Rissa’s POV

Something was wrong.

Not in the obvious way. No distant shots. No howls cutting through the trees. But in the way the air itself felt. Still. Too still.

We’d been walking for hours, following what Mark swore was the old river path, but it didn’t look familiar. The terrain kept changing. Sharper slopes, thicker brush, unfamiliar turns. I wasn’t sure if we were heading toward safety anymore or just walking in circles.

Josh stumbled again, leaning hard against me. His skin ...