Lyra's POV
I was standing in a forest, but it wasn't one I recognized. The trees were unnaturally tall, their twisted branches reaching toward a sky that swirled with dark clouds. AThe air was cold, sharp like shards of glass slicing against my skin, and the ground beneath me felt alive—throbbing, as though it had a heartbeat of its own.
I turned in place, trying to make sense of where I was, but the longer I stood there, the more disoriented I became. It felt like the forest was shifting, closing in on me. Shadows flickered at the edges of my vision.
Then I heard it—a low growl, guttural and menacing. My blood ran cold. I turned sharply, my breath hitching in my throat.
There it was.
The creature.
