"You are ill," Xu Ke's voice echoed. "Just like them."

"No, I'm not," Lena smiled. Playing with the black flames on her fingers, Lily turned towards the man standing opposite her. "Xu ke, we are gods. We are born to rule."

Pursing his lips, Xu Ke avoided her gaze. He looked at the red and orange hues on the horizon. "We are not." He sighed, "Aren't you tired of ruling? Of scheming? Of war?"

A snort escaped her lips. "We saved them, yet they threatened to ruin our empire." Slowly her beaming smile turned into something sinister. "They deserved to die. All of them."

…..

The loud screech of an animal was enough to send Lena's back ramrod straight. Shaking away the remnants of her dream, Lena turned wary eyes towards her surroundings. The realization that she was still in the forest erased all the sleepiness that she felt. She froze, senses heightened as she squinted at the inky blanket in front of her.

When the second screech echoed, Lena immediately sensed the panic within her. Aside from a kitchen knife that she had in her pouch, she was defenseless. The thought of being this weak sent some irrevocable anger through her veins. 'She needed her magic,' she thought as her eyes surveyed around the small hollow where she was hiding.

For a few minutes, Lena heard nothing but her own erratic heartbeat.

'Was she hallucinating?' she wondered. 'Was it because of her hunger?' After a few more minutes, Lena let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you sure it was here?"

The voice that followed immediately sent her heart drumming against her chest. Eyes wide, adrenaline started to fill her system. She could feel her saliva thicken in her mouth. Sweat trickled down her forehead.

"Positive. It was running that way."

Lena stilled. 'What was running this way?'

She heard another rustle. The cracking of the twigs and leaves underneath someone's foot followed.

"It was injured. I'm sure it cannot run that fast."

"Keep searching."

Lena could feel her heart in her throat as the haunting sounds of their footsteps became closer. 'Should she run?' she wondered. Slowly, her hands found her pouch. She silently grabbed the small kitchen knife and held it close to her body. 'How unlucky could she be?' she couldn't help but ask herself.

Waking up inside someone who was as clueless as Lena Hou was unlucky enough. Then she lost her mother to poison without knowing who the culprit was and now this? Lena could not help but ask if the gods were punishing her.

Lena tightened her hands around the small hilt of the knife, preparing to attack anyone who showed up in front of her. She might not have magic but she could still defend herself. One swift attack could hinder any person from chasing her.

Of course, having a magician as an opponent was a different thing.

Magicians. The word sent bitterness inside her.

The sound of rustling leaves to her left woke her from her stupor. She held her breath, her hands wrapped tightly around her knife. However, the attack that she anticipated never came. Soon after, the steps faltered until they disappeared.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips. A fight was something that she could not afford— not in this state. Biting her lower lip, Lena decided not to leave this place until she could see light passing through the dense canopy of leaves above her. She could not take any risks. At least not now.

Time passed slowly.

Lena's thirst and hunger were the only things that prevailed as the adrenaline inside her dwindled down. The sound of her rumbling stomach reached her ears. She craved meat. She craved food.

'Endure' she chanted inwardly as she lay still. Each second seemed to last an eternity, each rustling of the leaves or the cracking of twigs was enough to startle her. Every time her pulse would begin pounding furiously. Then after a long period of silence, it would slowly return to an accelerated throb. It was a cycle— an exhausting cycle.

'Funny how simple things like these were enough to make her tremble,' Lena laughed inwardly. Soon after, streams of light gracefully meandered into the forest. The dappled light instantly sent some relief inside her.

After making sure no one was around, Lena climbed out of the hollow. She straightened her body, relief flooding her veins. She needed to leave this place as fast as possible.

"Hiss"

The rattling sound filled the previous silence. Lena immediately turned her eyes to the source of the sound. Eyes wide, Lena could feel the fear spreading faster than she could even blink. She gulped, frozen at the sight of a black snake basking in the sunlight. Its head was as big as a human's. Its body was almost as big if not bigger than Lena's leg. She couldn't even see its tail.

Slowly, the snake raised its head, spreading its jaws as its eyes met hers. The snake let out another hiss, its black tongue fluttering in the air every few seconds. It stared at her, sensing her fear, enjoying the sight of her ashened face.

'Run.' she thought.

Yet Lena stood still despite her body telling her that flight was the only way to survive. She could feel her skin lose its warmth, her brain numbing as she gulped in fear. 'I need to run,' she chanted.

"Hiss"

Before Lena could even process everything, her feet exploded into motion. It wasn't something that one needed to think through. It was her survival instinct taking control over her body. With no sense of direction, Lena ran as she fought the urge to turn her head around. She knew it was following her. She could feel its icy gaze against her back, enjoying the chase, enjoying the fear radiating off its prey.

With her heart in her throat, Lena's feet never stopped moving. She hurdled over some fallen trees, ignoring the branches clawing her skin. She needed to run. She needed to survive.