Chapter 12
A Race Against Dawn
Leo runs through the dark gardens, pursued by the chilling sounds of the night and the fear of recapture. He must reach the boundary of the estate before the first light of dawn, when his stepmother's search will intensify.
The night air was a thick, velvety cloak, cool against Leo’s flushed cheeks as he stumbled through the overgrown gardens. Each snap of a twig beneath his worn shoes, each rustle of leaves, sent a fresh wave of panic through him. The grand house, once a prison, now loomed behind him like a monstrous shadow, its darkened windows staring out like vacant eyes. He could almost feel his stepmother’s gaze, a cold, sharp needle piercing the darkness, searching for him.
His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat keeping time with his desperate flight. The moonlight, a sliver of silver in the vast expanse of the night sky, cast long, distorted shadows that danced and writhed like specters. He imagined them as his stepmother’s outstretched hands, reaching, grasping, ready to pull him back into the suffocating embrace of his gilded cage.
He had to reach the boundary. The crumbling stone wall that marked the edge of the estate, the promise of the unknown world beyond. Jax had whispered it to him, her voice a mere breath against his ear, “Before the sun wakes, Leo. That is your only chance.” And Doggy, sensing the urgency in Leo’s trembling limbs, trotted faithfully by his side, his tail tucked low, a silent sentinel of courage.
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