–Chapter Five: The Stranger Returns–
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Fizz gave the beast a parting glance and whispered, "Sleep well, bony boy. Try not to chase any void-touched nightmares."
They walked in silence for a while. The light had shifted now — less forest and more sky. The treetops thinned, sunlight spilled like golden dust between the trunks, and the wind began to carry the smells of soil, firewood, and distant harvests.
John's shoulders rose slightly.
Fizz noticed. "You good?"
"Yeah. Just…" John exhaled. "We're getting close."
Fizz blinked and flew a little higher, scouting ahead with narrowed eyes. "...Oh yeah."
Just beyond the next tree line, the trail curved down. The village path was waiting.
They walked another few hours, the forest giving way to familiar farmlands. Scarecrows. Fence posts. A broken cart someone had forgotten to fix months ago. It was covered with moss and fungi.
