The quarry spit us out like it was finally done with us. The moment our boots hit the tree line, the cold felt different. Sharper. Less magical and more real. My breath hitched as the mark slowly calmed under my skin. It still pulsed once every few seconds, a reminder of the scream Riven never finished. A reminder of Ember still waiting somewhere in the dark.
Nathan walked ahead of me with his shoulders tense, shirt torn at the sleeve from earlier. Leah limped behind us, muttering under her breath. A thin shimmer clung to her fingers as she forced her warding spell to hold a little longer. Every rustle made my spine jump. Every shifting branch felt like a set of eyes.
The shadow that trailed us from the quarry stayed behind the treeline. I felt it. Not magic. Not wolf. Not corruption. So
