The moon hung low, a swollen red eye casting an eerie glow over the clearing. Shadows stretched longer than they should have, warping the forest into something ancient and menacing. Kael's pack stood poised at the perimeter, eyes glowing faintly in the dim light, ready for anything. Aria stood at the center, the air around her charged like a storm.
Tonight, the plan wasn't just to scout,it was to provoke. To pull Ronan's forces out of the shadows and into the open.
Aria rolled her shoulders, her nerves tight as a drum. Her voice still echoed in her head, that one word from the last mission like a crack in the dam she'd built inside herself. She hadn't spoken since. Not because she couldn't but because she didn't know what it meant.
Kael approached quietly, his footsteps soft against the grass. "You sure you want to lead this one?"
She nodded.
"You've barely rested."He said concerningly
