As Ace and Xiao Jun navigate the shadowy forest, an uneasy silence stretches between them.
Xiao Jun steals nervous glances at Ace, but the stoic expression on Ace's face warns him against breaking the quiet.
The crunch of dried leaves beneath their feet and the occasional rustle of branches are the only sounds accompanying them, the tension thick and suffocating.
Kieran, true to his word, is nowhere in sight.
He stays behind, coordinating the small group of wolves stealthily shadowing them in the woods.
Every chosen wolf moves with precision, weaving through the dense forest to ensure they remain undetected.
After a while, deep in the forest...
Xiao Jun stops in his tracks, his body tense. "We're close," he whispers. His eyes dart around nervously. "This is the kind of place she usually appears."
