The moon was hidden behind thick clouds that night, casting a strange silence over the camp.
The search for Alpha Theo had continued for days without rest. Every tracker, every warrior, every sorcerer loyal to him had joined forces, but the results were the same, nothing but broken trails and vanishing scents.
Elijah stood before the flickering fire, his clothes soaked with sweat and dust. He clenched the pendant Theo once gave him before leaving for the fortification ritual.
"He's alive," Elijah muttered under his breath. "I can still feel it."
Lucian approached from behind, his face grim. "The men are tired. Some want to turn back. They believe the forest is cursed."
Elijah turned sharply. "Do you believe that too?"
Lucian hesitated. "I believe there's something darker at work. The woods have changed… I heard whispers in the wind. It wasn't the spirits, it was something else."
