The howls didn't come again.
That was what made them worse.
The forest returned to silence so completely that it almost felt intentional.
Like whatever had spoken from the darkness had already said everything it needed to say.
The survivors remained restless long after the sounds faded.
Patrols doubled.
Fires burned later into the night.
Conversations stayed quieter.
Because nobody knew whether the howls had been a warning.
Or a promise.
Nyra stood awake long after most of the camp had fallen asleep.
The forest stretched endlessly beyond the boundary, dark and watchful beneath a sky crowded with stars.
Darius found her there eventually.
He always did.
"You should sleep."
Nyra didn't look away from the trees.
"You should too."
A familiar answer.
A familiar conversation.
D
