The forest felt… right.

Salem had never liked nature before. It had always been an afterthought—background noise to a busier, louder life.

But now..

Now it felt like salvation.

The rustle of leaves. The soft give of grass beneath her feet. The steady breath of wind, untouched by blood or decay. Even the distant, cautious stares of animals watching from the shadows brought something unfamiliar to her chest.

Peace.

A fragile, long-forgotten kind.

She lowered her gaze to her hands.

Thin.

Dry.

Wrong.

Her arms were no better- frail, marked with countless lacerations, their origins blurred by time and suffering. The tattoos she once wore with pride were gone- buried beneath layers of dirt, blood, or scars.

She couldn’t tell which.

Salem could only close her eyes.

The open plain she had landed in stretched wide and empty.

She liked that.

After centuries of confinement, the thought of walls- of tight enclosed spaces- made something instinctively tighten repulsively inside her chest.

She needed space. Air.

Freedom.

She focused on her other senses instead. Filtered out the scent of earth and plants. Listened.

Water.

Faint, distant- but unmistakable.

Her decision was immediate.

She needed to wash.

To see herself.

To understand what she had become.

Her steps were careful but labored as she moved through the forest.

Uneven. Wobbly. The knowledge that she was no longer anywhere near her prison had loosened her tension, and the adrenaline and rage that had pushed her to move before faded with each chirp of an insect, croak of a toad, and rustle of a leaf.

I have no balance…

The realization settled heavily.

I’ve been curled up for too long.

The river came into view soon after.

The trees pulled away from the edge, giving way to smooth stones and uneven ground. The surface shimmered faintly under the moonlight- calm, inviting, and distant from everything she had endured.

Salem stepped onto the stones.

Cool beneath her feet. Stable, despite their unevenness.

She stared at the water for a long moment. It calmed something in her.

Not completely- never completely- but enough.

Without hesitation, the ragged dress slid from her body.

It fell silently to the ground.

The moon hung high above as she stepped forward.

One foot into the water.

She flinched, “So cold…”

The chill cut through her instantly, foreign and sharp. She hadn’t felt water- true, moving water- in centuries.

Don’t go too deep…

The thought came naturally. Instinctively.

You’ll drown.

She stayed near the edge.

Moved slowly.

Until the water reached her waist.

Then-

She submerged herself.

The sensation was overwhelming.

Water rushed over her skin, her hair, her face- washing, cooling, grounding her all at once.

For the first time in centuries…

She felt real.

When she rose back up, she finally acknowledged the river’s surface that reflected her current appearance.

The moonlight was enough.

She stared.

And something inside her recoiled.

Hollow cheeks.

Cracked lips.

Matted, dirtied hair beyond saving.

Skin so obscured by grime she could barely see her own natural skin tone.

And her eye…

Red.

Unnatural.

She didn’t need the reflection to confirm the rest.

Her bones pressed sharply beneath her skin.She could feel them.

Everywhere.

Her hands trembled as she looked closer.

Her nails were packed with dirt.

Her skin uneven in texture and color.

Broken.

“I don’t even recognize myself…”

Her arms wrapped around her body.

A weak attempt at comfort.

Her ribs pressed painfully against her own embrace.

The tears came slowly.

Then all at once.

A sob tore from her throat- raw, animalistic, something far removed from anything human.

She stood in the river for a long time.

Letting the current move past her.

Letting the moment exist.

When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer alone.

Eyes surrounded her.

Hidden. Watching.

She ignored them.

Instead, she returned to the shore.

Picked up the discarded cloth and tore a piece free.

The material was rough—coarse, almost abrasive.

Perfect.

She went back into the water.

And scrubbed.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Time passed without meaning.

The water darkened—black, brown, red.

She ignored it all.

Kept going.

Until her skin burned.

Until it hurt to touch.

Until she could see herself again beneath the layers of filth.

Her natural brown skin emerged at last—raw, slightly red, and sensitive, but hers.

When she finally stepped out, her body trembled violently.

Cold. Exhausted.

The walk back nearly broke her.

Each step dragged.

Each breath came shallow and strained.

By the time she reached the clearing, she collapsed onto the discarded fabric with a quiet gasp.

The eggs hovered nearby.

Unmoving. Constant.

She reached for them instinctively, pulling them into her lap.

They were warm.

Solid.

Real.

Her gaze drifted across the wide expanse of the plain.

I could build something…

The thought surfaced weakly.

I can use magic… I think.

She didn’t know the rules. Didn’t know the limits. Salem just knew her world’s laws of physics didn’t fully apply.

Only that she had already used-

Wind.

Space.

Creation.

Too tired to question further, she extended her hand.

Imagined something simple.

Small.

A shelter.

Mana responded.

Slowly.

Reluctantly.

The earth shifted.

Rose.

Formed.

A crude hut.

Small. Imperfect. 

But standing. The falling specks of dirt mattered not. The open concept hut was a mansion compared to what she just escaped.

A faint smile touched her lips.

Small. Fragile.

But real.

Inside, she shaped the ground again- lifting it slightly to form a place to lie down.

Then, carefully, she tore more fabric and arranged it beneath the eggs.

Soft. Protected.

Better than what she had known.

The hut sealed behind her, leaving only small openings high above for air.

For the first time in centuries..

She allowed herself to rest.

This wasn’t her prison.

This wasn’t hell.

Just a forest.

And that was enough.

As her breathing slowed, a voice returned.

Soft. Familiar.

I am sorry… my child.

Live for yourself.

Warmth spread through her body.

Gentle.

Comforting.

Something shifted within her-

Something let go of her.

She didn’t need to understand it.

Didn’t need to name it.

She only knew one thing.

She was free.

“Thank you…”

And this time-

She slept.