Binding Fate: Betrothed to the Otherworldly Duke

Chapter 1: In the Meadow

My eyelids fluttered open, and my surroundings were a blur as I struggled to push myself upright.

"Where am I?"

Slowly, the images around me began to crystallize. I found myself nestled within the heart of a sun-kissed meadow, its perimeter guarded by towering trees, their long branches extending like protective arms around me.

"How on earth did I end up outside?" I pondered aloud, my hand instinctively reaching for my throbbing temple. The moment my palm made contact, I withdrew it, finding my hand along with my white lab coat sleeve marred by a bright bloodstain. Panic surged through me as I summoned all my strength and attempted to stand, as new aches and pains registered with each movement.

Finally, on my feet, I became acutely aware of the sheer size of the trees around me. They dominated the scene, their branches growing upward as if reaching directly into the heavens. As my gaze followed them upward, a thought struck me.

I can use the Maps app on my phone.

With newfound determination, I shoved my hands into my coat pockets, my fingers fumbling desperately. I retrieved a pen and some crumpled sheets of paper—neither would be of help at all in my current predicament.

Where's my phone?

I frantically looked around, searching for any sign of my lost lifeline.

"This is fine," I told myself, trying to ease the rising panic that was threatening to consume me.  "I don't need my phone. I am a strong, capable woman. I will figure this out." 

I closed my eyes and took deep breaths as I started sifting through my memory, hoping to find some small detail about how I got into my current predicament and anything else that might help me navigate my way out of this unfamiliar forest.

But no matter how hard I tried to force my memory to recall, all I could see was a black wall of nothingness. I couldn't even remember what I had had for breakfast. 

A wave of nausea wracked me as my breathing became shallower, and a weight felt as if it had been placed on my chest. I couldn't break down now. 

I closed my eyes again and tried to focus on anything that would ground me and allow me to feel a semblance of control. 

"The sun sets in the West," I recalled, a tiny ember of relief flickering within me. "If I head in that direction, I'm bound to find my way out and find help."

Though I knew that there was no logic in that tidbit my mind produced, I had to grasp it, or I would completely spiral. 

As I ventured deeper into the dense forest, the sunlight gradually waned as the thick canopy overhead blocked it, and I was walking in the shadows of the trees. 

I looked forward and backward, and no matter what direction I turned, it all looked the same. I had already lost sight of the open meadow I had woken up in, and there was no sight of the trees coming to an end. 

Just as I was on the brink of resignation, I heard the faint murmur of rushing water nearby. The melody of the unseen river beckoned me, and I forged ahead through the gloomy woods.

Finally emerging from the suffocating embrace of the trees, my eyes widened as I gazed upon the glistening waters of a meandering river.

As I approached it, I noticed that on the opposite shore, large rocks stacked on top of each other led toward a hill concealed by dense trees.

Careful not to fall in, I knelt by the river's edge and dipped my hands into the cold water, scooping it up and bringing it to my parched lips. I savored the refreshing taste. The coolness momentarily quelled the unease that had been with me since waking up.