The river roared before them, its waters churning violently as if the current itself resented their presence. Mist rose in thin veils, clinging to their skin and hair, and the faint gleam of something moving beneath the surface sent a chill crawling down everyone’s spine. The shadow—long, serpentine, and malicious—slid through the depths with predatory grace, always just out of focus.
Ezra tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his sharp eyes scanning the water as if he could will the creature into revealing itself fully.
“We don’t have a choice,” he said, voice low and firm. “We have to cross.”
“No one’s arguing with you,” Liam replied, his usual bravado dulled by the tension in his shoulders.
Senua stepped forward, her piercing gaze fixed on the water. “The rocks are slick, and
