The aftermath of the battle clung to us like a shroud as we trudged onward. Every step seemed heavier, the weight of our recent encounter with the creature in the forest dragging us down. Though our physical wounds had been tended to, the emotional scars were far from healed. The oppressive atmosphere was thick with unease, and no one dared break the heavy silence that had fallen over our group.
I could feel the burden of leadership weighing on my shoulders more than ever. Each decision I made felt like a knife edge, with the lives of those I cared about hanging in the balance. I'd led us down this cursed path, and now, with every glance at my companions' weary faces, the guilt gnawed at me. I tried to maintain a calm exterior, but inside, doubt was a relentless storm.
