Alyssia's heart pounded in her chest as she shook Kaelen again. His body remained lifeless, his once vibrant presence now eerily still. Her hands trembled, her fingers digging into his skin as she fought back the rising panic.
"Kaelen!" she whispered desperately, her voice cracking. "Wake up. Please…"
But there was no response. No flutter of eyelids. No sign that the man she had fought so hard to protect was still alive within. The cold grip of helplessness tightened around her throat.
Her eyes darted across the clearing, searching, praying for some answer—some hope. But there was nothing. The silence of the forest was suffocating. Not a breath stirred the air. Not a rustle of leaves. Just the slow, rhythmic pulse of her heartbeat.
Tears threatened to spill, but she forced them back. She couldn't afford to fall apart. Not now.
But then, the ground beneath them trembled.
