The forest felt different by morning. Still. Too still. The air had a pressure to it, like it was holding its breath. Evelyn was the first to wake, her eyes opening to the muted silver light of dawn seeping through the trees.
She sat up slowly, her muscles stiff from the night’s battle and sleep on the cold forest floor. The fire had long since died down, leaving only soft embers, but it was the silence that unsettled her. No birds. No wind. Just quiet.
Too quiet.
Ronan stirred beside her, rubbing his eyes as he reached for his blade. “Something’s off,” he said without preamble.
“I feel it too,” she replied, already moving to pack up her things.
Damien was still on watch, sitting on a flat stone at the edge of the camp, facing the ruins. His back was tense, shoulders drawn tight. He t
