Chapter 35 The Sacred Cave

• The air around Meher and Ayaan seemed to thrum with anticipation as they ventured deeper into the Silverfang territory. They had just faced Jareth, and though the darkness had been momentarily vanquished, a sense of unease lingered in the air, thick and suffocating. The battle had drained them, but the final trial awaited them—at the Sacred Cave.
• Every step they took brought them closer to a destiny they were still struggling to understand. The Heartstone pulsed in their chests, its rhythm slow but powerful, as if it were preparing them for what was to come. Meher could feel it—an energy unlike anything she had ever experienced. It wasn’t just a power source; it was alive, a living entity that seemed to connect them to the very earth beneath their feet.
• As they walked, the dense forest around them seemed to shift. The trees parted, their branches lowering as if to guide them toward the cave. The path was steep, winding up the mountainside, but there was an eerie quiet in the air—nothing moved, no birds called, and the wind was still. The only sounds were the crunch of leaves beneath their feet and the soft rustling of the forest itself, as if it were holding its breath.