The smoke had thinned, but the smell of burnt flesh still lingered faintly in the air.
Emily stood a few steps away from the bodies, her eyes fixed on the blackened ground where fire had done what steel could not.
The forest felt quieter than usual, as though even the wind had withdrawn to watch what she had become.
Eleanor moved closer to the first corpse, careful, observant, unhurried. She did not recoil at the sight.
Emily finally found her voice.
“How are you so sure they’re from Evergreen?”
Her tone carried more than curiosity. It carried hope. Hope that maybe this was coincidence. Maybe rogue wolves, maybe just a misunderstanding.
Eleanor did not answer immediately. She crouched near what remained of the first attacker and murmured something low under her breath. The air shi
