The surroundings shifting like a living thing. Raika's instincts screamed at her to turn back, but she forced herself to keep moving forward. Mia needed her, and she couldn't abandon her friend, no matter how unsettling this place was.
She tried to keep her mind sharp, focusing on each step, but the forest played tricks on her senses. Every rustle in the underbrush made her heart skip a beat. Every shadow seemed to stretch and twist, as if the trees themselves were watching her. The whispers grew louder, an unsettling murmur that brushed against her consciousness, telling her to leave, to go back.
But Raika pushed those thoughts aside. "Mia, where are you?" she called out, her voice steady despite the growing fear gnawing at her. The forest swallowed her words, offering no reply.
