A Quiet Start
The forest was still, the air heavy with the scent of earth and pine. Only the occasional rustle of leaves disturbed the silence as Emily and her companions trudged onward. The battle with the shadow beast had drained them both physically and mentally. Their wounds, though tended, still ached, and the weight of recent events hung over them like a shroud.
Emily walked at the front, her eyes scanning the trees ahead, but her mind was elsewhere. The victory over the shadow creature had come at a cost, and she could feel the strain on the group's morale. Tensions that had been simmering beneath the surface were now more palpable, each member grappling with their own doubts and fears. She knew they needed this moment of calm, however brief, to regroup and find their footing again.