Turns out, Lila’s right. I can’t outrun her. I don’t know how she’s doing it, but she always seems to know my position. No matter how many detours I make, hills I climb, streams I cross. No matter that I know the terrain well, and she should not. She finds me, and she lets me know courtesy of an arrow aimed at my head. Only the most absurd of luck has kept me alive thus far, because heaven knows I haven’t been dodging these arrows intentionally, and I’m dreading the inevitable moment when it finally runs dry. What’s worse, I can feel myself slowly getting further away from Tavenport, Lila’s intention no doubt, as her movements gradually carral me west, deeper into the mountains.

Overhead, the sun is beginning to set, casting long, orange shadows throughout the forest. Soon, night will fall, the temperature will drop, and the frost will kill me before an arrow does. I need a plan.

“Think,” I mumble to myself. Magic? Is there a spell I can use in this situation? And even if there were, would I be willing to use it? The promise to my father surfaces in my mind, but before I can dwell on the matter for long, a sudden shiver runs down my spine. I peer out from the tree behind which I’m hiding and gasp. Rolling towards me, like a giant wave, is an unnatural white cloud of fog, and before I can run, I find myself completely enveloped, unable to see past my nose. Then, I hear a voice whispering into my ear.

“Found. You.”

I throw a fist in the direction of the sound, but it hits nothing save air. In turn, I feel something smack me in the back of the leg, causing me to stumble forward, where I get hit again in the shoulder, then the ribs. I throw my arms up, trying haplessly to protect myself against the unseen enemy. And that’s when a final strike sends me flying backwards onto the ground. I groan, slow to stand, and when I do, I find that the fog is starting to recede. From it, Lila emerges, a sheathed sword in hand. Her outfit has changed completely, leather armor from chest to toe. On her back, a bow and quiver. She looks at me, then smirks.

“Told you. No use running, kid. Not in these woods, anyways.”

I hang my head in defeat, hands behind my back. “You’re right, Lila. I’m tired of running. I give up. You win. Do what you will with me.”

“There, now that’s a good boy,” Lila says as she approaches.

The downward angle of my head hides my lips, while still allowing me to gauge her distance. Ten feet. Seven feet. Three feet… NOW!

Gestures and chant complete, I aim my spell and yell, “[Prestidigitation]!” As in the study, the air suddenly becomes charged with energy, and a tingling sensation surges through my body. A split second later, the magical chaos ignites and an explosion erupts between us, sending me flying backwards, and though I braced myself for the recoil, I’m knocked senseless still, lying on the ground, barely clinging to consciousness. Far away it seems, I hear the sound of footsteps, the crunch of twigs as someone approaches. With unfocused vision, I see that it’s Lila, standing over me. She’s speaking, her voice ringing, or perhaps it's my ears.

“That… reckless, kid... glad… Absorb Elements… auto… triggered… splattering of guts… now. Hello? Are… listening? Hello? … overdid… no choice now… finish… job... suppose.”

Through heavy eyelids, I see an orange light flicker, the setting sun reflecting off the tip of Lila’s sword, and for a moment, I wonder if this is how it all ends.

The blade comes down, slicing into my neck.