Alina didn't stop running.
Her feet pounded against the uneven ground, breath burning in her chest as she pushed past houses, fences, and startled villagers. She could hear her brother calling her name behind her—but his voice quickly faded.
All that remained was the sound of her heartbeat…
…and the wind.
"Faster."
"I am trying," she whispered, panic rising in her throat.
She didn't even question it anymore. The voice was real. And somehow, it was helping her.
She turned into a narrow alley, her shoulder scraping against the wooden walls. Her lungs screamed for air, but something inside her told her stopping wasn't an option.
Not now.
Not when they were close.
At the end of the alley, she froze.
A shadow dropped from above.
One of them.
The cloaked figure landed silently in front of her, their face hidden beneath a dark hood. The air around them felt heavy—like something invisible was pressing down on her chest.
"Well," the figure said, voice calm and cold, "that was quicker than expected."
Alina stepped back. "W-Who are you?"
The figure tilted their head slightly, as if amused.
"You don't remember?" they asked. "Interesting."
Behind her, another presence.
She turned—only to see the second cloaked figure blocking her escape.
Her chest tightened.
Two of them.
"You've been hidden for a long time," the first one continued, slowly walking toward her. "But the moment you heard it… we knew."
"Heard what?" Alina's voice shook.
The figure stopped just a few steps away.
"The wind."
Her blood ran cold.
"How—"
Before she could finish, the wind surged violently around her, whipping her hair across her face. Dust and leaves spiraled into the air, forming a wild circle between her and the cloaked figures.
"Stay back," the voice warned—stronger now, no longer just a whisper.
The figures paused.
For the first time, they hesitated.
"…So it's true," the second one murmured. "She's awakened."
Alina's hands trembled as the wind circled her faster, louder, almost alive.
"I don't understand!" she cried.
"You don't need to," the first figure said coldly. "You just need to come with us."
The wind exploded outward.
A powerful force pushed the figures back, their cloaks snapping violently as they struggled to keep their footing.
Alina gasped.
She… did that.
For a brief moment, everything went silent.
Then—
"RUN!"
She didn't hesitate.
Alina turned and sprinted again, but this time, something had changed.
The wind followed her.
Guiding her.
Protecting her.
And somewhere behind her, the hunters were already moving again.