Raziel Phoenix moved closer instinctively, fear flickering in his eyes. He could never forget that sensation. Being shredded alive. The helplessness. The nightmares that haunted him for a month afterward.
They hadn't encountered that soul beast again in the past three years, but the terror had never truly faded.
"You mean…" Lily started, then fell silent.
Her expression hardened when Ray nodded.
The forest seemed to darken further. An invisible pressure bore down on them, making Raziel Phoenix's palms slick with sweat and his breathing uneven.
"How about… we take another route?" he asked weakly.
Ray's voice was firm. "Some things can't be avoided. If you don't face it, it'll follow you forever. Only by defeating it can you truly move forward."
Raziel Phoenix grimaced. "That's easy for you to say, but—"
Ray suddenly raised both arms.
"Stop."
His eyes narrowed, fixed on the shadows between the trees ahead.
