Seraphine's Pov

The gods have forsaken me.

I've whispered that a thousand times already, to the wind, to the trees, to the dead things that crawl beneath my feet. But every time I say it, it sounds truer than before.

The gods have truly, truly forsaken me.

It's been days, maybe weeks-since Malric banished me. I've lost count of the time. The sun rises, sets, and rises again, and still, I wander like a ghost, half-alive, half-rotting inside. My once-golden robes are now nothing but rags, clinging to me like a curse. My hair is matted, tangled with leaves and dust. My feet bleed from walking without rest.

Sometimes, I...