POV: Elara
The wind carried an ominous chill as Dante and I made our way through the dense forest toward the borderlands. We had left the compound before dawn, with only a few trusted scouts aware of our destination. It was risky venturing this close to Silas’s territory, but the reports of his scouts crossing into our land had become too frequent to ignore. I needed to see it for myself—and Dante’s knowledge of Silas’s patterns would be crucial.
Dante moved ahead with practiced stealth, his gaze scanning the trees and shadows with a calm intensity. I followed close behind, matching his careful steps, my senses heightened, listening for any hint of movement beyond our own. The borderlands were a place of desolate beauty, the land wild and untamed, marked by steep cliffs and tangled under
