Chapter 168 The Rogue Leader's Offer

• ~ Elara ~
• The forest felt very alive around me, every rustle of leaves and snap of a twig sending my senses into overdrive. I had been pushing hard, forcing my tired body to keep moving despite the exhaustion that threatened to drag me down. The sharp chill of the morning air felt like a warning, prickling the back of my neck as if unseen eyes were watching my every step.
• I couldn’t afford to slow down. The sense of impending danger gnawed at me, growing stronger with each passing hour. Draven and the gem were constantly on my mind, the weight of my mission pressing harder with every mile I covered. The thought of him possessing such power sent a shiver through me, one I couldn’t shake. If he succeeded, the world as I knew it would be destroyed—and I would have failed everyone I cared about.