Mia stumbled slightly, her fatigue from the battle still evident. Zoe caught her arm, steadying her. "We should rest," Zoe said, her voice low but firm. "We're all spent."
"We can't risk it," Ruby replied without looking back. "We'll rest when we're farther away from that thing." She gestured toward the monolith, now barely visible through the thickening mist.
The group pressed on, their breaths forming faint clouds in the cool morning air. Finn's voice broke the silence. "Do you think…" He hesitated, glancing nervously at Mia. "Do you think it's over? The Shadow, I mean."
Mia shook her head, her expression grim. "No. He's not gone. He's… waiting."
Ruby cursed under her breath. "Figures. That thing's too stubborn to die properly."
The ground beneath their feet began to slope upward, the trees thinning as they climbed a small ridge. At the crest, Caleb signaled for the group to halt, his hand raised.
