( Aria’s POV)
The Northern Path stretched before them like a frozen wound, deeper than they’d imagined, shadows pooling beneath ice-laden branches. Dawn’s pale light barely pierced the frost-choked canopy, leaving the pack in a half-world between sleep and memory. Even the wind seemed cautious, hesitant to disturb the ground beneath their feet.
Aria adjusted her gloves, feeling the tether pulse softly between her and Kael. The aftermath of the canyon had left every nerve raw, every instinct sharpened. The creature whatever it had been was a dormant, but not gone. The Hollow’s pulse whispered faintly in her chest, uneasy, like it was sensing what lays ahead.
“Keep your focus,” Kael murmured, walking beside her. His voice was calm, but the light beneath his gloves flickered unevenly. “Th
