***
Fear cut deep through Adaria’s heart with each step she took. She felt it in the air, thick and damp and settling on the back of her throat. The trees seemed to sway ominously around her, and all she could do was keep walking forward and not look around.
Her sword was sheathed beside her, and her fingers itched to pull it out. Perhaps that would offer her a bit more courage. But something told her that it wouldn’t be a wise decision to do that. She couldn’t shrug off the feeling that something was watching her. And if she appeared hostile, then she would be damning herself in the long run.
The sun still hadn’t come up, even though it felt like she had been walking for hours. When she looked back, the only thing she could see was the stone path. There was no way of telling how far
