The forest was quiet. Too quiet.
The moment we landed, everyone got to their feet, checking their gear. No serious injuries—except Felix, who was groaning while leaning against a tree.
Julien stretched. "Well, that was a fun drop."
Mira dusted herself off. "Could've been worse."
Felix groaned louder. "How?"
Garrick adjusted his pack. "You could've landed on something sharper."
Leo sighed. "I already regret signing up for this school."
Wallace scanned the surroundings. "Less whining, more thinking. We need to move."
He was right. Standing around made us an easy target.
I took a slow breath and looked around. The trees were thick, the air damp. The ground sloped downward, and the narrow path from earlier led deeper into the ridge.
"We need to find a good spot to set up," I said. "Somewhere defensible."
Julien glanced at the cliffs. "Higher ground?"
"Not unless you want to climb."
