The woods were a familiar place, but they did little to calm the storm in Ryell’s heart. Played, played again! No matter how hard he tried to do what was right, to offer his aid and uphold his honor as a royal guard, the world repaid him with betrayal and cruelty.
In the fading light of the day, the forest looked more menacing than comforting, bringing back memories of the lost war and the blood spilled. With the sun already down, shadows stretched across the ground, and bushes darkened, grating at Ryell’s instincts. Back in Devanshari, any tree trunk and every branch could hide a demonling, and as he made his way between trees, he flinched at every sound, unable to convince himself this was another forest on another continent. The memories were just too strong and too painful to ignore,
