The aftermath of the ambush left the group rattled, their nerves frayed as they stood in the clearing. The attackers had melted back into the shadows of the forest, disappearing as quickly as they had arrived. Their footprints were gone, and the eerie silence of the wilderness returned, but the unease lingered like a dense fog. Luke, Raven, Ava, and Darius stood together, their expressions ranging from frustration to deep concern.
Raven was the first to speak, her voice tight with anger. "What the hell was that?" She crouched down, retrieving her scattered arrows from the ground. Some were stained with blood, but many had missed their mark. She wiped the dirt off one of the shafts and shook her head. "They came out of nowhere, and that man... who was he? He knew us."
