⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯ Daylily pulled herself to the cliff, feeling the rough surface of the rocks beneath her paws. It was empty. Thank Starclan. The blue sky shone brightly above, a stark contrast to the turmoil churning inside her. It was back. That constant hunger, the gnawing sensation that Persephone had pushed to the side but could never fully erase. Because of the Orca Trials, anyone associated with Sonnet would eat last. And with the prey pile running low, Lil always felt the pangs of hunger. That word struck like a mallet—/hungry/. Growing up, food had never been an issue. Sunlight and prey had surrounded her, filling the air with the sweet scent of possibilities. But now, a cloud loomed over her clan, and it seemed all the clans were dying out, like stars flickering in a vast, dark sky. Somehow, Sonnet always managed to bring a piece of prey to share, a small gesture that gave Daylily a flicker of hope. But that was all it was. The only reasons Day got up each day were to train her apprentices and hunt, and even that was becoming harder with each passing day. The joy of teaching, once a source of pride, was now weighed down by the constant concern for her survival and the survival of her clan. As she stood at the cliff's edge, her mind drifted back to her childhood days, when the world had been vibrant and filled with laughter. But now, the echo of happy memories felt distant, overshadowed by the ever-present worry of depletion. Fae had more skills than she could count, yet it felt like a cruel joke that she couldn’t put them to good use when the world around her was falling apart. The sun beamed down, but it seemed to mock her situation. She felt weak, her limbs heavy with fatigue as she gazed at the endless sky; a canvas of blue with clouds that resembled fluff, carefree and distant from her harsh reality. What would they do? She could see the shadows of her apprentices' faces, full of trust and expectation, and the weight of her responsibilities pressed down harder on her. With each exertion, Daylily felt herself fading, like the very stars that were dimming in the night sky. Yet still, she put on that 'fine' mask, the one everyone expected to see, and for a brief moment, the world felt right again. But deep down, Oath knew she couldn’t keep it up for long. One day, the mask would crack, and they would see the hunger swirling behind her eyes, the desperation that consumed her thoughts. With a sigh, Flower started to walk back to camp, the hunger monster rearing its ugly head once more. Each step felt heavier than the last, the ground beneath her seeming to shift with her burden, as if reminding her of the responsibilities she bore. She tried to focus on the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves or the distant chatter of other clan members, but her mind was drawn back to her own feelings of inadequacy and fear. As she made her way back, Fae looked up at the sunny sky and frowned. What had she done to deserve this? Why was it so unfair that those she cared for the most had to suffer alongside her? She found herself questioning Starclan, searching for answers in the clouds that drifted by. Had they forsaken her clan? Was there truly no end to this hunger? The familiar sight of camp came into view, and with it, a sense of dread washed over her. She could already picture the worried expressions of her clanmates, their own eyes reflecting the same despair she felt. Daylily steadied herself, calling upon that inner strength to push through, reminding herself that she must be the beacon of hope for those who looked up to her. But as she stepped into the camp, a deeper resolve stirred within her. She couldn't afford to falter. There was still work to do—hunting, training, finding solutions, whatever it took. Perhaps, just perhaps, if they worked together, they could spark a change. Starclan may seem distant, but she was determined to fight against the tides of fate, refusing to let hunger extinguish the flames of her spirit. Daylily took a breath, and with her chin held high, she walked further into camp, prepared to face whatever came next, for herself and for her clan. ⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯•⋯ ...End of rp...
