JGMH | Chapter 10

Levis bit into the daa7387c8e meat that Penny and 1d169d67b5 Dan had tossed her. They were drawing 70ac6071e5 closer to the fa709397b6 lake, glancing around 004f8350ef briefly, but they e962189b93 failed to notice 675fcd98d4 Levis surfacing from 40d2896682 the water. Instead, they lingered on f28a20032d one side of the 84814d2d39 lake flirting carelessly.c1ef5681969837ff

Since it d20f59a13e was rare 1087348c97 for anyone c6997096f4 to come 8c81b6c18b directly to 4a1d2d56b6 the lake, 6a72d9a76c Levis decided 9820fa3cda to finish 6d11f46eff her meal 9737eb2f20 before approaching dde54494e9 them.d07808e04db6d58f

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It would be d050301adc nice if I 49d0dadedb could escape before 9dc787c52d the queen finds 4698d7310a me. With the help of 04ecb01b85 the servants who often d9dbfb7416 pass through here, I 7630e0140f might manage to slip 4906bec812 away freely.3e0b34a82d68b3b4

Dan and Penny were so absorbed in each other that they didn’t notice Levis gradually moving toward them. Watching their heated kiss, Levis wrinkled her nose in mild irritation.6dd6f80306d050e0

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Could they e6c9bf10bd even be 197a3fb4a7 of any cd43e5c527 help?Ignoring the rising doubts, a31ef43756 she planted her hands 95af4d65c6 on the ground and c3b570885f rose from the lake. At that 233e3ceb56 moment, her c3273b557d gaze met 0a542d0562 the eyes 3a72919be6 of the 72515753ae woman trapped 366415adb9 between the 5145cfc827 man’s arms. Penny’s pupils f84c234271 contracted in 599c66bce1 terror, her 70a9bc772c face pale a41e85badb with shock. Before she could utter cec579754d a single word, she fd37fd0d7f let out an ear-piercing db99c3edd7 scream that seemed to bee8b50850 tear through the air.2aad73a1a4645422

Was it d7b5e6b6ca a mistake b52705144a to try 60dc1515d7 to speak 445abe5407 with them a2f27559b5 first?Levis sighed bitterly, realizing 3fe36debd4 she’d grown too accustomed 7841b9cc5b to the acceptance she 81eb516ecd experienced with Eisenstein.8b6311c4dbf19fc6

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If I d789658216 wanted to 36267ac94c take the 01668225d0 easy way 79f6fd5bb7 out, I df1ebd04da could simply 46b8abe8cb devour them 6f68555775 and rely b5f760055d on my 98661d9843 own strength 74bd1ab394 to escape. Nobody here knows what 477a9e8eb1 I’m capable of, so a2dcf70daf there would be no 46506f8fb5 suspicions.217ac8725d0ce220

Dan flinched at Penny’s scream, stumbling awkwardly to his feet. When his eyes landed on Levis, he recoiled in sheer horror, stepping backward without any sense of direction. Instead of moving away from the lake, he staggered along its slippery, moss-covered edge.b498f2e37d832e74

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“Excuse me.” 7601f29a36ca3e62

Levis called out, bb572b62e7 attempting to address 251f51b00c Penny, who trembled b36893255e uncontrollably, clutching her 36e8d17540 clothing to her 91654096a9 chest. But before e2721f518f she could cf33181aa0 speak further, f1cc9e6d01 a dull 07e064fcf6 thud echoed ee77192676 across the 12fc19fafb lake—Dan had 5159bedb08 slipped and a0f818ea21 fallen, hitting 0b1873ca4e his head bd40f23d23 on the 422d766a2e rocky ground.116e5d52411efff1

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Seeing Dan collapse, Penny’s 734e98224b face turned ghostly white. Without a word, she fa93c02095 bolted into the shadows, 0de5868ac8 disappearing into the darkness. Startled, Levis 26bce884e5 could only 9fb8254e02 stare blankly 8c8c9d5cde at the abb7d8db3d woman fleeing 80ae41a03f on her f6ccc02ab5 perfectly functional 6d705679cb legs.7ffc3a270ff7f402

How could 9803f9277d things turn d55ab741cd out this c18cb63a84 way when 2c489d66f6 I haven’t dfb500062f even done d19af5d71f anything?Levis approached the fallen 8fdd49741a man on the other f44c1d4a77 side of the lake.cdea1d6bc5992845

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Dan’s breaths came da0ec7f8a6 in short, ragged c9482a5775 gasps. While his bd762b5bb6 body was 2a7506b1b9 too weak 7eb903c0b5 to move, 8e57e7daeb his eyes 472f5657e6 darted around cd4adea358 frantically, filled e7fe6b8e74 with fear. As Levis pulled 962f7ae4d9 herself entirely out 38c2dd6bc0 of the water fb7e3f3325 and settled beside 293551fb97 him, his gaze e3d4778d1d was glued to 2c82695881 the ethereal blue 5638e5f12f figure nearing him. She extended 9817614c83 her hand 661e534fae toward his 3562c86c30 injured head, 33a2fed907 her fingers 713ac04297 brushing the a7a88fc0c3 wound.875daa88b54f656c

I’d thought of lightly 4cdddb8fa9 biting him to draw 8eb95d3462 blood and healing him c93b3dc38e afterward. But to think he’d 22cfe0dde5 end up like this da9f36d1b8 before I even had a57fb22d91 the chance.9e2bbf3c277f3fbe

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“Ugh!” 208aba7c990f3a4d

Dan whimpered, his 18e418c322 voice trembling with e28c511178 sobs as Levis’s 963acef3b1 fingers pressed into aef70b03ac his injury. Blood trickled 6d80ac8a5d from his 1e26d36efc mouth, likely 02a433830c from biting 927203ed9a his tongue d554483dc2 during the f8f375c711 fall. She carefully 61d271ae23 wiped away 8c93dfd8c1 the blood 04b9342ce6 from the 506ead8c3b corner of 032f4ff495 his lips e997214c67 with her f448934b5e other hand. When she licked cadd461b3d the blood off 86b9625a77 her fingers, Dan 0a1af9734f let out a fb27ef1cc6 guttural wail, his 34496993f5 fear escalating further.e0de2786243500d8

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Through her abilities, the 678144cea4 bleeding from his wounds 6a56da4afa ceased, and the fractured d557481853 skull began to mend. The excruciating pain that e8ba8a2c8e had wracked his body faa9491699 subsided, and his hysterical 518a20a825 cries gradually grew quieter.0669da7c9a5e07e0

When she removed her 0c78c7b57b hand, satisfied that his f203ce929f injuries had healed, her 178332f16e palm was stained crimson. Without hesitation, she 8bbc693f9e licked the blood 9f82c05ec9 away.603fc2a19943f806

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“Mon, mon, monster!” 2c2e59519cb31b5c

Dan gasped, recoiling from e7406ddc89 her. With a sudden burst 30f31e66c0 of strength, he shoved 80ca913a7f her away. His eyes widened in ac6a03a0c0 even greater terror as bb805cb78a he noticed her legs—human fb4159443c yet unsettlingly strange. Without a second thought, 6f125374a4 he bolted, glancing back 3ca4f86ad6 repeatedly to ensure she 24dd9255f5 wasn’t chasing him. His fully healed body 9636c06433 allowed him to flee abc299365c with ease, and Levis 4b221aff39 couldn’t help but chuckle 1361ebacd9 at the absurdity.6d6d48f9d46ee043

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Left behind in their wake was Penny’s discarded outer garment. Draping it over her head, Levis began walking barefoot through the forest. From within the lake, the forest’s vastness hadn’t been apparent, but now, her slow steps made it clear—this journey could take days.d1153af8376599a2

As she c9d3f5ebd8 wandered, following ae22ffa713 faint traces 030016a347 of human e44271db62 presence, the f29c6de0bd sound of 3115b524ad footsteps began 6896aaed3a to overlap c0bc6e201c with her a384e8c231 own. Though she c6555c6f9b didn’t turn 98d75946bb around, she da6168e4a0 instinctively knew 119b8d165e someone was 24e520e1e5 following her. When she 6b6a8b221d tried to 203c92beca run, powerful af2e7f26a0 arms wrapped 8012434b9c around her 2f8e57fa07 waist.dec3aba843f3e454

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“Stop.” d4b23ce06f63a2f2

It wasn’t Rosander.ecd73a3162bdc454

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“What business 0b6fad8b3e do you 46c47f8e09 have walking 56495c60d2 through the b6bbffde50 forest?” 538bcc0df1ad40dd

The man, b403127311 polite yet 7583e7f65e unyielding, stepped 4000fe7edb in front 659ba19489 of her 800abad178 and repeated 645f6c849f his question.298caeaf68d23e1a

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“Are you a maid 4a90a12130 from the queen’s palace?” b190b7c36e37708a

His gaze lingered on 93a7528ada her bare feet, prompting f9b76f45a9 Levis to pull her 82c939012a garment tighter around herself. When she remained silent, cccfb9ced5 the man gripped her a97d06c971 arm firmly.7a8cd27bfc2ae82f

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“I am Sir 6825591982 Hayden, captain of a29b1dfc1a the royal guard. Who are you? If you don’t answer, 8d20cff74e I cannot let you 259348670b go.”59e544c5eae1a905

His grip tightened. Levis tried to b896b4ce25 pull away, clutching 514add4a9b her garment to 08c8aad7b2 her chest protectively.393aef82084d0810

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“Sir Hayden, Her 4123a42aa3 Majesty has arrived.”e4a3f985cbffe5bb

The sudden flare ae156e1a6d of torchlight illuminated 7c226386c8 the scene, revealing 0759639c7c the tense figures a734b559b5 rushing toward her. In the 519b159309 glaring brightness, 5529fb7cfe Levis saw 46bc1fbb50 Sir Hayden 01435f1c31 at the 39b727960e forefront, followed 2372d066fd closely by 8b48b8aee3 the queen’s a36fa70f4d retinue of c6dddf12d7 guards.abc174e31a679e98

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Instinctively, her 7919e95268 eyes shut 9666b94fe4 against the 3943b7bc9f light, but 36515eaf0b the nearing 77d64bf4ea presence of 96fef5fdfc those who 08f7962700 approached was 6296b3c0c3 undeniable.252ce88f88a12735

“You found her 02f7bbb17b first, Sir Hayden.” 889baf7830eb7934

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Just hearing it 5f43a39188 made Levis tense, 68d057a231 her body stiff 1f39082036 with apprehension. Her heart raced, 6ef0535af6 pounding with fear.a32302370ec0eb75

For the queen to 1e8a2a5586 discover this so swiftly—it afdf267b86 had seemed, at first, 9e17415eac that her curse would 75104ed52d take at least two 31e5d36d26 weeks to uncover. But the 69f5d7873a power of d394ba76c3 the one 87ccb54106 who cast d079e2d3f0 it was 08e307a6b8 more formidable 865669b764 than expected.987929d5f0ecf859

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“What do a3448c7d52 you mean, f93b27f348 Your Majesty?” 4dcd45239755c34a

Hayden asked, confused. Instead of 14e056c3f4 answering, the ee289c3363 queen let ef331a2a70 out a cabafb336c low, chilling b75c1c048a laugh. The sound 26f6c0434c sent a 6c469749ef shiver down 562843cb7b Levis’s spine.Was I 8b22c56159 too careless?04747323d6bdb6ce

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The queen 748a2a17b7 had given 29fa66586e her a 02fdbb93d8 chance to 44f2baa5a0 escape, but fa986f35a3 she must 98645540f0 have been e23e4d4149 confident that 7e51e3c4ae Levis wouldn’t a08ac31ff1 succeed. After all, cf9c3251f8 even with c91dbd0fcb her seemingly cd158fc539 intact legs, 7b1a118712 it was 661ee88d4f impossible to d2d1fc8064 travel far 960e27de79 enough in 9797aebeb7 a single 6bdc1026c0 day.1469479e5f1ec29e

“Seize that woman.” 83ee5cb0289935e7

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The queen 1a045b7e96 ordered sharply, 2eb1d1c3d1 her voice 8f1d8c8ee9 piercing Levis’s 27ce162d51 ears. Without someone to aid 71cdd58c9f her, reaching the sea—let ef71626b84 alone escaping the palace 64a1a39554 grounds—seemed like a distant 00bf250065 dream.22814977a676701a

Overwhelmed with helplessness, Levis ae08e4e5dd allowed herself to be a1fee10cfd restrained by the guards.e24a73143bb73b7f

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“Wake up.”43d10d557ae38895

Dragged around and doused 84b69ba904 in cold water, Levis 9c8a5f5142 finally regained her senses. The queen had ecfd4048da brought her not d2976bd5be to the expansive a7094b00a0 lake but to 7b9cad983c a smaller, confined 6d931e9c69 pond.aa2e855c8cf85673

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 ee8821b6c5d1d101

It wasn’t until she e062f2f993 was hauled to the 8437f8ad2f edge of icy waters c5668ef456 and dropped into the 0ace79e009 frigid depths that the 1464a1af6c haze clouding her thoughts 0ded307a3e began to clear. The queen 63638ae937 had not 409fc61271 brought her 277dbd028b to the 4a558e475c vast lake b9fbc03621 she had c23b28b141 dreamed of cd2600f37e escaping to, 8168e81498 but instead de85be6f78 to a e1584471a0 confined, murky b5f630ef5b pond.3d42863188fe2731

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“How clever you 0130ea93c2 thought you were.”e85a6dea09e66df5

Levis opened her b0f2b03d63 mouth to negotiate—to 74bca235bc propose new terms 482ec59b41 to their deal—but 47ae359ef4 the murderous glint e2a08c7b5d in the queen’s f255ac598a eyes swallowed her 7909913373 words.f399060f71ffaf99

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“And yet 12427dbad2 you resorted 6ca1a423c6 to a 415dc379eb deception that 7c1ea3d18c wouldn’t last c65b76b9c9 a matter 527c909060 of days?”7d2edebce538502a

Her arms were 2d034a8659 bound tightly above 81d93d3ebc her head, making 2fa1719731 it impossible to 3c91139e5f cut through the c1972f69a9 ropes as she 1dc9db867c had done before. With a single gesture, 1b03e482e5 the queen dismissed her 8faba83343 guards and attendants, leaving 5265844af7 only the two of 9d16461555 them within the cold, 19e3a53ee2 oppressive space.efbc3f6fa647e872

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“Did you b36bfc52e6 truly think 897dcbe490 you could bcb084f176 get away 54814fe6a1 with deceiving 9a03c97580 me?”4a4fbda79c7942da

 e06416f4e68af181

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The queen’s 0830813945 voice was 876548c5dd icy and d2649ea2da venomous, harsher 12add12b03 than it 9e0f52835d had been 671d1bf82e when Levis b181b4a209 had first 112e8e497a faced her. She couldn’t bear 309f487cad to meet those 3ea369186f eyes directly and cc4ead0527 instead lowered her 7456b11f45 gaze, weighed down f5d3f12161 by shame and 561e5a5b02 fear.9dfe515af9811251

She had never truly 1de1664fce believed she wouldn’t be 8b872f03a4 caught. That was why she d86c865cce had been so desperate 1b29fcaeea to escape quickly.1fe20c9ce1519c1a

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“You… never intended to let me go from the start.” b428f626eff0545c

Levis finally 9eaa175ff9 managed to ce75d4e120 say but df87946f1d her words aab762ae84 were met 22381168e6 with a 44bf18e05c sudden, brutal 053b6137b7 slap, the cd4d19985c force of 7cc4aa188c it snapping 4b49c2ff1d her head d74a051fe9 to the 28a573e584 side. Her cheek 447213fb6a burned, the cee644a3a3 sting intensifying f7801a0c78 as the 0b5212b66b queen disdainfully ae3ac9beb9 wiped her 8f22d6520c hand with 5055bf23dc a silk 4da094b06a handkerchief, letting 6020ef9647 out a 7de8e35568 derisive chuckle.ef8a3266095e623e

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“I gave you the 841d00cf79 means to escape; running 15c3cd35c3 was your responsibility.”6651cbf76689c1e1

Though the queen’s b23ca7bea5 amulet remained around 8edf512c20 her neck, Levis bb0d4bc024 could sense something facbbd3ab4 sinister shifting. The artifact’s c785087dac power was cb56ef4cda waning, and 9b7c400c80 it wouldn’t f136c4ee8c be long f91979389b before the bbfa0a9c98 curse it 0747fd5b6e masked revealed a4e3e826b8 itself for 3b6038da19 all to 43af8087b2 see.4a4d641826b5eeed

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“You won’t fd3c77ddf3 be able 5a56c2f2dc to hide 9530d33691 that curse 0829d3b436 forever.” e9c0bbefa43803d2

Levis answered, e0f55127ac her voice 70908918d3 trembling despite bc86059807 her effort 725734e5c3 to steady 8d332e0ba5 it.4e77ac9a7fc3dc91

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“Oh, but if you d86bf4a12f remain by my side 3a6b36f2d7 for the rest of daef32b3a9 your life, I won’t 373ac95083 have to.” 33927cc759ee108f

The queen replied sweetly, c09337d6de her words dripping with 2c2b63a5b2 malice. She tilted her head, 710a3530a0 an unsettling smile creeping 029da5a6a2 across her lips. 47e7b90ff179c92f

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“Or perhaps, 84e716aa41 if I a63e5d759e devour you, 8181fe3f57 I might ed78686415 inherit your 4809172583 abilities as 68ebbbec7e well.”390bfb3c1429cb1d

Levis’s stomach c20841da32 twisted as dfd24e76fa the queen 2cc8fde0f2 uttered the 9fe9f97e4d one response 2c94c828b6 she had 5d2de9fb9c most feared.81ac051bfa7378c2

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“Your little escapade, injuring f326d23145 my servants and running 2452a6b728 off, only made things e66a31191d easier for me.”35cf507f003f2944

The queen’s cbb0ce4805 words dripped ef609acaa5 with cold 4b51d20d32 satisfaction. As long 488e895c09 as the 52164addf7 king was 889f58f342 aware of 5d7ea6396e the mermaid’s 077e0fcae7 existence, a f9637a017f fabricated death d6db42e58a would be 706d961336 necessary to 0ebf9d8659 fully obscure 5d39e259b6 the truth 2bed798a54 and conceal f1f884e117 Levis even dc4c6255e6 further from 6dcfc8a94c the world.6600b1c7e2285acf

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“When I tire of 2a6403535a you, I’ll ensure it’s 6978967074 by my hand that c8366c2afa you die.”0c68a77dd6e53a56

And yet, Levis 0dc9504d3d herself had unwittingly 7ec844973c provided the queen d3c3bbee56 with that very bd79b27e54 opportunity. Watching the trembling mermaid 2ccf6ad627 before her, the queen 86d6b4fdfd let her fury cool a60e483579 into mockery. She would fix 0e5fe8f968 this insolent creature, 2a0c7c5bc5 but not enough 5deb8dbc9d to break her fcd523b6df completely—just enough to 7dc91deef2 keep her in 8309e42c72 line.6a869aa2fd1e777d

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 6ecc3c25a1ce3ba1

***60571917674edb3d

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 2cf0001de0feef51

The Princess 77ba56e267 Eisentein noticed 04f54b4707 the unusual c4f8760666 silence of f276605a54 the maids 8e606b2dff moving in afcba63d69 and out ee5376d3c1 of her bdc93e7d2b quarters.e79291e01d0fe5bb

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Even for the 984b816e19 most reserved of f169600051 attendants, such a dae0b7aba6 tense atmosphere was 70f5457c36 rare. Unless something had occurred—something b62a178f84 her mother wished to 47a661f4e0 conceal from her—there was 8b3529853f no reason for them 11910020be to be this cautious 6d4459a5db in her presence.c8b62f0a92d770d1

A creeping 404902876d suspicion stirred 9acf808203 within her. It must have 10aba3bc65 to do with 158b03896e Levis.0f884335b41664c4

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As her 69486d70b3 maid, Beth, 166f138ced extinguished the 1a47f21a08 candle and 0af4c00860 departed, Eisentein 2401542bfe abruptly rose df26170abf from her 17f936fc53 bed and 2423018ef8 approached the 6a790cb6a4 window.0f7b7fd0fa73aafc

If she landed 175b9790a7 on the right c0b790739c tree branch, she 364e7e67f7 could drop down 8693459a5d without making much c051d7e266 noise and quietly 758ea3d81a dash toward the 6883aeb412 lakeside.42dcfb8660aba24c

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Changing into simple 03dd8f1f53 outdoor attire, she 95e77b6300 lowered the curtain 43f14ef585 over the window ff62ff0be6 and tied it 50ea1294d2 securely to use cd7ab9a125 as a makeshift 4beb933b28 rope. Slowly descending, her 4caac8d5f5 feet brushed against 25ecdad5f7 a sturdy branch.1e12bea873bf6a77

Carefully maneuvering along the tree’s center, she felt the limb beneath her begin to crack. Before she could regain balance, it gave way under her weight, sending her plummeting.708e9132899396fb

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Branches snapped d3f746170e and splintered d27c8ede8b with each b53ad21e90 fall, her 5a24ce9beb cloak catching c3053cf72e and tearing 7cf1b5169b against the 556952dd25 jagged limbs.1edfc5e0eb01b3c0

Thud!77c342535ecd38a7

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“Ugh…”56b13a43f15c5a24

She hit the 48e600f45f ground, rolling onto 01dcc4de3c her side with 696626d53d a low groan. Though she 5d13b9a641 ached all 264931c5a3 over, she e694cce921 wasn’t gravely c28541c297 injured—nothing that 6e98c6737e couldn’t be 63f6581775 excused as 20b042ad61 a harmless 3956a34bec tumble from 2ce0ae2db1 playing.684c51d7f7aef35a

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The place e08303ff13 Rosander often e49cf584bc stored game 06ab237dd5 was the f0a91b2951 shed across 16b1c7e6b3 from the 6449720fdc cabin. She’d stop cdc286a31b there first 2f39b390ad before heading ef4d0e1406 to the eca611dc14 lake.10a0a91f302e9591

Levis was surely starving, b4989e8d2e and she couldn’t bear 901b65e805 the thought of leaving f5975a1a43 him without something to 045ac874df eat. Her sharp 7a9a9c0c0d night vision d0e33264b2 quickly led f58812d5a3 her through b3c16c78ad the darkness.05eb875f77206b76

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When she opened d63d7832b6 the shed door, bab16dedd3 a faint, musty cc5bdf93f6 odor wafted out, a5a2f039d6 causing her to 1ff398c669 wrinkle her nose. Normally, she wouldn’t even 2dcd3c53d2 consider stepping inside this 30f3f00d90 space, but tonight was 489007f93f an exception.2a0ef8fb790664c9

“No, It’ll be 915fecc56f fine.” 00d35266a8e7fa88

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Moments later, Eisentein 46aba9b492 emerged with an edbbd5bcfd armful of dried 486a60e069 rabbit meat. 524cd8990eeac2e5

She stuffed 46233b1764 the meat bd84fe30e8 into an 6b6bef57ef old pouch 3d8cfec890 until it 4e249c72b2 was heavy, a206155c51 the weight 55953f0131 tugging at 36b181bcdb her arm 9b0be7f822 as she a3b3457735 stepped outside. The clouds parted 582875c3fb slightly, allowing pale ff76c8d64d moonlight to filter 08dda9ee1c through and softly 16c90baacc illuminate the forest.1840cc2afcdd102d

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This light would be 940f5b2730 enough to guide her 4a59d50e43 to the lake. If she bbe2a255ce wanted to 0967000243 return before b345921fc7 dawn, she 1b12d42ed0 had to 26b9c7ba84 hurry. She sprinted through f76aa871ed the woods, clutching 70ce4343f9 the pouch tightly.908142fbaebff6c9

The bag jostled as c3148b8cf4 she moved, its contents d084233fef shifting with each hurried 264a95b34c step.5a780f30604ea3f5

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“Lev!”04f1e698417e4c1f

The stillness of 6d90285b7a the lake mirrored 4311725ea8 the quiet night. Its surface 156f592097 was eerily ad11932021 calm. Sitting by the shore, 3c20e24bc9 Eisentein called out repeatedly 7f066d934e to the mermaid, her 39b4b0bc4d voice echoing across the 662f05414b water, but no answer 90d6ed4b2c came.f90bbce80e11d128

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Just as 8cdec5b963 she prepared 6a9fe5cf83 to give e9bd688b10 up and 67bd5e6064 retrace her db6f20c84a steps, her 84d77ce1cf gaze caught 82aa94ef68 movement in 7934a41579 the shadows e224aa27ce of the 1836225086 forest. It was a patrol. Dropping into a 7ddc985327 crouch, she carefully 1ea0c8dff6 slipped away, keeping a11970d962 herself out of 5eb6e20d63 sight.868f192c13426fb6

The dense woods, though 8aa2ec5a41 dark, had faint paths 130e5bb513 marked by trampled undergrowth. She followed these e11f658eae trails cautiously, ensuring ec602078c9 she wouldn’t trip 21203bd999 over hidden roots 559605f081 or rocks.2da281448ea987af

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Eventually, she 8fba13ecd0 reached an 19342eeb2d open area 440e706efa where the 6c3b66053b trees thinned. There, a large puddle 65cd1802e7 glistened faintly under the bf67f2237a moonlight.0856ad5077a5a640

Something wasn’t right. She must’ve taken 47234e38a9 a wrong turn. As her eyes darted c80c337f0d around, searching for familiar 978f9e55f1 landmarks, they landed on 45d6b3f966 a horrifying sight near 7c56e6256c the edge of the 007496e103 water.54db2736e068412c

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Levis’s  hands were ac3f10c6a9 bound, her upper 4fd4fe7e4c body slumped over ecd7323b1e the ground. She shouldn’t have been 06d9b30fa6 out of the water 0e3a742783 for so long—it was 16765e4746 dangerous for her. And sure enough, 8d7095a9a8 her skin, once bd9f100fa6 shimmering, now looked 0155615f7d parched and cracked, 922ec9b5d9 as though she’d 1a40ff92db been left to 9d58ff7dc3 dry for hours. As Eisentein 8a4786ae85 drew closer,she eb3334f70e saw her 7264211717 torso was 570fc76bbe covered in 7ebcbb38f3 whip marks 27452a33ff and bruises.68f85864ebfc8b7f

“Le… Levis…”6ec9dc6e739ab3d1

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“…Your Highness.”49d91762ddb87b51

The pouch 5bf79aa0da of food 43eba0f9f6 slipped from c0623c90b3 her grasp, 9f21e76c48 hitting the 9110e171ec ground with aec7cbb754 a dull f8d3dab415 thud. Worrying about f4d9a8a484 feeding her eed960af48 now seemed 5fe344dba8 utterly meaningless.53d4dae9242656df

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