The morning broke with a bleak gray sky, promising another day of unrelenting rain. Serene was drenched to the bone, her clothes heavy and clinging to her skin. The forest, once a daunting labyrinth, now seemed a familiar, if treacherous, companion.
Her body ached with every step. Her muscles screamed at her in protest, begging for rest even if it was a little bit. But the memory of the pursuing wolves kept her moving. She had to reach the mountain, to prove herself, to survive. Wolves couldn’t climb, could they?
She finally reached the base of the mountain, a formidable wall of gray rock that seemed to pierce the sky. It was a horrifying sight, a stark reminder of the challenge that lay ahead. She was no climber, no warrior trained in the art of scaling cliffs. But she had no choice.
S
