The morning light filtered through the trees, casting faint shadows across the Blackwood camp. The air carried a hint of warmth, but it did little to lift the pack’s spirits. The arrival of Corin and his grim warning about the shadow’s lingering fragments had reignited their unease. They had thought the worst was behind them, yet here they were, facing a new and insidious enemy.
Lyla sat near the centre of the camp, her thoughts tangled like the branches above her. Corin’s words haunted her throughout the night: The shadow feeds on fear and despair. Its fragments will seek out the cracks in your resolve and grow stronger with each moment you hesitate.
She clenched her fists, determination mingling with the exhaustion that clung to her. The forest’s whispers were quiet this morning, as th
