Kaelen looked around, double-checking his surroundings to make sure he was truly headed toward the right path this time. He watched as Kali, who had perched herself on a branch above him, spread her wings and swooped down to settle on his shoulder once more.
"Only one way to find out..."
He steels himself once more for whatever lay ahead. Before he moved, he paused and unsheathed his sword, carving another mark into a nearby tree. A small precaution—but one he hoped he wouldn't need again.
***
'Finally.'
What lay before Kaelen was a clear shift in the landscape. Behind him stretched the crystalline forest, with its ethereal trees. But ahead of him... the Whispering Pines loomed like a wall of shadow and mist, marking a very stark contrast to the light-drenched terrain behind him. The trees were dense, with their dark silhouettes barely visible through an eerie mist that blanketed the entire forest.
