The forest stayed silent long after the Guardians vanished.
No one spoke. No one moved. Even the air felt trapped. heavy and cold, like the trees themselves were holding their breath.
Eryx stood still for a long time, staring at the place where the light had faded. His expression was unreadable, but I could feel the fear rolling off him. Not panic, something worse. Recognition.
Asher’s hand squeezed mine again. “Eryx.” He said carefully, “what deal were they talking about?”
Eryx didn’t answer. He just turned and started walking back toward the packhouse, his voice low and rough. “You all need to hear this inside. Not out here.”
We followed in silence. The moonlight trailed through the branches, making strange patterns on the ground. Every sound, every step, every breath…seemed too lou
