Chapter 56: The Warlord's Game
The ground was thick with mud, and each step Alex took seemed to drag her deeper into the mire, as if the very earth was trying to keep her in this cursed place. The air smelled of damp decay, a sharp, earthy scent that clung to her lungs. She scanned her surroundings—the dense canopy overhead was nearly impenetrable, casting everything below in shadows that seemed to move on their own. Ethan was beside her, every muscle in his body wound tightly as if he could sense the danger lurking in every shadow. His eyes darted constantly, alert and watchful.
