The wind still whispered through the trees after Darenn's warning, its low hum crawling beneath their skin. No one spoke for a long time… until Beau finally tried to break the tension.
"So…" He raised a hand weakly. "Anyone else feel like we're starring in a horror story?"
"Shut up, Beau," Zann muttered, eyes narrowed on the tree line. The flicker of flame at his fingertips betrayed his nerves.
Aranea clutched her crossbow close. The oak tree loomed above them, but her gaze kept darting back to the Stygian Forest. Something about its shadows felt wrong.
Too thick. Too alive.
Irving's tone cut through the silence. "Irving says we should move the students back to the main grounds for now. No one should linger this close."
Darenn nodded, though his eyes didn't leave the forest. "Agreed. But before that… Aranea."
She blinked. "M-me?"
