Chapter 3

The world tilted. Ethan's denial, Tori's cruelty, the crowd's judgment. It was too much.

Sterling's men didn't need to use force. Sarah turned and walked away, each step an agony, her cane clicking on the cobblestones.

She reached the edge of town, the place where the road led out into the wilderness.

She had nothing left. Her land was gone, her locket sold by Sterling for a pittance, her body scarred, her heart shattered.

Ethan's promise was a lie.

She remembered stories her grandmother used to tell, tales of an independent community living deep in the remote hills, a place called "The Hollow."

They were outcasts, people who lived by their own rules, outside Sterling's control. Their leader was a man named Jackson Rourke, Jax.

It was a desperate thought, a last resort.

She found a piece of discarded paper and a burnt stick of charcoal by a dead fire.

Her hand shook as she wrote: "Sarah Miller seeks refuge with Jax Rourke and his people. I wish to live among you."

She didn't know how to get the message to them.

She saw a young boy from the outskirts, someone who sometimes ventured near The Hollow to forage.

She gave him her last few coins. "Can you take this to Jax Rourke in The Hollow?"

The boy looked at her, at her torn clothes and haunted eyes. He nodded slowly.

Sarah watched him disappear into the woods.

Then she sat by the side of the road, waiting, not knowing if help would come, or what form it would take.

Despair was a heavy cloak. She closed her eyes.

She thought about ending it, right there. What was left to live for?

But a tiny spark, deep inside, refused to be extinguished. The injustice burned.

If she died, Sterling and Ethan would win completely.

She had to survive. If only to spite them.

Hours passed. The sun began to set.

Just as she was about to give up hope, a figure emerged from the trees.

A tall man, with a quiet strength about him. He moved with an easy grace, his eyes sharp and observant.

He stopped a few feet from her.

"Sarah Miller?" he asked. His voice was calm, steady.

She nodded, unable to speak.

"I am Jax Rourke," he said. "I received your message."