The sun had barely risen when we set out, the forest stretching out before us like a labyrinth of shadows and fog. My heart was a knot of nerves, tightening with each step we took deeper into the wilderness. Noelle walked beside me, her gaze forward and her jaw set, but I could feel her tension. Samuel led the way, the map Alaric gave us clutched tightly in his hand, and Elenora walked silently at the rear, her eyes scanning the treeline for any sign of danger.
I wasn’t comfortable with Elenora coming with us, but she had insisted. None of us spoke much. The weight of what we were about to do hung over us like a shroud.
The path was narrow, winding between towering trees whose branches twisted and bent like the gnarled hands of ancient spirits. The deeper we went, the darker it became, t
