Chapter 39: Chapter 39

KAMORA

~“You should never have ended up with him! Of all things to do, you shouldn’t have done that. You knew what he meant to me!”~

~“You are selfish. You are a selfish person! What did I ever do to you to warrant this torment you keep putting me through? Why can’t you just leave me alone?”~

~“If I can’t have him, you can’t either.”~

Kamora’s eyes flew open with a gasp, her breaths sharp and shallow. She tried to look around, but a pounding pain in her head stopped her cold, forcing a wince from her lips.

Blinking against the blur, she slowly registered that it was daytime—though the thick canopy of trees above cast heavy shadows over everything. Just how long had she been out? She wondered, slowly rising to sit.

Every part of her body hurt. She studied herself, noticing the scratches and the deep wounds on different areas of her arms and legs.

She had been dragged and left for dead. But fortunately, again, fate was on her side.

Slowly, Kamora pressed her palms into the earth, the dirt cool and damp beneath her fingers. She drew one knee up, then the other, and pushed herself to her feet.

Pain exploded in her skull, sending sharp pulses through her head and blurring her vision. She staggered, biting her lip to keep from crying out.

With a few steadying breaths, she forced herself upright, blinking through the haze. Her eyes scanned the forest around her—dense, unfamiliar, and eerily silent.

There was no path, no markings, nothing to guide her. She would have to trust her instincts…and hope fate was on her side once again.

Drawing in one last breath, she turned left and began to walk—one careful step at a time. Kamora didn’t know for how long she walked, ignoring the ache and the open wounds on her body.

She had a deep sense of calm, strangely so for someone who had almost been killed again. But this time, determination had built a solid fortress in her.

By heavens, she had a lot to do. At last, she stumbled into a clearing, sunlight spilling weakly through the trees.

In the center, a rugged path cut through the wild brush—and without hesitation, she quickened her pace. Then, pain.

Her foot slammed against a jagged stone, and she cried out, collapsing to the ground. The impact sent a fresh wave of pain rippling through her already aching body.

For a moment, she lay still, panting. But then—gritting her teeth, she pressed her palms to the earth and forced herself upright.

Driven by sheer will, Kamora limped forward. Minutes passed like hours until finally, she stepped out of the trees and onto the edge of a rural town.

Weather-worn houses dotted the landscape, smoke curling lazily from rooftops. A breath escaped her lips—trembling, filled with relief.

She was going to be safe. She increased her pace, hurrying as if there was a target at her back.

She encountered several people on the road, and they all gave her curious glances. But she had no time to quench their curiosity.

“Hey you! Kamora?”

She paused and turned to see who had called her. She immediately recognized the blacksmith who had sent for the old man. He took in her appearance, his eyes scrunching further as he studied the intensity of her wounds.

“What happened to you? Your sister said you had left before her as you needed to return to your workplace.”

Kamora smiled, mirthless. “I’ll have to trouble you, sir, but please, do you know where I can get a horse?”

“What for? Don’t tell me you plan on returning with these injuries!”

“Please, sir. I need to be somewhere fast.”

He stared at her again, his face filled with suspicion. “You didn’t really leave, did you?” Then his eyes slowly widened and he whispered, “Your sister tried to kill you?”

Kamora didn’t say anything.

Seeing that she wasn’t going to talk, the man took her hand and pulled her. “Come with me,” he said.

He took her into his shed, which fortunately wasn’t far off. He pushed her gently onto a stool.

“Sir—” Kamora tried to protest, but he cut her off.

“Let me attend to your wounds. I’ll only lend you a horse if you let me do so.”

Saying nothing, Kamora allowed him to do as he wished. He helped her clean the scratches and open wounds on her skin, and for the deep ones, he bandaged them with cloth.

“This will have to do for now,” he said, looking at his work with mild satisfaction. “Where will you be going to?”

“Home.”

“Home? Back to your sister?”

“No. Home, back to my son and my husband.”

“Good, that’s good. They’ll properly take care of you. Give me a minute. Let me go fetch the horse.”

He hurried out of the shed. A few minutes later, he returned and called her from the entrance.

Kamora stood and walked toward him, leaving the shed. Right in front of it was an average-sized horse with a beautiful brown hide, and it kicked its hooves as if in anticipation of their journey.

“This is Claus, my best horse,” he said. “I trust that you’ll return him to me safe and sound. For now, concentrate on going back home to your loved ones and arriving safely.”

“Thank you,” Kamora said, bowing slightly. “I will never forget this kindness.”

The man helped Kamora onto the horse, steadying her as she settled shakily into the saddle. Once he was sure she was secure, he gave the horse three sharp slaps on its flank.

With a powerful jolt, it took off—galloping like the wind through the narrow trail. Kamora clung tightly to its mane, her body pressed low against its neck.

Each pounding hoof sent a fresh wave of pain through her skull. Her vision blurred further, the world around her twisting and dimming.

Desperate, she gave her head a slight shake—only to regret it instantly. A sharp, stabbing pain split through her forehead, forcing a cry from her lips.

But somehow, the jolt cleared her vision, if only for a fleeting moment. She just had to hold on. For her son’s sake, for her husband’s sake.

For her sake, she had to hold on. Fate had given her another chance, and she would under no circumstance let it slip away.