She didn’t make it far before the exhaustion caught up with her. Stumbling into a dark, secluded area, Ravina leaned against a broken wall, her breath ragged. After a few moments, she gathered herself enough to take stock of her situation. Her body was bloodied, her clothes tattered beyond repair. There was no way she could move through the districts like this—not without attracting unwanted attention.

She needed something better to wear, something that would let her slip unnoticed into the Kendel District. Otherwise, she’d be seen as just another rat on the streets. Perhaps that’s why they stripped me of my dress, she thought bitterly. To keep me hidden away in this broken district.

But the image of Rupert’s smug face dissuaded her from that idea. He took far too much delight in her suffering. In fact there was very little she understood about what he did. Why exactly did he think he could get away with it? The royal on his side? Even if she disappeared forever, there was far too much danger about his actions. There must have been other factors. There was no way this was just the random actions of a deranged man.

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed through the silence of the night. Her heart leapt, and she pushed herself against the wall, pressing into the shadows. Every muscle tensed as she listened to the sound getting closer…

And closer…

She swallowed hard, the sound deafening in her ears. She saw the light of a torch now, dancing on the ground until a light sped past and with it the sounds of running dimed.

“Fuck,” she whispered, finally breathing again. She hadn’t even realized she’d been holding her breath. With a few panting breathes she thought about what to do next. She needed to leave, sooner then later. The man running by was probably moving to cut her off, a search party would be next and she was alone and already drained from the effort of the spell.

But where and how? She could figure that out after she reached the first interior gate out of this messed up district. With that thought in mind, Ravina shifted herself off the wall and began walking, using the rising White Tower as a guiding post. She moved toward it, determined. It didn’t take long before she saw three flames bobbing in the distance—held by men guarding the gate.

But they weren’t city guards. The official uniforms were nowhere to be seen, meaning she was on her own. Still, the fact that they weren’t looking for her gave her hope—they either weren’t connected to Rupert or didn’t know where to search and just decided to lock down the district. She had disappeared, after all. From this distance, she could tell they were focused on this side of the gate. She took a deep breath.

With a sharp exhale, she invoked the arcane energy again. This time, it was easier, and with a pulse of power, she blinked through the gate, slipping past the guards unnoticed. The moment she felt the solid cobblestone road below her feet, she ran, heading straight for the White Tower.

She didn’t stop, didnt look back until she reached a familiar place—a clothing store she had visited once before. Ravina looked down at her tattered clothes and grimy skin, offering a silent apology to the shop’s owner as she blinked inside. Tumbling onto the cool floor, she gasped for air, feeling as though she’d sprinted miles from that one simple spell. Teleportation was taxing, but she was inside.

Looking around, she found everything she needed. Ripping off the useless covering she’d been wearing, she grabbed a handful of soft fabric and began wiping away the grime and blood. Her hands were still scarred, her thumbs aching and not quite set right from the healing spell, but she’d worry about that later.

For now, she needed to look the part. Something she never thought she would ever think about before. She scanned the shop until she found a dress that would work. Guilt tugged at her—this shop made custom clothes, sown precisely for each buyer, and the dress had undoubtedly been made for someone else. But desperation outweighed guilt.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

The dress fit her surprisingly well, leaving her to wonder if she was a common size. She shook the thought from her head. How am I getting distracted at a time like this?

With the dress on, she unlocked the door and slipped outside. She could have blinked again, but the toll of spellcasting was heavy—it wasn’t just about mana manipulation. Every time, it took something from her and she was ready for a nice, big long nap. So hoping no one else would rob the defenseless store she made her way back home.

Of course, the guards found her slightly suspicious. Despite the fancy dress, there was one glaring issue with her appearance. “Where are your shoes?” the night guard on duty scoffed at the girl demanding entrance to the noble district.

He had seen many things in his day, but a young woman with scarred arms and no shoes claiming to be a noble—let alone a Ravenshield—was something else. What a story to tell. “Do you honestly believe a noble would be so… underdressed?”

Ravina huffed. Shoes, really? She hadn’t exactly been in a position to worry about shoes. She was used to walking around without shes, in this life and her last. Her frustration simmered as she struggled to find the right words. “Just let me pass or verify my identity by talking to…” she blinked. What... what was the caretaker’s name? She should know this. “Just talk to the Raven-Beak Manor’s caretaker.”

“Kid, do you have any idea what time it is?” the guard asked, clearly unimpressed.

“And why should that matter to me?” she shot back, her patience wearing thin. “Just let me in or wake him up.”

“Kid, you do—”

“Lady Ravenshield,” Ravina snapped, her temper flaring. “I am a noble of high station, and you will address me in the proper manner.”

The guard scoffed. “You can’t be—”

“I am, and I most certainly can. I can ensure you never work again,” she said, her voice cold and commanding. “Now do your job or else I have you replaced with someone who can.”

There was something about the girl’s presence—her delivery, her confidence—that made the guard straighten his back. For a moment, he wondered if, just maybe, she truly was a noble.

“Fine…” he muttered, deciding it wasn’t his problem. It was, but someone else could handle it. He knocked on the door, and after a moment, it creaked open. Normally, travel between districts was done through the gate, but after hours, the gates were closed and movement restricted. Still, certain people—nobles or those with special circumstances—could pass through the doors, even at this hour—such as returning home late from being kidnapped by a former lover.

The path led through a guard outpost, where ten guards slept in shifts, watching over the gates. It was a small, unimpressive station buried within the wall—no one ever said being a guard was glamorous.

Ravina walked by, the weight of the guards’ stares following her, but no one challenged her. Once she was clear of the outpost and in the safety of the district, she finally allowed herself to exhale. The tension eased from her shoulders, and she had to brace herself against a wall, her body trembling from the sheer exhaustion of it all.

Ravina spent some time leaning against the wall, gathering her strength, before setting off for home once again. This time, she walked briskly but at a comfortable pace. The night was lovely, the air cool and still. Despite everything, there was something soothing about the quiet streets.

Still, She was glad when the manor’s gate came into view. She avoided the front entrance where guards would keep watch, instead following the wall to the back where the small, forgotten gate creaked open, unchallenged. It was one of her little discoveries having spent all this time in the place—an entrance no one else seemed to remember existed.

The problem now was the locked door to the manor itself. She didn’t want to explain anything to anyone tonight, so she circled the house until she found the window to her room. With a quiet breath, she blinked inside, the magic carrying her effortlessly to the familiar space.

The comfort of her bed called to her, and despite knowing better, she collapsed onto it. The soft sheets enveloped her, and within moments, sleep claimed her, pulling her into its welcome embrace.