The forest swallowed Alek whole. He instinctively rode the stallion after hearing that the Princess was missing but the dense forest is not making it easy for him to navigate the path.
Branches clawed at his clothes as Alek rode deeper into the dark, the wind howling like a dying voice, the cold wind biting into his skin.
Every shadow seemed alive, every rustle of leaves makes his whole body perk up. The deeper he went, the thicker the air became, it was heavy with mist and the scent of iron.
He could barely see the trail anymore. Only the faint prints of hooves marked the path ahead, half-buried in fallen leaves. His horse's breathing grew ragged beneath him, he can sense its exhaustion, but Alek pressed on.
They have to be alive, he told himself. She has to be alive.
He kept repeating those same set of words inside his mind. The Princess wasn't in her right health to be missing in such a dangerous forest, he was barely keeping her alive with his healing magic.
