Ella's eyes snapped open.
At first, she thought it was nothing, just another sound in the forest. The Wandering Woods breathed in strange ways at night, branches creaking like old bones, leaves whispering secrets to the wind, but this wasn't one of those sounds.
There was a crunch, a pause, and then another crunch.
Her gaze shifted slowly toward the entrance of the tent, her body going still as instinct crept over her like a second skin. She held her breath and listened again, focusing past the rustle of leaves, and past the distant hum of night creatures.
Then she heard it, breathing, low, controlled, and cautious, It sounded nothing like any animal she knew.
Ella's heartbeat slowed instead of racing, and her senses sharpening unnaturally. The world seemed to stretch and pull apart around her as if her mind was widening to accommodate something new.
