Rui leapt backward, landing lightly on the lowest branch of the plum blossom tree.
She scrambled upward, climbing higher as the spectral hands grasped at her ankles.
The pink petals trembled around her as she reached the uppermost branches, their sweet scent a stark contrast to the bitter chill of death below.
The Hollow Dove circled the tree, its many eyes blinking in sequence as it regarded her with cold amusement.
"Hiding in the branches like a frightened child," it mocked, its voice grating like stone against metal.
The spectral villagers gathered at the base of the tree, their translucent forms merging into a churning sea of sorrow and rage.
"But you cannot escape judgment by climbing trees, Princess," the Dove continued, perching on a branch just out of reach.
"Nor can you outrun the consequences of your actions."
Rui pressed her back against the trunk, petals falling around her like snow.
Rui knew she couldn't hide forever.
