Damian:
The forest was quiet... too quiet. The faint rustle of the breeze through the leaves was the only thing that broke the stillness as the group of rogues prowled through the clearing. Sunlight filtered through the thick canopy above, turning the air warm yet sharp with the scent of pine, earthy, and something faintly metallic that hadn't yet faded.
"There's no sign of them," one of them muttered, scanning the area with cautious eyes. "Not even a trace of their bodies or blood. It's like they vanished."
Another one crouched beside a rock, brushing his fingers over the soil where a faint smear of red had dried. "The Thornes must have burned the evidence," he said darkly. "No one leaves behind clean ground like this after a fight unless they want to send a message. And this… this looks deliberate."
