Kael entered the clearing with the edge of the forest already in sight.
Beyond the last line of trees, the moonlit grass thinned into open ground. The boundary was close enough that, for most climbers, seeing it would have broken whatever discipline remained. A few more seconds of running. One final push. One desperate lunge past the trees, and the hunt would be over. The notification had been clear enough. Reach the edge of the forest, or survive the night.
So Kael ran for the edge.
The lone figure standing in the clearing did not move.
