Caitlyn’s POV
The fog thickens near dawn, heavy and close. Not the kind that floats politely over hills. This kind crawls in low, wraps around your legs, and sits on your chest. Visibility drops to just a few feet, if that.
Even the sound feels off. Muffled and warped. I hear voices—maybe. Half-whispers between trees. Once, something that could be laughter, or a growl. Hard to tell in fog like this.
I take one step forward and feel the ground shift under my boot. Before I can react, Rael grabs my collar and yanks me back. A second later, metal snaps shut where I was about to step. A claw trap. Lit faintly from within, teeth sizzling where they meet.
I stare at it. “Well. That feels excessive.”
Rael doesn’t let go right away. He scans the fog like it’s a threat he’s trying to read. Whe
