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Chapter 1

{{ Coryn's POV ☀️}}

The woods were blanketed in a thick fog. Coryn shivered as her tall frame crouched behind a tree, breathing as quietly as possible. She was unusually muscular for the age of seventeen with broad shoulders, strong arms, and long legs. She was far from thin but had been smaller than usual lately from the lack of food. Game had been scarce.

Coryn was an excellent hunter, but she hadn't eaten in a day, which was making it extremely difficult to stay as still as was necessary. She had seen a few squirrels and one deer but the deer had been startled before she could kill it. Sighing, she stood up, brushed the leaves off her pants, and started walking again, covering the leafy ground in large strides and making sure to crunch as few leaves as possible. Although Coryn was big, she knew how to walk lightly. It was a skill she had learned early on that would be very useful.

She started to slow down when she began to approach a clearing. She squatted down behind a tree near the edge of the clearing and waited. Patience. You had to have lots of it when hunting. This trip was testing the little patience Coryn had while she waited for game that never seemed to appear. Not to mention her knees were starting to ache.

After sitting with her back against a tree for half an hour she heard the snap of a branch. She slowly pulled a throwing knife from a sheath strung through her waistband. Coryn had always been criticized for hunting with such an odd weapon, but using knives for hunting was like using soap for a bath to her. A large buck strode, carefree with head held high, into the clearing. It walked with grace and elegance, and its eyes were void of fear, shining instead, with the pride of the wild.

Coryn had been hunting for years, so she had found peace with taking another thing's life. But no matter how many times she watched the life drain from a beast's eyes there was always that small pang of grief.

The buck wandered to the center of the clearing and Coryn drew the knife back behind her head. One breath. Two breaths.

She threw her arm forward and let the blade slip through her fingers, slicing through the air until it struck the deer in the side of the neck, piercing an artery. Coryn stood up and started forward, creeping up to the buck that was now laying on the grassy floor of the clearing. She took another knife off her waist and slit the deer's throat with one swift stroke. Just because she had gotten used to killing animals didn't mean she had to be inhuman. She heaved the large deer onto her shoulders and started towards the city.

Walking down the street, near the edge of Gravara, Coryn didn't pass many people. As she traveled farther into the city the stream of people became more prominent, until the street was bustling with citizens.

There was a massive, decrepit fountain in the middle of town that was used as a spot for trading. The fountain hadn't worked in decades so the townspeople laid their wares across the cracking stone. One could find almost anything in the makeshift market, from clothes to food, and other items that people had scavenged or made.

As Coryn entered the main crowd of people circling the fountain she heard someone call her name. She spun around to see who it was and was nearly toppled over by the impact of a body being thrown into her.

Coryn had known Sophie Winters for as long as she could remember and they had always been best friends. Both girls were seventeen and part of the city’s large percentage of orphans. Sophie was just a few months older than Coryn, which Sophie often displayed in her maternal nature. Their personalities were polar opposites and where Sophie was maternal, Coryn was adventurous.

Their differences applied to their appearances as well. Coryn was tall with broad shoulders, whereas Sophie was short and petite. Coryn had piercing ice-blue eyes and Sophie had soft, dark brown eyes that were always full of concern and worry. Coryn had long blond hair that covered her back in waves and Sophie had shoulder-length hair, but her hair was almost the same color as her eyes. Her hair was a gorgeous chestnut brown that always managed to stay in perfect curls.

"Coryn, I've been looking everywhere for you! Where on god's earth have you been?" Sophie looked frustrated and concerned as she pulled away from her friend.

"Calm down Soph, I told you yesterday that we were low on food so I was going to try and catch something. Plus, I've only been gone for-" Coryn paused, trying to remember what time she had left that morning.

"Eight hours, Coryn. Nearly a whole day."

"Alright, I'm sorry. But look on the bright side," she awkwardly gestured to the buck that was weighing heavier by the minute, "We'll feast like kings tonight."

"You skin it and I'll start the fire. Deal?" Sophie asked, turning back toward the way she had come from.

"Deal," Coryn answered. "Meet you behind the school."

Sophie threw two thumbs up and Coryn began to walk home.

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After washing the blood, guts, and fur off her arms and tossing on a clean shirt, Coryn had worked up an appetite. Boy was she ready for some grilled venison.

The school was a few blocks away from Coryn and Sophie's home, which was really just a large tent, so Coryn stuffed a few of her hunting knives into her boot. One could never be too careful, especially walking around Gravara at dusk. As she walked down the practically deserted street, she caught the scent of smoke. She shivered, the cool night air running down her back as she turned the corner of the school and walked down the alley towards the back of the abandoned building. Coryn approached the shadowy firelight but saw no signs of Sophie.

"Soph?" Coryn called, placing the bag full of meat next to the fire. "Sophie!" she called again, this time a bit louder.

Where could she be? If she had left, she would have told Coryn.

Just as she was going to call again, Coryn heard the muffled noise of quiet, but emphatic voices coming from the rear alley. She started towards the voices, slowly removing one of the knives from her boot. Stepping lightly, so as not to make any noise, she reached the entrance to the alleyway and paused. She was about to go farther when something slammed her head against the brick wall in front of her. She tried to cry for help but was already blacking out.

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