They ran through a forest that no longer felt like their own. The trees closed in tighter the deeper they went, branches twisting into clawed shapes, bark peeling in strange patterns like runes half-carved and half-burned. The ground grew uneven, and a heavy mist clung to their boots, rising from the cursed land like breath from a dying beast.
Rhea led them now.
Her pendant glowed steadily, responding to something unseen ahead. Each pulse echoed through her ribs like a second heartbeat. The others followed without question. Even Ronan, who rarely took orders from anyone, kept close behind her.
They were being watched. Rhea could feel it in the prickle along her spine, the shivers threading down her arms. The forest held its breath, listening.
Lucci moved beside her, blades drawn and se
