Stella Lockheed The forest loomed around us like a living, breathing entity, shadows dancing in the moonlit night. Willow and I tore through the underbrush, our footsteps echoing like frantic heartbeats against the silence of the woods. Twisted branches reached out, clawing at the edges of our vision as if the very forest were trying to snatch us back into its depths. The distant roars and the clash of battle echoed through the night, a chaotic symphony that heightened the urgency in every step we took. My breaths came in quick gasps, the cold air stinging my lungs as we sprinted, desperate to put distance between ourselves and the malevolent force that had attacked us. The moon played peek-a-boo through the dense canopy above, casting fleeting glimpses of light upon our chaotic path.

