Lyra's POV
By midday, the fog still hadn't lifted.
It clung to the trees like breath frozen in the air, muting every sound, swallowing every scent. Even the usual forest chatter birds, leaves, wind had gone silent.
Ellie and I followed the trail the creature had left. It wasn't much: a smear of dark blood, a few broken branches, and the faint, sickly trace of burnt silver that made my throat tighten with every inhale.
Ellie's bow was ready, her jaw set. "You're sure you saw its eyes? They weren't normal."
"Amber and black," I said quietly. "It looked like something was eating it from the inside."
"Corruption?"
I nodded once. "Or possession."
We stopped near a shallow ravine where the ground dipped sharply. Blood glistened faintly along the edge, and when I crouched, my hand brushed something cold and metallic.
A pendant.
