Sasha’s POV
The forest whispered before it moved.
A breath. A hush. The stillness before the sky breaks open.
We’d left the safety of the village firepit just before midnight, drawn beyond the flickering light into the trees—where shadows gathered like smoke and the path narrowed into memory. The ridge above the training field was dark, crowded with tall pines that pressed close on either side of the trail, their limbs motionless. Guarding. Watching.
The air was damp and heavy. The kind that clung to your skin and made every inhale taste like fog and pine sap. Our footsteps felt too loud, too sharp, like a dare in the silence.
Alex walked beside me, his presence steady. One hand rested casually on the hilt of his sword, but I knew him too well not to notice the subtle shift in his sh
