Lyla stood at the base of Corin’s cabin, the cold wind cutting through her jacket.

The forest here was quieter than usual. Too quiet.

The trees above her were skeletal, their branches stripped of leaves. The air beneath them felt thin and stretched, like the breath had been pulled from the earth itself.

The forest was… wrong.

Eli stood beside her, his silver eyes narrowed as he studied the lifeless branches above them. His hand brushed her shoulder briefly, a steadying touch.

"You ...