Chapter 1152

The night passed without incident, but none of them slept well. Even those who curled against Jude's body, Stella tucked under one arm, Sophie pressed to his chest, and Zoey wrapped around his back, shifted often in their sleep. Emma was the only one who took watch, sitting cross-legged near the fire with her knife drawn, eyes flicking to the treeline at every sound.

When morning came, they moved slower than usual. There was no hunting party. No eager gathering of fruits or fish. Just a quiet understanding between them all that something was off, and none of them had the strength to say it out loud yet. The air was still, heavy with humidity that clung to their skin like invisible vines. The birdsong that usually filled the dawn was nearly silent.