving as if on autopilot. The forest blurred around her, branches scratching at her arms and face as she pushed forward, heart pounding in her ears. The wolf moved with a graceful swiftness, always staying just ahead of her but never out of sight.