Mira sat in the stillness of her room, the faint glow of moonlight casting soft shadows on the wooden walls. Her plan had taken days to refine, each detail crafted with care to avoid detection. A small pouch of coins sat on her desk, alongside a bundle of bread and dried fruits. It wasn’t much, but it was all she could spare.

She would slip out tonight, under the cover of darkness, and find Lia. She would offer her friend the supplies and persuade her to leave this town behind. The thought of Lia, homeless and alone, twisted her insides. Lia had always been bold, braver than anyone Mira knew, but even the bravest couldn’t stand alone forever.

As the house fell into silence, Mira moved with deliberate caution. She crept past the creaking floorboards, her small frame blending into the shadows. Her family slept soundly, oblivious to her departure. With the pouch and bundle secured in a satchel, she slipped into the cool night air, her breath fogging in the chill.

The streets of the village were eerily quiet, the houses dark and lifeless. Mira’s heart raced as she moved quickly, her mana heightened, ready to sense any signs of life. She reached the outskirts of the village and stopped by the old tree where she and Lia used to meet. It wasn’t long before a familiar figure emerged from the darkness.

“Mira?” Lia’s voice was hushed, tinged with disbelief. She looked thinner than Mira remembered, her once vibrant face shadowed by exhaustion.

Mira stepped forward, holding out the satchel. “Lia, take this. It’s not much, but it’ll help. You have to leave this town. Go somewhere safe, where no one knows you. Start over.”

Lia’s eyes widened, and for a moment, Mira thought she might accept. But then her expression hardened, and she shook her head fiercely.

“No, Mira. I can’t take this.” Lia’s voice trembled, but her resolve was firm. “You shouldn’t even be here. If anyone finds out, they’ll treat you the same way they treated me. I won’t let that happen.”

“But you can’t stay here!” Mira pleaded, her voice cracking. “You’ll be hunted, mocked. Please, let me help you.”

Lia’s eyes filled with tears, and she stepped back. “No, Mira. You’ve already done too much. I won’t drag you down with me. Don’t come looking for me again.” Her voice broke on the last word, and before Mira could respond, Lia turned and ran.

“Lia, wait!” Mira called out, but her friend was already a blur in the distance. She moved impossibly fast, her form vanishing into the dense forest. Mira’s heart sank as she watched her disappear.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

Without thinking, she reached out with her mana, searching for Lia’s presence. The faint golden thread of Lia’s mana flickered in her senses, a bright beacon against the dark backdrop of the forest.

Mira hesitated. She had promised herself she wouldn’t put her family at risk. But how could she leave Lia alone, running blindly into the wilderness?

Her decision made, Mira plunged into the woods, her mana guiding her steps. The trees loomed tall and foreboding, their branches weaving a canopy that blocked the moonlight. The ground was uneven, the forest alive with the rustle of leaves and the distant hoots of owls.

Lia’s mana thread pulsed ahead, leading Mira deeper into the forest. But as she followed, another presence caught her attention. It was faint at first, like a whisper on the edge of her senses. Then it grew stronger—a trail of mana unlike anything she had felt before.

The mana was golden-green, vibrant and dense, radiating an energy that made the air hum. It twisted and coiled through the forest, weaving an intricate path that seemed almost deliberate. Mira’s curiosity burned. This wasn’t Lia’s mana, but it was near her trail.

Could it be connected to Lia’s sudden flight?

Mira’s feet moved instinctively, following the strange trail. She kept her senses alert, her mana sweeping the area for signs of danger. The deeper she went, the more the forest changed. The air grew heavier, the trees larger and older. The golden-green mana glowed faintly now, illuminating the path like a thread of starlight.

After what felt like hours, Mira stumbled into a clearing. At its center stood a massive oak tree, its trunk twisted and ancient, its branches stretching into the sky. The golden-green mana pulsed around it, forming a shimmering halo.

Mira stepped closer, her breath catching in her throat. She had never seen anything like it. The tree seemed alive in a way that went beyond the physical. Its presence thrummed with power, the mana so dense it was almost tangible.

As she approached, she noticed something at the base of the tree—a faint figure, barely visible in the low light. She froze, her heart pounding.

“Lia?” she whispered, taking a cautious step forward.

The figure didn’t move. Mira edged closer, her mana coiled defensively around her.

It wasn’t Lia.

The figure was humanoid but ethereal, its form shimmering like a mirage. Its eyes glowed with the same golden-green hue as the mana, and it watched Mira with an intensity that made her skin prickle.

“Who... or what are you?” Mira asked, her voice barely audible.

The figure tilted its head, and a voice echoed in her mind—not a sound, but a feeling, a resonance.

"You seek the outcast."

Mira’s breath hitched. “Lia. Where is she? Is she safe?”

The figure didn’t answer directly. Instead, it extended a hand, pointing to the far edge of the clearing. The golden-green mana pulsed again, forming a faint path leading deeper into the forest.

Mira hesitated. Every instinct screamed at her to turn back, to leave this strange being and its enigmatic presence behind. But Lia’s face flashed in her mind, her tearful eyes and the determination that had driven her to run.

Mira nodded, her resolve hardening. “Thank you,” she said, though she wasn’t sure the figure understood.

As she stepped onto the glowing path, the figure faded, its form dissolving into the golden-green light. The forest seemed to hold its breath as Mira continued, each step taking her further into the unknown.

The path wound through the trees, the air growing colder with each passing moment. Mira’s mana sense stayed sharp, her focus unyielding. She didn’t know where this trail would lead or what she would find at its end.

But she knew one thing for certain: she wouldn’t stop until she found Lia.

The forest around her seemed to shift, the trees whispering secrets she couldn’t understand. The golden-green light flickered ahead, guiding her like a beacon. Mira quickened her pace, her determination fueling her steps.

Somewhere ahead, Lia was waiting. And Mira would not let her down.