Auren jolted upright, gasping for air. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his eyes wide, darting around the cliffside.
"What… what did he just say?"Who was that man in the mist?"That forest… what was that place?"
His voice trembled, full of confusion and dread.
"What's my mistake?"What did he mean… 'I could've saved them?"
His breathing grew heavier. He looked to his side — Sunny and Rose were still fast asleep, curled up peacefully in the early morning breeze.
Auren slowly stood up, the cold wind brushing against his sweat-covered face. His hands gripped his hair tightly as he tried to make sense of the voice, the forest, and the pain that had crawled into his soul.
"Why does my heart feel hollow…?"Why does it hurt so much?"
He stepped back from the cliff's edge, shaking, the cold air swirling around him like whispers of the dream he couldn't understand.
Fusssshh…The wind howled gently — but in his ears, it sounded like that voice again.
Suddenly… the wind shifted.
