Two days after their departure from Lotus Basin, Qingsai, Meiyan, and Chunsi moved swiftly through the misty roads that wind through the Eirsolan lowlands. Though the sun shimmered overhead, a chill followed them—unnatural, lingering.
The forest was too quiet.
Qingsai's instincts pulsed. He felt it in his bones—they were being watched.
"We need to move faster," he warned, eyes sweeping the trees.
Meiyan, riding beside him, nodded. "I feel it too. Spirit pressure. Faint, but wrong."
Chunsi clung tightly to her mount. "You think it's… following us?"
"It's not just following," Qingsai said quietly. "It's hunting."