The forest swallowed Liam again the moment he left the ravine behind.
Mud peeled from his boots with every stride as he accelerated, his pace settling back into something clean and efficient despite the lingering weight strapped to his body. His breathing stayed even, chest rising and falling in a controlled rhythm as the terrain shifted beneath him—from slick soil to packed earth, from tangled roots to stretches of uneven stone embedded in the ground like broken teeth.
He didn't look back.
There was no need.
The distance between obstacles stretched long enough to punish those who had panicked in the ravine, yet short enough to deny anyone a full recovery. Muscles burned, lungs worked steadily, and the forest offered no straight lines—only curves, slopes, and subtle elevation changes that chipped away at stamina without announcing themselves.
As Liam crested a low rise, his eyes sharpened.
