CHAPTER THIRTY
The chill of the mountain air nips at my skin as I trudge behind Kyle, each step feeling heavier than the last. The sun has barely kissed the horizon, painting the sky with streaks of orange and purple, but already the day promises to be arduous. I tighten my jacket around me, trying to ward off the spring morning's persistent bite. The northern ridge looms ahead, a jagged silhouette against the awakening sky.
Kyle is leading us, his strides long and determined. He's just a human—fragile and warm-blooded—but you wouldn't know it from the way he moves through the rough terrain with such resolve. His presence is both a comfort and a concern. I admire his bravery, the way he's willing to walk into the unknown for Love and me. But that same courage knots my stomach because up
