Luna
The forest stretched endlessly before me, the tall trees whispering secrets to the wind as I trudged forward. Atlas was gone. His absence left a hollow ache in my chest that I couldn’t seem to fill. I didn’t even know where I was going—just that I couldn’t stay by the stream where he’d taken his last breath. The memories there were too fresh, too raw.
“Moon,” I murmured, my voice cracking. “Are you still with me?”
Always, she replied, her tone steady despite my turmoil.
I clutched at that comfort, trying to push through the weariness that gnawed at my limbs. My arm throbbed where the bear had slashed me, the makeshift bandage already soaked through. I felt heavy, as though the weight of the world pressed down on me.
“Do you think I could’ve done more?” I whispered, my voice trem
