章 177: Setting Free

Rhaegar ran for what felt like an eternity.

The royal forest loomed around him, dark and menacing, its massive trees twisting upward like grotesque monsters. Their gnarled branches clawed at the night sky, casting eerie shadows that seemed to reach for him. Though his eyes were well-adjusted to the darkness, the weight of sorrow pressing down on him blurred his vision, his tears forming a thick, bitter film that refused to clear.

In his trembling hands, he clutched two items—his most precious possessions. One was the crude, rusted blade fashioned from Tharahan leaves, a parting gift from Tayiid. The other was the silk pouch filled with dried raisin bread, given to him by Princess Lorelai.