The road ahead stretched endlessly. Throughout the night, the beast of burden pressed forward without stopping, while Northern slept upon its back. But even in sleep, his vigilance remained unbroken.
He was always aware—because his dreams were of reality.
Nothing would slip past him.
The other travelers also took moments of rest, though it was difficult to sleep on the trembling back of the massive beast. Eventually, exhaustion overtook them one by one.
Even Roma, who had stubbornly forced herself to stay awake, watching for danger so she could rouse Northern at the first sign of trouble, succumbed to drowsiness. Though she resisted longer than the others, sleep found her as well.
The night was bleak.
Darkness clung to the lower ground of the forest, creeping through the nooks and crannies between ancient trees. Across the sky, a spectrum of bluish-violet light slowly pulsed, trailing further north—as if guiding their path.