The path kept climbing in spirals of earth and roots, as if the forest itself demanded reverence with every step. It wasn’t a marked trail, not really. These were old tracks, scars left by others who had crossed this land before me. Maybe others like me.
Like us.
The weight of solitude was deceptive. Around me, everything was silence and darkness, but I could feel the watchful eyes. The branches seemed to bend in to spy. The ground whispered beneath every footfall. We were being watched.
By them.
And by her.
“Skadi.” I exhaled her name as if trying to summon her in a whisper that wouldn’t shatter me from within. “I want the truth. No more half-answers. What are you looking for in this place?”
There was no immediate reply.
I felt her stir inside me. Not angry. Not arrogant. More amus
