[Ray's POV]
I scanned the surrounding area with every sense I possessed—scent, hearing, the subtle prickle of awareness that warned of danger. Nothing. No approaching footsteps, no hidden observers, no malicious intent lurking in the darkness. We were alone on this road, the only witnesses to what had just occurred.
I stood up on the driver's seat, steadying myself against the wagon's gentle sway, and turned to look inside. The scene before me made my breath catch.
Trees—dozens of them—shattered. Splintered. Uprooted. A massive swath of forest had been simply… erased. Where oaks and pines had stood moments ago, there was now only open air and the lingering shimmer of moisture. Water pooled in the newly created clearing, reflecting the moon like a shattered mirror.
