The trio had been walking for days.
Time went differently on the island but they hadn't been able to rest knowing that the sorcerer could just appear out of nowhere.
The forest felt different now. The shadows stretched longer, and the air, thick with the scent of damp earth and moss, had a palpable tension. Every snap of a twig, every rustle of leaves beneath their boots, sent a jolt through Yara's body. She instinctively shifted her grip on her satchel, her fingers brushing the faintly glowing egg within.
It thrummed with quiet energy, a soft, insistent pulse against her side. It was like the egg itself was urging them forward, pulling them toward something, some hope in the distance. But the forest around them was still a maze of twisted trees and oppressive silence, and something told her they weren't alone.
