Kana moved like a shadow through the dense, oppressive quiet of the forest, every one of her senses on high alert. This was not the peace of nature; it was a threat, the kind of silence that tightened her grip on her sword until her knuckles were white.
"Vell?" she called out, her voice barely carrying through the thick foliage. There was no answer, only the unnerving quiet. A cold unease coiled in her stomach. They were separated, scattered like leaves in a storm, exactly what they had been trying to avoid. She cursed under her breath and kept moving, her steps careful, her eyes sweeping the shadows.
The air smelled damp and earthy, but there was another scent clinging to it, sharp and acrid, like burnt sugar. It turned her stomach. 'Focus,' she told herself. 'Panicking will not help.'
