The air felt thick with tension as we moved through the dense forest, every step deliberate and cautious. Carter was a few paces ahead, his eyes scanning the area with the intensity of someone who knew danger was lurking. Ethan flanked my left side, his usual calm replaced by a rigid wariness. The young scout's words echoed in my mind—something different, something stronger. I had fought countless rogues over the years, but this was new. And it unsettled me.
I had rested, albeit briefly, and my body had recovered just enough to function. The adrenaline coursing through me did the rest, pushing the fatigue aside. My mind, however, couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that we were about to face something far beyond our control.
The moonlight barely filtered through the dense canopy above, ca
