Thick clouds swallowed the sun as Theodoric signaled for his team to move out. The hunting party had split into smaller groups at the forest's edge, each tasked with covering a different quadrant of the grounds. Dietrich and his group had departed earlier, eager to gain a lead, while Esther had stayed behind at the camp, citing an unwell feeling that kept her from joining.

Theodoric had barely acknowledged the excuses or delays, his focus sharpened on the task ahead.

Cassie followed a few paces behind the Crown Prince, her boots sinking into the soft soil as the forest canopy tightened overhead. The narrow path forced the group into a single file. She stayed close enough to cover his flank but far enough to scan the surroundings without distraction.

“Stay sharp,” Theodoric muttered over his shoulder. His voice carried just loud enough for his team to hear.

Around them, the air hung heavy, thick with the smell of moss and damp earth. Each step seemed to echo unnaturally, amplified by the silence of the forest. Cassie’s sharp eyes flicked between the undergrowth and the branches above, every shadow a potential threat.

The guards following them moved with practiced discipline, their swords drawn. They carried themselves well—alert, ready—but even the best could be caught off guard in terrain like this.

A branch snapped somewhere to the left, and every hand shot to a weapon. Theodoric froze mid-step, raising his fist in a silent command to halt.

Cassie crouched instinctively, her hand brushing the hilt of her dagger. Her eyes narrowed on the underbrush, scanning for the source of the noise. A flash of movement—a bird darting from a bush—broke the tension, but the unease in her chest didn’t fade.

“False alarm,” one of the guards muttered, his voice low.

“Don’t get complacent,” Cassie replied, her tone clipped. She straightened, her gaze cutting briefly to Theodoric. He gave her a small nod before continuing forward, his movements deliberate but smooth.

The terrain shifted as the group pushed deeper into the thicket. The ground grew uneven, roots and stones jutting out at sharp angles. Cassie’s pace slowed as she studied the trail ahead, her sharp eyes catching faint impressions in the soil.

“Tracks,” she called softly, crouching to examine them. Her fingers brushed the edges of a footprint, irregular and shallow.

Theodoric stepped closer, his sword arm ready. “Animal?”

Cassie’s brow furrowed as she traced the outline of the print. “No. Look at the depth—too light for something large. And these claw marks,” she gestured to parallel scratches on the bark of a nearby tree, “they’re shallow, like they were scraped deliberately rather than in a struggle.”

The Crown Prince crouched beside her, his gaze narrowing. “A decoy trail?”

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“More likely misdirection,” Cassie replied, rising to her feet. She motioned to the way the tracks veered in a wide, unnatural arc before converging again. “Whatever made these tracks didn’t move naturally—it was herded. Or baited. Something—or someone—drove this thing straight into our path.”

A guard near the rear of the group stumbled, his boot sinking into soft soil. Cassie spun, reaching for him, but he caught himself on a low branch before she needed to intervene.

“Careful,” Theodoric barked, his voice sharper than usual. The guard muttered an apology, his face flushed.

The path narrowed again, forcing them to tread single file through an overgrown patch of ferns. The air felt heavier here, colder.

Cassie’s senses prickled. Something wasn’t right. The forest was too quiet, the absence of sound unnerving. No birds, no rustling leaves—just the muted crunch of their boots against damp earth.

Theodoric’s voice broke the silence. “Cassandra, take point.”

She stepped forward without hesitation, her hand resting lightly on the hilt of her dagger. Her eyes scanned every inch of the terrain ahead, searching for anything out of place.

A faint smell hit her nose, sharp and metallic. She froze mid-step, raising a hand to halt the group.

“Blood,” she said quietly.

The guards shifted uneasily, their weapons raising instinctively. Theodoric stepped closer, his expression unreadable.

“Where?”

Cassie pointed to a cluster of bushes ahead, their leaves slick and darkened with something that glistened faintly in the low light. She approached cautiously, her steps silent.

Pushing the branches aside, she found the source: a shredded carcass, unrecognizable but large enough to suggest it had been a predator. Its ribs jutted through torn flesh, and the ground beneath it was soaked dark red.

Theodoric stepped beside her, his sword drawn. “What did this?”

Cassie’s gaze moved over the carcass, noting the jagged wounds. “Something strong. And angry.” She crouched, brushing her fingers against the surrounding dirt. The claw marks radiating outward from the body formed a disturbing pattern, almost deliberate in their spacing.

“This wasn’t a normal kill,” she muttered. “It’s like it was... driven mad.”

The Crown Prince’s face hardened. He motioned for the guards to stay close as they pressed on.

The deeper they went, the stranger the forest became. Trees bore deep scratches, their bark peeled away in wide strips. The undergrowth was trampled in places, as though something massive had charged through with no regard for the terrain.

Cassie’s unease grew with every step. Her grip on her dagger tightened, the weight of it a small comfort against the oppressive atmosphere.

A sudden howl pierced the silence, long and mournful. It seemed to come from everywhere at once, reverberating through the trees in an eerie, unnatural way.

The group froze.

Theodoric’s voice cut through the tension. “Stay sharp. Eyes open.”

Cassie scanned the shadows, her heart pounding in her ears. The forest felt alive now, the silence replaced with a low hum of unseen movement.

“Movement, left flank,” one of the guards whispered, his voice barely audible.

Cassie turned, her dagger drawn. She saw nothing at first—just dense underbrush and shadows—but then a flicker of movement caught her eye. Something large darted between the trees, too fast to make out.

“It’s circling us,” she said quietly, her voice steady despite the tension coiling in her chest.

Theodoric stepped closer, his sword raised. “We hold our ground here. No one breaks formation.”

The group tightened their ranks, their backs to each other as they scanned the treeline.

Another howl echoed through the forest, closer this time. The shadows seemed to shift, the dim light playing tricks on their eyes.

Cassie’s voice was low but firm. “It’s testing us.”

Theodoric glanced at her, his expression grim. “Then we don’t give it an opening.”

The tension was palpable as they waited, every second stretching into an eternity. Cassie’s eyes flicked between the shadows, her grip steady on her weapon.

The forest held its breath, the air heavy with anticipation. Whatever was out there, it wasn’t done with them yet.