ALAENA’S POV
After Sergei had made his escape like the coward that he is, the children of the forest led us on a pathway.
After some time the pathway opened up to what looked and felt like an oasis in the forest.
Strange.
The moment we crossed into the oasis, the tension in my shoulders loosened, ever so slightly.
The air felt different immediately and I felt a little lighter.
The thick, tangled underbrush of the wilderness melted away behind us, and it was replaced by a space that felt almost untouched; it felt as if time didn’t exist there.
Sunlight trickled through the dense canopy above, its rays softened by the swaying branches.
It smelt like wildflowers, and something else—something ancient and sacred.
The birds chirped in the distance,adding even more serenity to it.
