The forest felt different on the way back, as if the ancient magic clung to Vera, weighing her down. The air was thick, almost suffocating, and each step felt heavier than the last. Her head pounded with a strange, growing pressure, and her heart raced in erratic beats. She kept her eyes on the trees, trying to steady herself, but everything around her seemed to blur.
Something was wrong.
Vera’s throat burned, dry and raw, and the taste of iron suddenly filled her mouth. She coughed once, then again, and before she could stop herself, a thick splatter of blood escaped her lips, staining her hand.
“W-What…?” Vera stared at the blood on her palm, panic surging through her. She stumbled forward, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Her whole body trembled as something deep inside her twiste
