They left the shore shortly after, moving away from the constant sound of the waves and the lanterns of the harbor. The streets gave way to narrower paths, lined with ancient trees and dirt tracks that snaked out of Veirona. The city receded gradually, as if the urban world were being gently switched off, light by light, sound by sound.
Kael noticed the change first in the silence.
It wasn't an empty silence—there were crickets chirping, leaves rustling, the occasional crackling of branches underfoot—but it was a deep, dense silence, as if the forest had a presence of its own. Eva walked ahead, confident, without hesitation, like someone who knew every curve of the path even in the twilight. Her red dress contrasted with the dark green around her, a vibrant point of color advancing through the shadows.
"You're not going to tell me where we're going, are you?" Kael commented, breaking the silence.
"I already did," Eva replied, without looking back. "Home."
