The moment Thalindra disappeared into the shadows, my brain decided it was the perfect time to catch up with reality. I was alone. Alone in a place called Death Forest.
My hands clenched into fists as I glared at the spot where Thalindra had vanished. "Are you kidding me?
She just walks off like it's nothing? 'Good luck,' she says. Oh, sure, Thalindra, leave the human in the murder woods with no map, no plan, and no sanity. That's totally reasonable!"
I kicked at a nearby tree root, instantly regretting it when pain shot up my toes. "Ow! Great! Now the trees are against me too. Fantastic."
The forest was eerily quiet, like the whole place was holding its breath. It was unnerving. No birds, no rustling leaves, nothing except the occasional creak of a tree. And somehow, that silence made my ranting seem louder.