Chapter 16 Shadows Within

• The first pale light of dawn crept softly through the trees, casting long, trembling shadows across the forest floor. Ivy stood at the edge of the camp, her breath visible in the chilly morning air. Her heart still pounded from the nightmare that had woken her—the face of the traitor flashing in her mind, a knife gleaming under the moonlight, the betrayal cutting deeper than any wound.
• She clenched her fists, the rough bark of a nearby tree pressing into her palm grounding her for a moment. How could someone she called family turn on them? The thought twisted her stomach, filling her with an ache that settled like a stone.
• Kael’s voice broke through her spiraling thoughts. “You’re not alone, Ivy.”