The air was thick with warmth and silence as the ancient spell faded into nothingness. One by one, the members of the group blinked their eyes open, greeted not by a throne room, nor a battlefield, but a peaceful glade veiled in shadows. The moon hung high above, casting silver light over an emerald jungle that breathed softly in the dark. A river, wide and gently flowing, whispered against smooth rocks nearby—its lullaby a strange comfort after the chaos of the Forbidden Forest.
Selena rose to her feet first, her palm instinctively resting on her belly. Something in the air felt… gentler here. Less cursed, less hunted. Arya and Kael stood beside her, the boy blinking wide-eyed at the unfamiliar stars.
Luther was already scanning the perimeter. His sharp eyes darted between trees, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword out of habit. "We're alone," he muttered. "For now."
"It's beautiful," Arya whispered, her voice low with awe.
Kael nodded, speaking quietly to the massive magical beast at his side—a wolf-like creature nearly the size of a horse with scales like polished obsidian and eyes that shimmered with electric blue light. "What do you think, Stormclaw?" Kael asked, crouching down and placing a hand between the creature's eyes. "No threats?"
Stormclaw let out a low, rumbling purr.
"We'll camp here," Luther said decisively. "Too dark to scout properly."
Selena nodded. "We need rest. Especially the little one," she added with a smile, patting her belly.
Kael began carving symbols into the soil with a stick, creating protective wards around their camp, muttering incantations he'd inherited from his mother's book. Stormclaw helped him, curling protectively around him as the symbols glowed softly beneath the earth.
Meanwhile, Luther gathered dry wood, his eyes flicking now and then to Arya, who fumbled with her pack by the river. Her fingers trembled slightly as she tried to strike a spark.
"You'll never start a fire like that," Luther said as he knelt beside her. His hand brushed hers briefly, steadying her fingers. "Here, let me."
Arya looked at him, their faces inches apart, the firestarter still between their hands. "I could've managed," she said, lips twitching.
"I know," he said with a grin, "but I needed an excuse to be near you."
She rolled her eyes, cheeks flushing, but didn't pull away.
Across the camp, Selena caught the exchange and chuckled softly to herself. "Young love," she said in a dramatic whisper, loud enough for Arya to hear. "It always starts by a riverbank."
Arya groaned, her face bright red now. "Selena…"
"What?" Selena smirked. "It's not like I didn't notice the looks. Or how you always walk behind him when there's danger, or how he always walks in front of you when there's not."
Luther raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He returned to the fire and added the wood. Within moments, warm flames danced in the night, casting long shadows and soft light on their tired faces.
Arya sat beside Selena, arms folded, glaring playfully. "You're impossible."
"You love me," Selena said sweetly, resting her head on Arya's shoulder.
Kael and Stormclaw sat a little apart from the group, the boy cross-legged as he scribbled new glyphs into the dirt. "Stormclaw says this place feels… old," he murmured.
"Old how?" Luther asked.
Kael looked up, the firelight flickering in his eyes. "Like time doesn't move the same here. Like magic is watching us."
Silence fell for a moment. The jungle around them buzzed softly with the sound of insects and distant calls of unseen beasts, but none dared approach. The wards were strong. Stormclaw stood sentinel with ears perked, never sleeping.
Later, as stars moved slowly across the sky, Luther found himself on the edge of the riverbank again, staring into the water. Arya joined him quietly.
"Do you ever think about what comes next?" she asked.
"Every day," he replied. "But right now, I think about surviving. About making sure Selena's child is born safely. That Kael has a future. That you…"
He trailed off.
"That I what?" she asked, a whisper.
"That you don't have to keep running."
She didn't say anything. Just leaned her head against his shoulder. For a long time, neither of them moved.
Behind them, Selena watched from her bedroll, a knowing smile on her lips. "Told you," she murmured.
As night deepened, dreams crept into their minds like the mist curling over the river. But not all dreams were silent.
Selena stirred, one hand resting on her stomach. Somewhere, deep in the jungle, something called out to her. A whisper—soft, familiar, maternal.
Jaina's voice.
"Not yet, child. But soon."
Selena opened her eyes to the moonlight above, heart pounding. She looked to her companions—all asleep now. Kael curled against Stormclaw, Arya's hand tucked into Luther's. Peaceful for the first time in weeks.
And yet, she knew the peace would not last.
The jungle was only the beginning.