Chapter 20 Bound by the old pact

The forest didn't reveal itself to me all at once.

At dawn, the mist hung low among the trees, like something that was still waking up, hesitant to rise. I stood at the edge, my boots sinking into the damp earth, my breath fogging the air. Behind me, the village was quiet, still wrapped in sleep, but the forest? It was very much alive.

It was wat