Reincarnated As The Villainess's Best Friend

Freya grabbed my sleeve, pulling me back.

"Hold up, Stormborn. Something tells me you don't have a plan."

I yanked my arm free from her grip. "Because I don't."

She squinted her eyes. "I don't want to state the obvious, but if you go there without a plan, you'll die. And I'm not dragging your corpse back."

"Then stay here."

Her smirk faded, just for a second. "Not happening. I said I'm in, and I meant it."

We had barely gone anywhere, and Freya was already on my nerves.

"Why are you here?" I snapped. "What's in this for you? Do you consider this a date?"

She stepped closer, her eyes locking onto mine. "Maybe I'm bored. Maybe I want to see if you're as tough as you say. Or maybe I know more about Kyro than you think."

My blood ran cold. "What do you know?"

She shrugged, stepping toward the gate. "Get me to that tavern in Viridale, and maybe I'll tell you."

I wanted to shake her, make her spill it right there. But the forest was waiting, and every second I wasted was a second Lucy could be fighting for her life.

I swallowed my anger and followed Freya to the old gate.

The gate creaked as we slipped through, the iron cold under my fingers. Beyond it, was a large grassy expanse that stretched out for miles.

"And so it begins," I muttered under my breath.

*****

We ran for what seemed like hours, jumping over twigs and crossing streams, our sole companion being the moonlight above.

My legs ached, and the growl in my stomach reminded me that I hadn't eaten anything solid since the previous afternoon.

Freya kept behind me, her pace constant, her breath steady. For a spoiled noble princess, she had a lot more stamina than I'd imagined.

Finally, Blackthorn Forest loomed ahead of us, a giant wall of tall trees. The wind carried the faint sound of growls and rustles, like the trees themselves were alive and hungry.

Freya's cloak blended into the dark, but her eyes glinted as she glanced at me. "Last chance to back out, Stormborn."

"Don't be silly," I said, my voice hard.

She grinned, falling into step beside me as we crept toward the black loom. Soon, the forest closed in, trees towering so high they blocked the moon.

The air was thick with the smell of moss and something else, something sour, like blood.

Freya's fireflies had long dimmed, and the path ahead led into more darkness.

"Inferno."

A small flame leapt up in my hand, lighting up the road. Instinctively, Freya moved closer to me.

The forest grew loud, too loud. Every snap of a twig made my heart jump.

I kept picturing the green dot in mind. Lucy was somewhere in here with Kyro. What was he doing with her? Was she hurt?

My chest tightened, and I forced the thoughts down. I had to focus.

"Stay close," I muttered.

"Aw, you worried about me?" Freya teased, but her voice was quieter now, more cautious.

We moved deeper, the ground soft under my boots. All I could think about was Lucy's safety.

Ginny's spell had worked, but she'd warned it wasn't perfect. What if we were too late? What if...

A low growl cut through the dark, freezing me in place. Freya stopped too, her hand hovering over to a small blade tucked in her belt. I had no idea Freya carried a blade.

The sound came again, closer, from the left. My heart began to race.

"That sounds like... a grimwolf," I whispered, even though I knew Grimwolves weren't native to forests.

"Probably," Freya said, her voice steady but tense.

"Keep moving... Slowly."

We edged forward, my eyes scanning the shadows. Something moved behind the trees – a flash of fur with red eyes glinting in the dark. Too big to be a wolf. Too fast to be anything good. My grip tightened, but fighting wasn't the plan. Not yet.

"What is that?" Freya asked, nodding toward a clearing in the road ahead.

Moonlight broke through the trees, lighting a patch of ground covered in vines. In the center, something glinted. A piece of metal, half-buried in the dirt.

I crouched, brushing the vines away. It was a silver bracelet, carved with runes.

Freya knelt beside me, her eyes narrowing. "It's Lucy's bracelet."

My heart sank. I picked it up, the metal cold against my skin.

"She was here," I said, barely audible. "It must have slipped off her hand."

"Or she dropped it on purpose."

I shot her a look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know," She shrugged, standing up. "Maybe she's not as helpless as you think she is."

Before I could give a reply, another growl ripped through the air. The fire in my hand promptly disappeared.

In a flash, Freya grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the trees.

"Move, now!" she ordered.

We ran, branches snapping against my face. The growls followed, joined by heavy footsteps. Whatever was out there was big, and it was gaining on us.

My heart pounded, more so by the fact that we were running. My legs burned as we ducked under low branches and jumped over roots. Freya kept close to me, her cloak flapping behind her.

"Nature Affinity: Rapid Growth."

A green glow jumped from her hand to the earth below. At the same time, tall hedges sprang up behind us, shielding us from whatever chased after us.

"There!" she hissed, pointing to a narrow path winding deeper into the forest. "Go!"

I didn't argue. We bolted down the path, the growls fading in the distance behind us, but not gone.

The path opened into another clearing, this one smaller, surrounded by thorn vines.

I stopped, panting, my eyes scanning for any sign of life. Any sign of Lucy.

There was nothing. Just shadows and silence, and the faint hum of magic in the air.

Freya caught her breath, leaning against a tree. "Can't get any scarier than that."

"Hmm," I muttered, clutching the bracelet tight. I glanced at Freya, a slight warmth erupting in my heart. "You saved us."

Her eyes caught mine, and for a moment, I saw a tint of concern.

"What? I wasn't going to let you die. Now you owe me three dates."

For the first time ever, Freya's words put a smile on my face.

The bracelet in my arm let out a faint hum, it's runes shimmering softly.

"We need to keep moving," I said, pocketing the bracelet. "Lucy's close. I can feel it."

Freya raised an eyebrow. "Feel it? That sounds odd."

I kept silent, stepping toward the path ahead. The forest was darker here, the trees tighter, like they were moving in toward us.

Every step felt heavier, like the forest itself was trying to push me back. But I wasn't stopping. Not until I found Lucy.

A loud wind rippled through the trees, shaking the branches.

Amidst the wind, I heard a twig snap.

"Stay close, Freya," I whispered. I could sense it, amidst the trees. We were not alone.

In the next moments, everything fell silent. Then a powerful roar erupted behind us. Loud, fierce and closer than before.