The servant girl's eyes were wide with panic, her body rigid as she scanned the room for any signs of danger. Eden could feel the tension in the air as though it had a weight, pressing down on him. He stood completely still, listening closely, focusing on her voice as it trembled with urgency.
"Please," the girl whispered again, her voice strained. "You have to come with me. Now."
Eden swallowed hard. He didn't know who she was or why she was trying to help him, but her voice held a quiet desperation that reached into his chest. In the silence of the room, the anxiety in her tone was palpable.
"I can't trust you," Eden replied, though he wished he didn't have to say it. The very idea of trusting someone—anyone—felt dangerous. "You might be working for him."
The girl's voice dropped, soft and sincere. "I'm not. I know what he's like, what he does to people like you." Her words hit him like a stone, raw and heavy with truth. "He'll break you if you stay here. Please, you have to trust me."
Eden's throat tightened. His mind raced. If Darian truly was as dangerous as the rumours said, then staying here meant certain pain. Maybe worse. But could he afford to take the risk of following a stranger into the unknown? His hands clenched at his sides, the familiar anxiety curling in his gut.
But something in the girl's voice stopped him. The fear in her voice felt real—too real. She wasn't just trying to manipulate him; she was afraid, too. Eden didn't know what this girl had been through, but she wasn't offering him escape for her own benefit. Maybe, just maybe, she was telling the truth.
He nodded slowly. "I'll go."
The servant girl's relief was palpable. She reached out to him, her hand gripping his wrist. "We don't have time to waste."
Without further explanation, she pulled him toward the window. Eden's heart skipped a beat. His pulse throbbed in his ears. The sound of the wind rushing through the trees outside was a stark contrast to the cold stillness of the room. He could feel the drop. The height.
The rope she pulled from her bag made a soft rustling sound as it unspooled. She worked quickly, but Eden's senses were more focused on her movement than the rope itself. He could hear her breathing—quick, urgent—and the subtle scrape of her boots on the floor as she positioned the rope.
"Don't worry, I'll go first," she said quietly, her hand gently guiding him to the edge of the window. "Just follow me."
Eden's stomach flipped. He could hear the world outside—the faint rustling of leaves, the sound of birds somewhere in the distance, the ever-present hum of the palace that seemed to follow him everywhere. It was disorienting, being so far out of his comfort zone. But the fear of staying behind, of what Darian might do to him, pushed him forward.
She tied the rope securely and began to climb out, her hands steady. Eden took a deep breath and reached for the rope, feeling its texture beneath his fingers. The roughness of the rope, the slight give, grounded him for a moment. He could do this.
The girl's voice came softly from below. "Don't think about it, just follow."
Eden steadied himself, feeling his heart hammer in his chest. Every instinct screamed for him to pull back, to freeze, but the fear of staying trapped in Darian's world pushed him to keep moving. He gripped the rope tightly, trying to ignore the ache in his palms as he began his descent.
The rope swayed slightly, and Eden felt the shift in pressure, his body lurching as he went lower. His breath came faster. He couldn't see the ground, but he could feel the air—faster, colder the further down he went. His feet brushed against the side of the wall, and his stomach twisted. He knew this was dangerous.
"Focus on my voice," the servant girl called up, her tone sharp but encouraging. "Keep going."
The rope strained beneath him, and Eden couldn't help but grimace as his weight pulled harder on the rope. He didn't know how far down they were, but it felt like an eternity. He gritted his teeth, blocking out the fear, listening to the servant's voice like a lifeline.
Suddenly, he felt his foot slip. Panic surged through him as he fought to regain his balance. He clutched harder to the rope, his body stiff with terror.
And then—his feet hit something solid. The ground.
Eden stumbled and gasped, trying to catch his breath. His legs felt like jelly beneath him, unsteady and weak. His heart still thudded in his chest as though it might burst from the pressure.
"Are you alright?" The servant girl was at his side in an instant, her hand guiding his arm gently.
"I—I think so," Eden whispered, his voice shaky as he took a step forward. The world felt strange. His senses were overstimulated. He couldn't see, but he could hear, feel, and smell everything around him in overwhelming detail. The fresh air, the scent of dirt and grass beneath his feet. The sounds of the forest were both comforting and unsettling in their unfamiliarity.
"Keep moving," the servant girl urged, her voice closer now. "They'll be looking for us. We have to go."
The woods felt endless, the quiet rustle of the trees filling his ears, the earth soft beneath his bare feet. He could hear the faint snap of twigs, the wind rustling in the leaves, but there were no clear directions—only the servant girl's voice.
He wasn't sure how long they walked, but the girl never let go of his arm. It was the only thing that kept him from falling, from losing his way. Each step was a battle, but somehow, he kept moving, kept following her.
Finally, after what felt like hours, the servant girl stopped. Eden could feel the shift in her posture, the way her body tensed slightly as she turned to face him.
"We're safe for now," she whispered. "But we can't stay here long."
Eden nodded, though he wasn't sure what came next. He was still reeling from the escape, his head spinning with the knowledge that he had just fled the Prince's grasp. But there was one question that hung over him—unanswered.
Where would they go?
"I know a place," the servant girl said, her voice steady. "But you have to trust me. I'll protect you."
Eden closed his eyes for a moment. The world still felt surreal. But for the first time in a long time, he allowed himself to believe in something other than fear.
He didn't know where he was headed, but he knew one thing for sure. He was no longer trapped. And that thought, however small, was the most powerful thing he'd felt in days.