James's POV
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The night air was cool against my skin as I stepped out of the packhouse, the distant howl of a wolf echoing through the trees. I hesitated for a moment, looking back at the faint glow of the packhouse windows, before I turned and made my way into the forest. My mind was racing, filled with thoughts of what lay ahead, but I pushed them aside. I had a task to complete—a task that could change everything.
As I ventured deeper into the forest, the shadows seemed to grow thicker, the trees towering above me like silent sentinels. I moved with purpose, my footsteps barely making a sound on the soft earth. I had done this countless times before, slipping away in the dead of night to meet with the one person who could help me—my ancestor, the one who had guided me since I was a child.