The Hollow Grove was nothing like Elena had imagined. The trees stood impossibly tall, their gnarled roots twisting over one another like skeletal fingers clawing from the earth. A thick, silver mist blanketed the ground, shifting unnaturally, as if it were alive. The air carried an eerie stillness—no birds, no rustling leaves, just the distant whisper of unseen things moving in the dark.
Serin led the way, his movements precise, his gaze sharp as he scanned their surroundings. “Stay close,” he murmured. “This place is old magic. It doesn't follow normal rules.”
Kael, who had been in a foul mood since they left, kicked a stray rock into the mist. “Yeah, no kidding. The trees have eyes.”
Elena turned and sure enough, deep within the bark of some trees, faint hollows resembled sockets—emp
