I didn’t sleep much that night.
The events of the day had left a mark on me, more than just physically. I had expected the wilderness to be my only enemy, but now there was a new weight pressing against me. The words of the woman from the Moonlit Court reverberated in my mind, echoing like a distant storm I could feel but not see.
The Court.
They had watched me, tracked me, and now they had made their offer. Not a simple invitation to join their ranks, but a subtle, calculating demand wrapped in the language of power and control. I had refused them, but the feeling that lingered in the pit of my stomach told me I hadn’t won. Not yet.
I moved quickly the next morning, gathering my belongings and ensuring the fire I had built was reduced to a faint smolder. The forest around me was alive
