The way was cold, senile, and filled with nothing but wilderness. The rough dirt road was barely visible under the dim glow of the moon, which flickered between thick clouds as if hesitating to cast its light upon the path ahead. The trees that lined the way were old, twisted, and gnarled, their bare branches reaching out like skeletal hands, shuddering under the weight of the howling wind. The air smelled of damp earth and distant rain, warning them of an impending storm.
That was why they chose to make a quick stop at the closest village, seeking temporary shelter from the relentless night. Their bodies ached, their wounds still fresh from the brutal encounter they had barely survived.
