I could hear them arguing about what to do with me, whether to move me, how I even ended up there, but none of it mattered.
My body was frozen, but my mind … my mind wouldn't stop racing.
I had to run.
I had to get away before they decided to hurt me.
So when one of them leaned down to reach for me, I did what I always did—I ran.
I pushed myself out of the barrel with the last bit of strength I had, stumbled onto the sand, and bolted.
My legs were trembling, barely holding me up, and I could hear them shouting behind me.
"Fuck! How the hell is she running that fast? Stop her!"
"Don't let her cross into our territory!"
My legs were so numb they felt like they didn't belong to me.
I tripped again and again, falling hard onto the sand, scraping my knees and hands, but I kept running.
I didn't care that I could barely breathe, or that my vision was spinning.
I just needed to get away before they caught me and did something cruel.
THUD!
I stumbled backward the moment I slammed into something solid—Wait, no … it wasn't a wall.
It was a man!
A tall man in black, with broad shoulders and strong arms.
He caught me before I hit the ground, and the moment his skin touched mine, something strange happened.
His touch burned, like fire spreading through my veins, ready to reduce me to ash.
Once our eyes met, my heart pounded so fast I was sure I'd drop dead from a heart attack.
Well … that actually sounded like a great way to go.
"Who … are you?" he asked in such a deep voice.
His golden eyes glowed like burning embers. He looked just as stunned as I was, like he felt it too.
That heat. That spark raced through our bodies the second we touched.
"I … I—"
Before I could finish my sentence, I winced.
My heart was beating so fast, my knees gave out, and I couldn't stand anymore.
I looked into those golden eyes one more time before everything went black.
I didn't know if I was dead or just unconscious, but at least … there was no pain here.
The world around me shifted, turning into a beautiful scenery that I had never seen before.
Maybe I'm in a dreamland?
Suddenly, I was standing in a forest bathed in silver moonlight.
The trees surrounding me were massive and old, like they'd stood for centuries.
My bare feet brushed against soft grass, and the air smelled of rain and flowers.
How strange.
For once, I wasn't having a nightmare.
"I finally found you, my Luna."
A gentle voice echoed in my ears, it sounded so soft, and somehow, so familiar.
I spun around quickly, searching for the one who had spoken.
Once I lifted my eyes, I saw a man sitting on a tall tree branch. His face was blurry, so all I could clearly see was his long ash-blonde hair.
The wind played with it gently, making him look almost otherworldly, like a forest spirit straight out of a dream.
Even though his face was hazy, I could still make out his warm smile.
Who was he?
I had never seen a man like him before.
"Wait for me," he said softly. "I'll come and take you away from this misery."
I reached out, as if trying to touch him.
But just as I took a few steps forward, the vision suddenly crumbled, and he disappeared from my sight.
I didn't know what had just happened, but for some reason, my heart ached, as if I'd just lost something precious.
I gasped for air as my eyes flew open in the real world.
The first thing I saw was a white ceiling that looked unfamiliar.
"She's awake!" a woman's voice shouted nearby. "Quick, go tell the King!"
The King? What king?
I sat up the moment I realized I was in a room I didn't recognize.
The room was spacious, and the bed felt incredibly soft, probably the most comfortable place I'd slept in after years of resting on hard surfaces.
But comfort didn't mean safety.
For someone like me, no place was ever truly safe.
Once they found out I couldn't die, they'd start treating me like a test subject or maybe worse.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
A maid, dressed in a simple uniform, pushed me back onto the bed when I tried to get up.
"His Majesty will be furious if you leave!" She scolded me.
She looked at me in disdain, flinching slightly as her hand touched my skin.
I glanced down and noticed that I still looked filthy, not as bad as when I first came out of the barrel, but dirty enough that even I felt ashamed of myself.
"Should we clean her up before the King sees her?" another maid muttered, wrinkling her nose as she looked at me. "Even the bed is dirty now," she added.
It wasn't my fault.
I never asked to be put in this bed in the first place!
"Prepare warm water … and bring plenty of brushes. We'll have to work hard to get her clean."
Excuse me? I'm still here.
How could they talk about me like I wasn't even human?
Like I was just a pile of dirt they had to scrub off.
The maids brought me into the bathroom, setting down buckets, towels, and bottles of soap that smelled like flowers I couldn't name.
Then, without asking, they started pouring warm water over my body, scrubbing my skin like they were trying to erase my entire existence.
"Ugh, the smell still won't come off," one muttered.
"Has she been soaking in a pile of trash this whole time?" one of them said.
"Did she roll around in muddy water or something?" another added, wrinkling her nose.
They scrubbed even harder. I winced as one of them scraped at my back like she was cleaning a burnt pan instead of a person.
"She hasn't said a single word since she woke up," a maid whispered. "Do you think she can even talk?"
"Maybe she's mute," another replied. "Or just stupid."
"I really don't understand why His Majesty brought this woman to the palace," one of them muttered. "There are so many beautiful women who would gladly become his mate. Why choose someone like this?"