"The wilderness doesn’t care about your quest, Lyra. It’s not about what you want—it’s about what you survive."
Damian's words echo in my mind, piercing through the stillness of the night as I stand at the edge of the forest, staring into the dense thicket ahead. The trees loom like ancient sentinels, their dark branches reaching toward the heavens, blocking out most of the moonlight. This place, this wilderness, is as much a part of me as the scars of my past. But it feels different now, somehow more menacing as if it knows I’m here for more than just survival.
I’m here for answers.
Behind me, the Shadow Moon pack rests for the night, their campfires flickering like dim stars. They don’t know what I’ve been planning. No one does. The journey ahead is a dangerous one, but I can’t ignore
