Sasha’s POV
We left Emberhollow before even the sun had stirred, slipping away while the world still dreamt.
The sky wore its darkest shade of blue, that fragile hour between night and dawn when time seemed suspended—too early for birdsong, too late for sleep. The forest was draped in a violet hush, wrapped in ribbons of fog that curled around tree roots and rocks like ghosts reluctant to let go. Every breath felt thick with silence. Every step was muffled, as if the land itself was listening.
Alex walked ahead, tall and purposeful, the first light brushing the edge of his silhouette. His sword rode across his back like a promise, and though his movements were quiet, I could feel the tension in his frame—the sharp readiness beneath the calm. That constant watchfulness, like he expected
