After a short rest, the trio, Ethan, Lucas, and Emily, resumed their journey. Ethan led the way, his eyes constantly scanning the ground, hand gripping a bow already strung, each step measured with calculated caution. Lucas followed closely behind, occasionally bending to examine traces or gently push aside branches, his gaze locked onto the tiniest details of the forest. Emily brought up the rear, silent, her steps steady, maintaining a precise distance, neither too far nor too close. Ethan didn’t need to look back to know she was right there, her eyes quietly fixed on him.
They crossed a sunken clearing where rotting tree trunks lay scattered, moss growing thick around the bases. Ethan paused, bent down, and picked a fan-shaped mushroom sprouting from the bark, studying it closely befor
