章 113: DBS Chapter 12

The next day, Kaden sat beneath the canopy of the woods, the sun barely breaking through the thick trees. His mind was restless, churning with thoughts he couldn't escape. The soldiers had stopped searching for him, their urgency waning, but he couldn't return to the outskirt. To them, he was now an outcast—the boy detested by the lords. The weight of their scorn pressed heavily on him. 

"Why couldn't I get a flower?" he thought bitterly, staring at the dirt. His hand drifted to the hair bracelet on his wrist. The memory of Lira's bright eyes flashed in his mind, her hope evident when he whispered a promise to her: "Everything will change once I get a flower."

But it didn't.

Breaking through his spiraling thoughts was the sharp snap of branches. His head jerked up, his eyes scanning the dense trees. There, emerging from the shadows, was a wild animal.

No, it was—a beast.