The forest felt heavy with silence as Cinder led her pack deeper into the unknown. The air carried a strange chill, and even the birds seemed hesitant to sing. Her mind buzzed with thoughts of Kael and his cryptic words. But there was no time to dwell on them now.
"Stay close," Cinder called to her pack. Her voice was steady, but inside, she felt a knot of worry growing.
Jason walked beside her, his sharp eyes scanning the shadows. "We can't shake the feeling that something—or someone—is watching us," he said quietly.
"I feel it too," Cinder admitted, gripping the Moonstone tightly.
Suddenly, Marcus ran up from the rear of the group. "Cinder," he said, panting. "There's someone ahead. They're not from our pack."
The words sent a ripple of tension through the group. Cinder motioned for everyone to stop and approached the figure with Jason and Zara by her side.
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