As Kai spoke, something in the deep forest moved. Something was coming, and it was getting closer quickly. The trees swayed and bent, and the shadows grew long on the forest floor, as if being pulled by an invisible force. Kai tightened his grip on his sword, his breath becoming shallow. His instincts screamed a warning. He could feel it now too—the air was heavy with tension, as if the ground itself was holding its breath.
"Did you hear that?" Varaan whispered, her hand moving to the dagger at her side, though her eyes stayed locked on the darkness ahead.
Kai nodded, his heart racing. "We're not alone."
They stopped, surrounded by thick trees that muffled all sounds except the faintest rustles. The silence felt heavy and unsettling, the kind that always comes before danger.
