The storm had fully descended by the time Lyra and Kael moved deeper into the forest, the wind whipping through the trees and carrying with it the scent of rain. The darkness pressed in on them from every side, the canopy overhead blotting out the moonlight.
Lyra kept close to Kael, her heart racing with every step. The power inside her hummed, restless beneath her skin, reacting to the heightened tension in the air. She could feel the weight of the prophecy pulling her forward, as if it knew something was about to happen.
But it wasn't just the prophecy that had her on edge. There was something else—an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her they were being watched.
"Kael," she whispered, glancing over her shoulder as they navigated the dense underbrush. "I don't think we're alone."
