The journey was expected to take around five days, perhaps a little longer if delays arose, at least that was what Stella had gathered from the brief exchange between Jack and Thomas.
The carriage moved steadily along the uneven road, its wooden frame creaking at intervals, the sound blending with the rhythmic clatter of the wheels. Outside, the landscape stretched wide and quiet, broken only by scattered villages and long empty paths that seemed to lead endlessly westward.
Stella remained silent. She had introduced herself shortly after boarding the carriage the previous day, repeating much of what Morel had already explained. The reactions had been nearly identical, polite, measured, and restrained.
All except Evelyn. She had spoken more than the others, her tone open, almost welcoming.
When Stella turned toward her, she saw her features more clearly, refined and composed, yet quietly striking in a subtle way. Dark almond-shaped eyes held a steady depth, set above a small straight nose. Her complexion was pale, touched by a natural softness, clear and unblemished, giving her an almost fragile elegance rather than diminishing her appearance.
Stella responded in kind, allowing the conversation to continue just long enough to collect what she could, names, fragments, impressions. Nothing concrete, and that itself was the issue.
They did not truly know each other. Not in any meaningful sense.
From what Stella had pieced together, they had been brought together only a few months ago, assembled specifically for this mission and little else. A group in structure, but not in bond. Yet there was one thing that connected them all.
The Loran family.
The realization had come quietly, almost too naturally, forming itself through half-spoken remarks and careful silences. It did not require much discussion to confirm, because discussion itself had been limited.
The air inside the carriage felt tight. Not physically, but in a way that pressed against thought itself.
Eyes lingered a moment too long. Words were chosen with care. Silences stretched, deliberate and heavy. Each of them watching the others, measuring, withholding, waiting.
Stella leaned back slightly, lowering her gaze as if lost in thought, though her awareness remained sharp.
" Trying to escape with people like this…" the thought formed slowly, carefully.
"That would be the worst possible decision."
She did not know their roles, nor the full scope of the mission. More importantly, she did not know how far their loyalty to the Lorans extended.
Outside, the road offered no refuge.
Small villages and open paths meant nowhere to disappear without being seen. There was only one viable option, waiting.
Wait until they reached a larger city. Only then would there be a chance.
Stella closed her eyes briefly, as if resting, but the tension in her mind did not ease.
Two more days passed without any long stops.
The carriage continued almost without pause along the winding road, its motion steady and unrelenting. Jack, Thomas, and Johan took turns at the reins, alternating through long hours while the others slept in short, uneven intervals.
From Evelyn's account, Johan had been taken in by the Loran family years ago, seven in total, and raised under their roof. The detail settled in Stella's mind with a faint unease.
The purpose of the four adults could still be understood, yet the presence of the younger pair remained difficult to justify. Aemilia, forgetful to the point of distraction, and Johan, withdrawn into near silence, offered no clear function within the mission. Both were children, Aemilia fourteen, Johan thirteen, a fact that made the arrangement feel increasingly unstable.
Night fell again after several more hours of travel.
The last light faded behind distant hills, and the road grew quieter as darkness settled. Signs of fatigue became visible inside the carriage, slower movements, longer silences, and a reluctance to shift in the confined space.
Jack eventually noticed and brought the carriage to a halt near a small village off the road, where faint lights flickered between the trees. A decision to rest for the night followed without objection.
One by one, they stepped down. Stella followed, boots meeting firm ground as cool autumn air brushed her face, carrying the scent of earth and dry leaves. The shift from the enclosed carriage to the open night offered a brief sense of relief.
Soon after, Evelyn approached, said, "Alina, could you accompany Aemilia to those trees? She needs to relieve herself, but the darkness unsettles her."
A glance toward the roadside revealed a small cluster of trees, sparse yet dense enough to gather shadow.
"Of course. No problem."
After a brief exchange, she joined Stella, and together they moved away from the faint glow of the carriage toward the darker edge of the trees. The ground softened beneath their steps, leaves shifting quietly underfoot.
No conversation followed. Stella allowed the silence to remain, and so did Aemilia.
Her attention drifted inward, circling the unease that had never fully left since the start of the journey.
A girl so young in circumstances like this… it remained difficult to reconcile.
After a short distance, Aemilia stepped ahead and disappeared behind a cluster of trees, her voice low as she mentioned she would not take long.
Stella stayed where she was, then lowered herself onto a nearby rock, posture relaxed while her awareness stayed sharp. The forest was still, not empty but restrained, as though something lingered just beyond perception.
A faint rustle moved through the leaves, subtle enough to resemble wind, yet too deliberate to ignore. Moments later, footsteps followed, quick and closing in with unsettling precision.
Stella turned toward the sound, but before any reaction could form, a firm hand covered her mouth, silencing her instantly. At the same moment, the cold edge of a blade pressed against her throat.