CHAPTER EIGHTY-EIGHT
A damp chill clings to my skin as I race through the dense underbrush, my heart pounding against my ribs in a relentless rhythm. The forest whispers secrets with every rustle of leaf and snap of twig beneath my boots, but none of them lead me to Tristan. My breath forms clouds in the cool air, mixing with the mist that hovers just above the ground like a spectral sea.
I've been searching for hours today, going miles I haven’t yet before, yet there's no sign of Tristan. His absence gnaws at me, an ever-present ache that I can't shake off. I pause, my hands balling into fists as I try to summon the same flames that usually respond to my emotions. But even the fire within me seems to have dimmed, senseless to my desperation.
"Looking for someone?" The voice startles me
