The woods feel different the second I step into them. Not unfamiliar.
Just… awake.
Every sound stretches farther than it should. Every shadow feels deeper, heavier somehow, like the darkness itself is paying attention to me. The air presses against my skin thick with scents I can almost understand but still can’t fully name.
Damp earth.
Tree bark.
Night air.
And underneath it all—
Him.
I slow automatically, my footsteps quieter now without even trying. My body adjusts on its own, weight shifting more carefully, breathing evening out into something smoother. Intentional.
Not human.
“Okay,” I mutter under my breath. “That’s new.”
You’re welcome, Nyx replies smoothly.
I freeze for half a second.
…You’re talking more now all of a sudden? I think this is the more you've ever talk
