They ran like there was no tomorrow, drenched in boiling blood and dirt. The only option was to keep moving, their feet pounding the ground as the wind howled and the heavens screamed above.
Those who didn't run?
They fell. And once they fell, they didn't rise again—only their screams lingered, guttural and raw, twisting into something unearthly until Azriel found himself wondering if it was possible for a human to make such sounds. But even that fleeting thought drowned in the thunderous cacophony overhead as he ran, red lightning flickering around him, forcing him to match the relentless pace.
Amaya, though a master, was running just fast enough for him to keep up. She prioritized Azriel and Jasmine over the soldiers, who had a grim choice: stay close to Amaya and Cole or risk being devoured by the horrors lurking in this infernal forest. None dared stray.