I head back up the tunnel, smiling confidently all the while. Is it weird that I feel secure? I know I shouldn't, considering all I can do is go into the forest and find the "ranger", but I just feel so damn happy knowing my next step. It's like I was stumbling in the dark, praying I wouldn't die, and now I have a small flashlight to guide me down a path. I can't see very far into the distance, but at the very least I know I can do something right now. It makes me feel ... powerful.

My headache's back, but I don't care. I move faster, not slower. This time it takes me two minutes to make it all the way back up to the surface. I pause for a bit, my momentary feeling of confidence fading to make way for caution. Perhaps it was instinct, for I hear voices. Faint, but present. Goldy and friends are back. I peer up through the wide open trapdoor. This isn't good. I'm very visible to whoever walks by. I look down at my clothes. By now, my fine white gown is so crumbled and dirt-covered that I'm unable to easily differentiate it from the ground. The box I hold is brown. I blend in fairly well with the environment. By how the red man worded his explanation of Disguise, this skill most likely isn't omnipotent. He said it would be harder to notice me - not impossible. So, I assume I'll need to hide fairly well before others are unable to perceive me. Actually, considering I've never tested Disguise on anyone, I'd rather avoid being put in a situation where I'm forced to use it.

With that resolve in mind, I take a small peek outside the trapdoor before ducking in. I clutch my hair. I should be able to camoflage myself, but my hair is a dull grey - it'll be easily visible to anyone seeing it. I rub as much dirt and dust in my hair as possible. I take out the mirror, this time to examine my appearance. My hair is more brown now - it's not even close to perfect, but it should work at a distance. Should. My eyes are red, but I can squint, so that as little of it is visible as possible. I put the mirror back into the box and slowly peek out the trapdoor. I can see Goldy - I don't recognize the people around him, but I assume they were the ones who were talking yesterday. It's dawn now. How is it dawn?! I couldn't have spent six hours roaming the place! I definitely spent less than an hour in the large room filled with treasures - oh, it's a treasury - anyway! There's no way it should be dawn right now! Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck!

They're still far away though. I should be able to get out if I move fast. I creep out of the trapdoor, keeping my body low and achieving a reasonable speed. Mentally, I pull on the thread that connects me to red dude. Hopefully it works? I close the trapdoor behind me - no sense in alerting them to my presence. I creep as fast as possible directly in front of me, towards the leftern edge of the forest. I duck behind debris as much as possible. I stop moving whenever they start talking - just to make sure they didn't notice me and aren't looking for me. Ha! Some power I turned out to have! My face contorts into a grimace. The throbbing, that was always hovering on the edge of my consciousness, has decided to make itself known. I crawl, but I'm still drained from last night, and just as I reach the nearest large chunk of debris to my goal, I collapse on the ground.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

No! Not now! Don't fail me now! I internally scream myself hoarse, trying to push myself just a little further, but I can't move. My limbs feel like lead, and I am in no shape to lift them. I push myself until I curl up into a ball. Deep breaths. In, out. In, out. Okay. I need to sleep, and I needed it yesterday. But fuck that, because I can't sleep now. I need to wring out the last drops of energy in this body and push myself into the treeline. But I can't fucking do this, because I'm tired and need rest. So I can't move myself- that's wrong. I can't move my limbs. I can, however, roll. At the very least, I can still do that. It's a downhill slope from me to the treeline, so I can definitely make it. I cock my ear against the edge of the rock, listening for Goldy. The voices are faint, yet audible - they're most likely exploring the ruined castle. As far as I can tell, there's no direct line of sight to me from the ground floor of the castle.

Hup! I roll over. My muscles are burning. But if they're burning, they're not lead! I turn over again. And again. And again. I look at the treeline. Just twenty or so more rolls to go. Roll. Roll. Roll. Roll. Roll. Pause for a breather, but not too long, or I might get comfortable. Roll. Roll. Roll. Roll. Pause. Roll. Roll. Roll. Roll. Pause. Roll. Roll. Roll. Pause. I'm almost there. I ache all over. It fucking hurts. I scooch myself into position again. Push - just a little more - I'm there! I'm in the treeline! I've recovered feeling in my limbs, so I awkwardly roll myself forward some more, faster this time. When I look back, I almost can't see the castle. My whole body sags in relief. I made it. I'm out. I groan. My hunger pangs have attacked me once more. I'm thirsty, too.

But, see, I don't care. I'm sleeping. I roll myself into the biggest tree hollow I can see, which isn't quite big enough, but I manage somehow. When I let go, my eyelids instantly drop, and I pass out into a dreamless sleep.