We had been walking for hours. The forest air was heavy, laden with a humidity that clung to the skin and made it hard to breathe. The shadows never stopped moving, and each step felt more difficult than the last. Exhaustion began to wear us down, but it wasn’t just physical. There was something else, something in the air that seemed to feed off our despair.
“This is endless,” Liam growled, stopping to rest his hands on his knees. “We’ve been walking in circles. I’m done.”
“We’re all tired,” Ezra said, his tone cold but firm. “Keep it together.”
“Keep it together? We’re lost!” Liam shot back, his voice rising. “This damn forest doesn’t want us here.”
"He’s right, you know," Eva’s voice dripped with sarcasm in my mind. "This place doesn’t just hate you. It’s alive, and it’s toying with
