After telling her friends she was going to the bathroom to freshen up, Mia had wandered the castle corridors, eluding the vila's watchful eye. She reassured herself that she was safe, noting a few professors patrolling the hall and the area around the castle.

But there was another reason she wanted to escape her bodyguard for a few moments. His intoxicating scent seemed to linger in her nostrils, even when he was a few meters away. She had limited herself to a reasonable amount of alcohol, but the relaxation she felt after her second glass tempted her to abandon all reason and pounce on the vila as if her life depended on it.

A few students passed her by as she pushed the bathroom door open, leaving her alone in the room. She splashed a few drops of water on her face to appear composed before an urgent need, prompted by the cold liquid, led her to one of the toilets.

Her sigh of relief was cut short by a hushed voice. She hadn't heard the door open.

"Are you sure she came here?"

A shiver ran down her spine. A wave of anxiety crashed over her stomach as her breathing and heartbeat accelerated.

Fuck! What do I do?

Holding her breath, Mia silently lifted her feet onto the toilet seat, trying to conceal her presence. Footsteps echoed, and one of the toilet doors was opened. It was the first one to the right, across from the front door, the farthest from hers.

Breathe, think, she repeated in her mind, trying to control her breathing. There's a window to my right when I exit the toilet that overlooks the back of the castle. It's my only possible exit. But by the time I open it... they'll catch me easily...

And as if a higher power had heard her prayers, a heavy knock echoed in the room, followed by someone attempting to open the door.

"Hey! What the hell? Open up, or I'm calling a professor!" an irritated female voice shouted.

"Damn it, what's he doing? Wasn't he supposed to stop others from coming in?"

The sound of footsteps scrutinizing the toilets temporarily moved away as they whispered a few words to each other. One of her attackers opened the front door to inquire about the situation. This was her chance. If she had understood the situation correctly, there were three of them. Two were guarding the door on each side, and the one searching the toilets had just joined his comrade by the door, leaving her free to escape.

Without a second thought, she quietly pushed the toilet door and frantically grasped the window latch. In two seconds, a cool breeze greeted her. Without a backward glance, she climbed, palms on the window sill, pulling herself into the opening.

"Don't think you can get away!" a voice shouted behind her, as a hand painfully closed around her ankle.

In a survival reflex, she kicked backward, attempting to smash her assailant's face. He tried to hold onto her leg, digging his nails into her flesh, but Mia managed to break free with a second kick. On the other side of the window, in her haste, she stumbled and fell palms-first onto the damp grass.

"Fucking bitch! She almost broke my nose!"

"You can complain later! Lock the door, it'll slow her down!"

Mia didn't wait to hear the last words from the male voice. She took off running as fast as she could. Even with a few seconds head start, she knew they could run faster than her, and they knew it too. Along the way, she quickly kicked off her wedged heels, which had been slowing her down.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I won't have time to go around the castle... Fuck, I'm so stupid...

Her footsteps brought her to the edge of the forest. Without hesitation, she plunged into the darkness, moving among the trees, zigzagging between their imposing roots. She was already out of breath, but her survival instinct compelled her to keep running. Her feet were aching terribly from running barefoot on the hard ground. The forest's silence only heightened her anxiety, and she finally gave in to the temptation to glance back.

A wave of relief washed over her when she realized they weren't pursuing her. However, it was short-lived as a hand abruptly stopped her by gripping her throat while she turned her head to focus on her path. The grip cut off her breath, crushing her airways. A stern gaze greeted her, and she cursed herself for choosing to enter the forest. She had been warned that centaurs didn't take kindly to intruders on their territory.

"Release the human, Thorfinn, she's ours," a hooded figure spoke, accompanied by two others.

The centaur let her go, allowing her to collapse on the ground, coughing. He stepped forward, passing Mia, and was joined by three other centaurs who aligned themselves by his side. Mouth agape, she watched as they defended her, daring the individuals to advance. The three assailants retreated and whispered a few words, panicked, before fleeing. They clearly hadn't planned on facing the centaurs in their twisted scheme.

The one named Thorfinn grabbed her arm to help her up as his comrades bid farewell. He gave her a meaningful look, as if he knew much more about the situation than she did.

"Take care of yourself."

And he vanished, leaving her alone in the darkness of the forest. Her legs struggled to support her weight, and her body trembled. It was simply the aftermath of the adrenaline and terror she had experienced. All she wanted was to cry her heart out to release the stress and hide under her covers for the rest of her life.

"Mia!" cried a voice she instantly recognized as Ethan's.

In a matter of seconds, he was by her side. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck, inhaling his scent, which immediately reassured her. He returned the embrace, holding her almost to the point of pain, but she didn't complain. Here, surrounded by his arms, she felt safe, and that was all that mattered at that moment.

"What happened?" he whispered in her ear.

Mia didn't respond, refusing to replay the events in her head. She was exhausted, still in shock, and clung to the vila as if her life depended on it. He sighed and slid his arm under her knees, lifting her and placing her against his chest. Since she didn't protest, only tightening her embrace, he began to walk to leave the forest.

At the edge, a familiar group greeted them, running towards them. Ethan briefly wondered how they had managed to find them so quickly, but that thought quickly left his mind when he saw the worried looks of Mia's friends.

"What happened?" asked Arry, in a panicked state.

The same question again. Still no answers.

"Let's go to the infirmary," ordered Lily after scrutinizing Mia.

The fairy led them to a small door on the west facade of the castle, avoiding the festivities and the curious gazes of the students. It led to a storage room containing plants, potions, and some pastries and allowed them to reach the hallway of the fairy apartments. The place was deserted, to their great relief. Lily guided them to Mia's room and gestured for Ethan to lay her on the bed before heading back to the infirmary.

The chaos of Mia's experience had left her with one overwhelming thought: not to let go of the vila, to stay within his reassuring embrace, and above all, just... not to let go.

"It's okay, you're safe here," he whispered softly while trying to release Mia's grip, coaxing her to sit on the bed.

Mechanically, she complied, but her panicked gaze pleaded with him not to move away. Lily returned a minute later with a wet cloth and a salve.

"Go on, we'll talk about it tomorrow," Lily commanded the two magicians who left after nodding.

Ethan sat beside his soulmate, his arm around her trembling body, and removed the mask that still adorned her eyes. Mia rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes, allowing Lily to clean her wounds and apply the salve. Her overloaded brain hadn't registered the pain, but the warmth of the remedy spreading across her scraped feet reminded her of the injuries covering them. A feeling of well-being spread through her body as the cream took effect, relaxing her tense shoulders. When her friend finished tending to her wounds, Mia turned over and climbed under the covers, exhausted, not even bothering to remove her ball gown.

"Stay, please," she pleaded with the vila as he was about to get up.

Lily and Ethan exchanged nods, bidding her goodnight before he tucked himself under the covers after the fairy closed the door. Lying behind her, he wrapped his arm around her, and she nestled deeper into his embrace, pressing her back against his chest.

In a matter of seconds, she fell asleep.