Soraya's POV
The forest swallowed us whole the moment we crossed its threshold.
The towering trees closed in above us, their thick canopies choking the sunlight into thin, trembling beams that barely reached the ground. The air grew cooler, heavier—thick with the scent of damp earth, moss, and hidden danger. Every sound carried too far. Every rustle felt watched.
The horses slowed instinctively as if even they could feel it.
Alderon raised his hand slightly, signaling the guards to spread out. They moved into practiced formation—silent, alert, weapons drawn. The hunt had begun.
The deeper we moved, the more the forest seemed to close ranks around us. Roots coiled over the ground like trapped serpents. The air thickened until every breath felt borrowed. Even the guards, seasoned as they were, rode with their shoulders tight and their eyes restless.
My heart hammered violently against my ribs as I clung to his back.
Sor stirred uneasily.
The first kill came quickly.
