Chapter 58

• The fire flickered low in the makeshift camp they had built beneath the shadow of the eastern cliffs. Night had fallen hard, and with it came the silence. Not a sound stirred in the forest, not a bird, not a beast. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
• Aria sat cross-legged by the flames, a small pouch of herbs spread before her. Her hands moved with the precision of a priestess, separating stems from petals, crushing leaves between her fingers with practiced grace. There was no hesitation in her movements. Only grim resolve.
• Hana watched her from the edge of the firelight, arms crossed tightly over her chest.