The search(7)

Nila's POV.

A chill crept down Nila's spine when the carriage stopped and Edward's voice called out for vigilance. She leaned forward, brushing aside the curtains to peer into the thick forest that surrounded them. The old riverbed stretched ahead like a scar in the earth, its once-proud waters reduced to a faint trickle. The shadows here felt alive, twisting and stretching in unnatural ways.

Nila tried to steady her breathing, but the unease clung to her like a second skin. Her hand gripped the edge of the window tightly as she looked toward Cyrus, who rode just ahead of the carriage. His sword gleamed in the fading light, his posture upright and ready for whatever lay ahead.

"Nila, what do you see?" Aleena's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it.