Kael
The farther north we traveled, the more the world seemed to disappear behind us.
The highway had vanished hours ago, swallowed by a maze of back roads and forgotten logging routes that cut through the mountains like old scars. Every mile carried us farther from civilization and deeper into wilderness that felt untouched by time. Dense pines crowded the road on both sides, their branches knitting together overhead in places thick enough to dim the sunlight, while mountains rose in dark layers beyond the trees. Even the air felt different out here. Colder. Cleaner. Older somehow.
Normally I would’ve appreciated it. I liked being away from people. Today, all I could think about was what waited at the end of the road.
My hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel as the convoy rou
