The oppressive starlight continued to press down on them as Luca and Aeliana made their way cautiously through the jagged terrain. The eerie silence of the land was broken only by their footsteps and the faint, distant growls that never quite seemed to vanish.
Aeliana's nerves were fraying with each step, the unnatural landscape and oppressive air gnawing at her resolve. "Are we even going in the right direction?" she asked, her voice tight.
"There is no 'right' direction here," Luca replied without looking back, his tone infuriatingly calm. "Just forward."
She bit back a sharp retort, knowing he was right but hating the vagueness of their situation. Before she could press further, Luca's movements stilled, his body tensing like a coiled spring.
"What is it?" she whispered, her heart skipping a beat.