Xavier's boots cracked against wet bark as he launched himself off the branch, tucking into a roll that sent him skidding across the mossy undergrowth.
The forest was really dense here. There was knotted timber and bioluminescent fungi stretching in every direction, the distant crash of the seashore reduced to a muted hum beneath the canopy.
Somewhere above, the twin moons of Xylos cast their pale light through breaks in the leaves, painting the forest floor in irregular stripes of silver.
He could finally see Ethan's silhouette again. He was just fifty meters ahead.
"Fuck!" Xavier cursed under his breath.
He broke into a sprint, ducking beneath a low-hanging branch that scraped across the back of his neck.
He was about to lose Ethan's trace again.
"Lt. Hawn," Xavier called into their troops' private communication channel installed into their hidden badge device.
