Chapter 17 So Different,So Alike

• The search had gone on for weeks. Every day, the same tired routine: rise before dawn, head into the woods with the others, and scour every inch of the vast wilderness beyond Eternia in search of the Lycan. And every day ended in the same way: with nothing. No tracks, no sightings, not even the faintest trace of the beast that had eluded us for so long. The frustration was eating at us all, gnawing at our patience, but for me, it was something more. This wasn't just another hunt. It was personal.
• Today was the last day of the search before we were set to return to Wilkshire. A bitter taste filled my mouth at the thought. Another failure. We had come all this way, spent so much time, so much energy, and we had nothing to show for it. The rest of the search party was scattered around, combing through the dense forest, but I needed a break. My mind was heavy with disappointment, my body sore from weeks of ceaseless tracking. I told the others I needed a moment and set off alone, walking deeper into the forest.
• The trees loomed tall around me, their ancient trunks creaking softly in the wind. Birds sang somewhere far off, and the faint rustle of leaves underfoot was the only sound that accompanied me as I wandered. I didn't know where I was going, only that I needed to get away, if only for a little while. I needed to clear my head, to shake off the feeling of failure that clung to me like a second skin.