The Return North
The journey northward was fraught with danger, tension, and the unyielding pull of the unknown. Gray led the way through the dense, twilight forest, his eyes scanning for movement. Behind him, Jackson walked with the practiced ease of someone who trusted his instincts implicitly, while Athena kept her distance, her piercing silver eyes darting between the two men. The Blood Moon Forest seemed alive with energy, the air thick with the latent corruption that seeped into everything.
Gray wasn't sure if it was the forest itself or his growing proximity to the northern borders, but his body felt heavier with each step, as if some unseen force was testing his will.
"Gray," Athena said from behind him, her voice breaking the tense silence, "how much farther to the border? This forest's energy feels… worse than before."
