The group

As they trekked deeper into the heart of the forest, the air grew heavier with each step. Emily felt it pressing down on her like a weight she couldn't shake. The trees had long since become twisted and gnarled, their branches reaching out like skeletal hands, but it wasn't just the forest. It was the darkness ahead, the malevolent energy pulsing from the black orb they were approaching. It felt like a heartbeat—steady, ominous, and wrong.

The group was quiet. No more bickering, no more complaints. The air of anticipation was too thick to allow for any distractions. Valen walked a little ahead, his shoulders tense, his hand resting uneasily on the hilt of his sword. Darius followed closely, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings as though expecting another attack at any moment. Even he seemed subdued, his usual banter nowhere to be found. The weight of what was coming hung over them all like a suffocating blanket.