Back at the hidden encampment, Ciara rejoined her family, her mind still buzzing with the trial's intensity and the elder's warning. Ethan and Emery rushed to her side, their relief palpable as they took her hands. Fidel's tense posture relaxed when their eyes met, but his expression remained shadowed with worry. The forest's respite was only temporary—she could feel it in every subtle shift of the air, every wary glance the guardians cast toward the woods.
The elder's voice brought her back to the present. "Tonight, you and your family will rest here," he said, motioning to a sheltered space within the encampment. "But come morning, you must decide where you will go next. The scouts are relentless, and the forest can only protect you so long."
