ANTHONY’S POV
We all focused as we reached the edge of the Hollow, and I swear the trees were watching us. The branches groaned and retracted like… like they could feel pain. It was weird but it was true. The forest here wasn’t just dying—it was being unmade.
“Keep your heads low,” I warned, tightening my grip on my dagger.
Trevor was on my left, already shifting into partial form. His claws were out and his eyes had turned golden. Kelvin was on my right.
Suddenly, we heard a sharp creak sound.
Then—movement.
Roots erupted from the ground. I barely had time to dodge as a corrupted tree lunged. Its twisted limbs were covered in dark moss.
“Kelvin!” I shouted.
He didn’t react fast enough. A vine snapped around his torso and yanked him into the air. He grunted, twisting, but the moss
