The veins on her neck were protruding and her eyes were red with fury. Her fingers trembled as she held the piece of paper in her hand. She had always known that this day would come, but the reality of it was still too much to bear. In one moment, everything she had worked so hard for had been taken away from her.
The sun had begun its slow descent, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink. The air was filled with the sound of rustling leaves and chirping crickets as Maya made her way through the dense forest. She had been on this path countless times before, but today everything seemed different. Maybe it was the eerie silence or the strange feeling that she couldn't shake off--either way, something was off.
