The dense thicket loomed before Liora like a living wall of shadow and thorns, twisting and curling in unnatural ways, as though it were woven from the very fabric of the fae realm itself. The path forward was suffocating, the air thick with the magic of the fae, a reminder that she was still caught in their grasp, still tethered to their games. Beyond this boundary, she knew the fae’s influence would weaken, and with it, the relentless grip they held over her fate.
But first, she had to pass through the thicket.
Liora stood at the edge of the boundary, her breath catching in her throat as she stared into the darkness beyond. The twisted branches intertwined like a cage, barely allowing any light to slip through. The magic here was different from the rest of the forest—darker, more oppre
