I did not think. I did not call for anyone. I did not check behind me to see if Nathan or Leah was still following.
There were silver dust footprints in the snow. Human sized. Too small to belong to Calix. Too light. Too deliberate.
And something inside me snapped into motion.
I stepped forward and followed them.
Nathan called my name behind me, voice sharp and frustrated, but I tuned him out. Every part of me locked onto those glowing prints like they were the only real thing left in a world that kept twisting under my feet.
The forest closed in almost instantly. Trees leaned toward the path in crooked angles, shadows stretching long across the snow. The air felt dense, hanging heavy around my shoulders. My breath puffed out in white clouds, too fast, too ragged.
Silver dust shimmer
