Ember Frost’s POV

In the end, Orion decided to move out with Eira, Elder Anna, and eight carefully chosen members of the team. The rest of us stayed behind in the small hideout. It wasn’t laziness or fear—it was strategy. If things went wrong, someone had to remain strong enough to help.

The hemlock forest wasn’t far from our hideout. Even with the snow crunching under our boots and the uneven ground slowing us down, it took us less than thirty minutes to reach the edge of the ...