The group moved as one, their steps careful and deliberate. The forest was unnaturally silent, the usual sounds of wildlife conspicuously absent. The air grew colder, and an oppressive darkness gathered around them despite the faint light filtering through the canopy.
Ethan took the lead, his senses heightened. He could feel Angitia's presence coiled around his arm, her psychic awareness extending his perception. Every rustle of leaves, every faint crack of a twig sent a ripple of tension through the group.
"There," Terry whispered, pointing ahead. A faint glow pierced the shadows—a soft, pulsating light that seemed to beckon them forward.
As they drew closer, the glow revealed itself as the entrance to a cave. The opening was jagged and foreboding, framed by twisted roots and hanging moss. A faint, otherworldly hum emanated from within, the sound vibrating through their bones.
