ELLIE’S POV
The rain had finally slowed to a soft drizzle, as if the heavens themselves had grown weary of their own fury. The storm’s deafening roars had faded into a low, lingering whisper, the kind that clung to the air like an afterthought. Water dripped rhythmically from the dense canopy above, pattering against the sodden earth in a hushed, uneven symphony. The air was damp, thick with the smell of wet leaves, pine, and the faint metallic tang of my own sweat.
We stood side by side beneath the sprawling trees, the world around us muted except for the soft rustle of leaves and the occasional distant rumble of thunder that had yet to fully retreat. My boots sank slightly into the slick mud each time I shifted my weight. My chest rose and fell in sharp bursts, still trying to steady t
