"This way!" the maid shouted as we ran through the castle corridors.
Guards' voices echoed behind us, growing closer with every turn.
We sprinted across stone floors, ducked behind pillars, and froze at corners, waiting for shadows to pass. There was no time to think. only to run.
We burst into the backyard, the cold night air hitting us hard. We stopped briefly, gasping for breath.
Then a blinding light flared in the darkness.
From it, the girls emerged, calm but alert. I straightened. "We need a plan." They nodded.
The maid dropped to one knee. "Princess Maria. You've returned."
Maria acknowledged her, and the maid rose. "Follow me. I know a safe place."
As we ran into the forest, the maid explained she had found it years ago, after Maria disappeared.
She had never believed Maria was gone.
"I'm honored you served me," Maria said quietly.
"The honor is mine."
We stopped before a massive rock. The maid lifted it easily, revealing a hidden tunnel. "It's fake," she said.
