The forest seemed endless, each shadow and twisted tree blending into the next, creating an ever-shifting maze of brambles, vines, and looming branches.
As Volk, Mareen, and Lira continued along the tangled paths, the trails they'd been following grew more convoluted, filled with odd twists and crisscrosses that only deepened the sense of confusion.
Mareen's eyes stayed sharp, flicking between the various tracks on the forest floor as if she were reading some hidden language woven into the soil.
"See here?" she whispered, crouching low once again and brushing aside a cluster of leaves, revealing a faint, almost invisible set of prints just off to the left.
"They tried to mask their tracks with a false lead—another circle, doubling back."
Her voice was laced with focus, and she traced a claw mark half-buried beneath a layer of forest debris.
"These hounds... their master is thorough. But he didn't count on us being just as relentless."
