IVAN POV
The next morning, we woke up and continued our journey. Neither one of us had gotten any deep sleep. It didn't matter if Kiran and Rollin had decided to keep watch for the rest of the night. That was just the rule—sleep wasn't a luxury we could afford.
The darkness that still clung to the horizon was no match for the cold that bit at our bones. My muscles ached from the strain of a restless night, but the weariness wasn't enough to slow me down.
We were back up at the first crack of dawn, packing up our supplies and getting on our horses. Each of us moved with a practiced efficiency, every motion a reflection of years spent in this life.
The path ahead was rough, the terrain unforgiving. I could feel the tension in the air as we set off, a sense of urgency that kept us on edge.