(Olivia's POV)
As we entered, the cabin was too quiet.
For now, quiet is nice.
If you had been through my predicament the past few hours, quiet will also be wonderful to you.
We rested.
Then it became too quiet.
It was no longer the kind of quiet that made you feel safe and tucked away from the world.
No, this silence pressed on my chest like a heavy stone, squeezing out my breath.
Even the woods outside, usually alive with the hum of insects or the faint rustle of leaves suddenly felt unnaturally still.
I leaned against the edge of the tiny kitchen counter, watching Thalia move around the room with an intensity I didn't dare interrupt.
She kept her voice low, muttering words I couldn't quite make out, her hands tracing glowing sigils on the walls. It made my wolf restless, pacing in the back of my mind.