Lucian's POV
The forest was alive. I could feel it in every step, every rustle of leaves, every groan of twisted roots beneath our feet. The Veil Tear pulsed faintly in Selene's grip, lighting the path like a heartbeat in the night. But even with its glow, the Everfall Forest was nothing short of a labyrinth designed to test us, to twist our senses, to drag our resolve through fire and shadow.
Selene was quiet beside me, her hand gripping mine occasionally as if to remind us both we were tethered in this fight. I had no doubt her mind was already racing through every possibility, every illusion, every trap, every shadow that might spring at us before we reached the Heartroot Stone. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze, silent reassurance: I would not let anything touch her. Not here, not ever.
