The forest didn't feel like a path anymore. It almost felt alive—expectant, patient, like it knew they were coming long before they ever set foot between the trees.
The branches hung in a way that felt unnatural—too still, almost holding their breath along with the rest of the world. Shadows gathered thick and heavy between the trunks, not drifting with the breeze but watching it. Even the air seemed aware, tuned in to thoughts rather than sound.
Nyra sensed it first—an ache below her ribs, a quiet truth that sunk in too deep to ignore.
They weren’t alone.
Kael stopped, no hand signal, no shout—just this sudden, absolute stillness.
The kind of hush that drops before all hell breaks loose. Like everything was bracing for what comes next.
Nyra’s head snapped toward him. “What is it?”
