(Juliana's POV)
The ruins loomed behind us like a shadow of the past, their dark energy still clinging to the air. The fight with the creature had drained me, but there was no time to rest. Jaxon and I moved quickly through the forest, the weight of what we'd encountered pressing heavily on our minds.
I could feel my wolf stirring restlessly, her presence sharper than ever.
"What was that thing?" I asked, breaking the silence.
Jaxon glanced at me, his expression grim. "A guardian," he said. "Or something the witches created to protect the ruins. Either way, it was meant to keep us out."
"Well, it didn't," I muttered, though the ache in my body told me we'd barely made it out alive.
The forest was quiet as we pressed forward, the faint glow of dawn filtering through the dense canopy.
