Eira's pov
Pain.
That was the only thing I could feel.
It clawed at my insides, relentless and sharp, like someone had carved my soul open and left it bleeding. Not just the physical kind—the bruises, the weakness from days of confinement, the throbbing pulse behind my eyes. No. This was deeper. The kind that lived in your chest and made breathing feel like a punishment.
I dashed out of the room, heart pounding, bare feet slapping against the cold stone floors. My vision blurred, but I didn't stop. Couldn't stop. Every cell in my body screamed for freedom.
Draven had taken everything from me—my choice, my body, even my future. And now, this child growing inside me... a constant reminder of the nights that should've never happened.
I refused to be a prisoner to his madness. Not anymore.
I was done playing victim. I wasn't going to rot in this place while the world turned. I was more than a pawn in Draven's sick game,and Snow, that witch who thought she could bend fate to her will? She had no idea who she'd tried to erase.
Funny enough I don't even know who she is.
I dragged myself off the floor I've been crouching, my muscles trembling. My reflection in the cracked mirror across the room startled me. Pale, drawn, hollow-eyed. But in those eyes, I saw something I hadn't in weeks,resolve.
"You're stronger than this," I whispered to myself, gripping the edge of the sink.
I remembered a conversation,Edward had been arguing with someone outside my door two days ago. Something about a tunnel, hidden beneath the estate. A backup exit only Draven's top men knew about. Edward had bragged about the passage leading all the way beyond the forest borders.
It was my only shot.
For minutes, I stood perfectly still, watching the flicker of torchlight through my squinted eyes. I counted every guard's footstep. Timed their rotations. Every thirty minutes, a change. Three minutes of silence before the next one walked by. Three minutes to breathe. Three minutes to move.
At the third change, I rose quietly, nerves coiling like a viper in my stomach.
I needed access.
The office.
Draven's private study wasn't far. I knew it by the scent,clove cigarettes, leather-bound books, and whatever expensive cologne he drenched himself in. I slipped into the corridor, my heart thudding so loudly I feared it would give me away.
The hall was empty.
I crept down it like a shadow and reached the dark wooden door.
Locked.
I pulled a thin metal pin from my makeshift bun and jimmied the handle, the way Edward once did when he showed off in front of the maids.
Click.
The door opened.
Inside, the room was dim, firelight licking the walls. His desk loomed at the center, papers scattered across its surface. My eyes scanned everything.
Where would he keep the passkey?
I rifled through drawers, careful not to make noise. My hand landed on a small, silver card embedded with a rune. Bingo.
I didn't wait.
In the janitor's closet, I changed quickly into a maid's uniform,black and plain, a scarf covering my face and hair. My pulse raced as I stepped back into the hallway, eyes darting for danger. No one questioned me.
Guards moved up and down searching for me on the floor above us. I couldn't risk it.
I walked like I belonged.
With every step, the nausea grew. Whether it was nerves or the baby, I didn't know. Didn't care.
All I knew was I had to reach that tunnel.
In the west wing, behind a false panel near the wine cellar, I found it. Just like Edward said.
"Please work," I muttered, pressing the rune-marked key against the wall's edge.
A click.
The panel slid open with a whisper, revealing a narrow stone tunnel descending into darkness.
I didn't hesitate.
I climbed in and closed the door behind me, the darkness wrapping around me like a shroud.
It was damp and tight, the ceiling low enough that I had to crawl. Dust coated my hands, cobwebs clung to my face. The air smelled like mold and old death.
My knees scraped against the stone, but I didn't stop.
Just a little farther. Just a little more.
I could feel it,the light ahead. Freedom. I could almost taste the fresh air, feel the sun on my skin. I'd find out who I truly was. I'd uncover the truth they tried to bury. I'd burn Snow and her lies to the ground.
Suddenly, the nausea hit harder, curling up my throat. I gagged and pressed a hand to my stomach.
"Not now," I whispered through clenched teeth. "Please, not now."
I kept moving.
The light grew stronger, a soft halo at the tunnel's mouth. I reached out for it, tears blurring my vision.
And then,a shadow.
A dark silhouette blocked the exit.
My heart stopped.
No.
No, no, no.
The figure stepped forward, filling the narrow space with his presence.
Draven.
"Going somewhere, Eira?" His voice was low, dangerous. Calm in the way that meant something was about to break.
I backed away, fists clenched.
"How did you,?"
"You really thought I wouldn't notice?" He crouched slightly, gaze locked on mine. "You've been playing pretend for days. I let you. Watched you. Gave you the rope to see how far you'd go before hanging yourself."
"Get out of my way," I growled.
His eyes darkened. "You're carrying my child."
"Don't remind me," I snapped.
His face twitched. "You were meant to stay safe, locked away. Not crawl through dirt like some desperate animal."
I spat at the ground between us. "You don't get to decide who I am anymore."
"You think you'll make it out there?" He stepped closer. "Alone? Pregnant? You don't know what's waiting for you, Eira."
"I'll take my chances," I said.
His hand reached out,too fast.
I swung the torch I'd taken from the tunnel wall.
He grunted, stepping back.
I bolted past him, lungs on fire.
He caught my wrist.
I screamed, twisting. "LET GO!"
"Eira!"
I drove my knee into his stomach and yanked free.
He stumbled, just long enough.
I ran.
I didn't know where I was going. I didn't care. I just knew I couldn't let him take me back.
Not now.
Not ever.
The trees greeted me like ghosts as I burst into the woods. The cold air slapped my face, but I embraced it. Every breath was a victory.
Branches tore at my dress, and the uneven ground burned my soles. I didn't stop.
Behind me, I could still hear him.
"EIRA!" Draven roared from the tunnel's mouth.
I didn't look back.
I ran.
And with every step, I told myself,
I am not your prisoner.
I am not your broken girl.
I will find out who I am.
And I will burn your kingdom to the ground.
A sharp sting pierced the side of my neck, quick and unexpected.
"What?"
My hand flew up, fingers brushing something warm and wet. Then came the heat,spreading fast, curling through my veins like poison. My vision wavered. The ground tilted.
No. Not now.
I staggered, each step heavier than the last. My heartbeat thundered in my ears, distant and slow. My knees gave out beneath me.
I was falling.
But instead of the forest floor, I landed in arms,strong and solid.
"Got you," a voice murmured near my ear.
My vision dimmed, but I held onto that voice like salvation.