The forest had grown darker, the last traces of sunlight fading behind the jagged peaks of the distant mountains. Every step Ren took felt heavier than the last, the weight of their survival pressing into his chest. His arm throbbed where it had been cut, but it was the invisible wound, the ache inside, that made him wince. I'm starting to think some wounds never heal.
Lyra stayed close, her hand brushing his cloak occasionally, as if to remind herself he was still there. Her presence was a comfort but also a vulnerability, a tether to life and danger at the same time. Their clothes clung to them, soaked from the river, but exhaustion didn’t stop the forest from feeling alive with danger. The wind rustled leaves and carried the scent of wet earth, smoke, and something darker beneath it, a
