It's a lot to take in. First of which, amazement; you just did magic, without the years of study mandated at the Academy. It felt natural, instinctual, you didnt even try anything specific, it just sort of happened. On top of that, you're no longer cold and shivering, and the pit of dread in your stomach is not as heavy as it used to be.

Then, confusion. How is it you managed to even do that? Plus, you've heard time and time again that doing magic without training was dangerous, unstable. You got lucky this time, but what says next time you wont set yourself on fire? Your feelings shift to worry. Having cast magic, you now know for a fact you wont get away with just an exam and registration if the Crown catches you. Since you can cast spells, you'll be forced to do magic for them. And if they find out you did it before they got their hands on you, they won't be happy about it.

The anxiety clouding your toughts turn to dread when you notice a shape at the mouth of the cave. Not human, thankfully, but some sort of dog. It stares at you, unwavering; its dark coat almost impossible yo discern from the bushy underbrush. But you see it. It's surrounded by a sort of haze, distorting it's surrounding, like a road of a very hot day. When did it get here?

Subconsciously holding your breath, you consider the options. Maybe it's a wild wolf, and it's coming to eat you. Or worse, it's one of those tracking dogs, trained to sniff out runaways and drag them back to justice. Before you can give it more tought, it suddenly turns and dashes away, vanishing from view. Your heart drops. You have to get out of here, and fast. You grab your bag and dart out of your temporary shelter, back out under the cold rain and harsh winds.

Running is hard. Your boots sink into the fresh mud, your coat catches on the prickly branches. The cold air burns your lungs, and you keep seeing shadows at the corner of your eyes. You hear barking in the distance. You can't tell where it's coming from.

You keep running, the best you can. You keep stumbling. Your feet are heavy with the mud clinging to your soles. Your bag catches on something, but you dont have time to untangle it. It's getting closer.

You run, with nowhere to go. Your eyes swell with tears; your legs hurt, you can barely breathe. The rain drops feel like needles piercing your skin. All around you, shadows and growls, closing in.

You run, but your foot gets caught by a root. You trip, fall prone on the forest floor; hard enough to take your breath away. Dizzied, you push yourself up, only able to get to a kneel; your arms aching from the cold. Looking up, dark canine silhouettes surround you, all exuding the same mythical haze as the one that found you in the cave. You're doomed.

Fear overcoming your body, you can barely process your senses. All you can hear is your own heartbeat, all you can feel is the blood pumping in your veins. A burning flash consumes your chest, your limbs; your vision blurs, and you cry out, louder than you tought possible, as something comes over you.