Y/n took a deep breath, completely lowering herself into the water before opening her eyes. The water was clear, magical. It reminded her of the enchanted lake. And again I'm thinking about them... Y/n thought, mentally sighing (she couldn't do so physically as she was under the water).
By now it had been nearly a month and a week since she left Auradon but she still couldn't get used to being who she was meant to be again. Y/n of DunBroch, the crown princess of the North. For the briefest moments she'd even considered cutting off the penmanship between her and her friends, leaving Auradon and all she'd lived through behind but every time she'd thought of such things, she'd remembered the prophecy.
Y/n swam to the surface of the pond, her lightweight brown dress that she chose to swim with sticking to her skin as she pulled herself to the shore and let the light from the sun dry her while she thought about the very thing that kept her tied to Auradon. The prophecy.
It must've been that she had something to do with Auradon, for otherwise it wouldn't have been carved in the walls of a magical cave in Auradon. She then decided to go over it once again, thinking it through to make sure whether or not it was fulfilled yet.
"What is bravery if not testing your own fate?" she recited, getting stuck already at the first line. It might've been that she had been brave to trust her friends and not tell anyone about their secret but it might've also not been.
She sighed, at least the next line was easier. Love and faith was most definitely related to her friends.
The girl was about to proceed to thinking about the next line when the bushes behind her rustled. Cautiously, she stood up and picked up her clothes slowly, ready to make a run for it up the hill and into the protective layer of magic that surrounded the cottage she'd been living at for what seemed like an eternity by now.
Some bushes rustled again, this time behind her. With small steps, she started backing up the grassy trail that was on the hill, keeping her eyes on the small pond in front of her as well as the bushes that surrounded it.
The rustling neared.
Y/n's breath hitched in her throat as she glanced up the hill. It was still a long way and it was clear that whatever it was that was following her was faster than her.
Not losing hope yet, she picked up her pace.
The cracks of branches sounded again. This time they came from the bushes pretty much beside her.
The girl sucked in a breath, eyeing at the place she knew the barrier was at, which was only a few paces ahead of her.
Suddenly, time slowed.
A grey blur flew out of the bushes and Y/n felt a phantom of pain on her neck.
There was red. So much red.
And then it all went black to white and back to normal again. Not even having time to think about the vision, Y/n ducked out of the way of the wolf that jumped over her head, clearly going for her neck.
Adrenaline rushing through her veins, she scrambled into the protective embrace of the barrier, tripping over a root only a few steps in.
Frantically, she glanced behind her. The wolf seemed to stare at her soul through the barrier, though it should've made everything inside invisible, but made no further move to attack her, instead emitting a low growl and disappearing back into the bushes.
Her heart racing, Y/n stood up and gathered her clothes, stumbling back to the cottage in shock. As soon as she rounded the corner, she ran into Arthur.
"Your Highness!" the guard exclaimed. "Are you alright?" The man then frowned, looking the wet girl up and down in search of any injuries. "You don't usually come back from the pond any earlier than necessary."
Y/n let out a shaky breath. Her vision was swaying now that adrenaline was wearing off. And then everything went black, even the sounds of the world around her fading.