Morning came soft and gold, the kind that made the world look peaceful even when you knew it wasn't. Mist lifted from the trees, curling around the stones like slow breath. The fire had burned out sometime during the night, but its warmth lingered in the earth.
We broke camp in near silence, each of us moving in rhythm now. Luka folded the hides, quick and efficient. Chyron checked the straps of his blades, humming to himself in a low, teasing tune. Nox watched the forest line, his expression unreadable.
The hunt had changed something between us. Not trust exactly—not yet—but understanding. A rhythm built from shared danger.
I adjusted the strap of the satchel over my shoulder and glanced toward the horizon. "How far to the Pride Circle?"
"Two days if we cut through the lower ridge," Luka said, tightening his grip on a coil of rope. "Three if we play it safe."
"Safe?" Chyron scoffed. "That's not how we've been doing things lately."
Nox gave him a look that could silence a storm. "We move with caution," he said. "The feral paths have been shifting. Something's stirring them deeper into the ridges."
That quieted all of us. Even Chyron's tail stilled.
We started walking, the forest parting around us. The air grew warmer as we descended, the scent of wildflowers mixing with old stone. My body felt stronger now, the ache from battle fading beneath the pulse of crystal energy that still hummed faintly under my skin.
Every so often, Nox would glance back, eyes catching the light. Luka moved ahead, scouting, while Chyron stayed near me—close enough that his shoulder brushed mine from time to time.
"You know," Chyron murmured, "most females don't walk like you after their first crystal hunt. They stay quiet for a few days, nursing pride and wounds both."
"Maybe I heal faster."
"Or maybe," he said, voice low and amused, "you don't know how to slow down."
I smiled despite myself. "You talk too much."
"I get that a lot."
We reached the ridge by midday, the sun blazing overhead. Below, the valley stretched wide—a river glinting like a blade, distant figures moving where the land curved toward the Pride Circle.
Luka crouched at the edge, scanning the horizon. "Smoke. See it?"
I followed his gaze. Thin trails of grey twisted above the far ridges—controlled, not wild. Cook fires. Settlement.
"Home," Nox said quietly.
The word felt heavy in my mouth. I wasn't sure it belonged to me yet.
We paused long enough to drink and rest. Chyron tossed me a fruit, small and bright red. "Here. Keeps the mind sharp."
I caught it easily. "Where'd you even find this?"
"Fox secret."
"Stolen," Luka muttered.
Chyron's grin flashed. "Borrowed."
Nox ignored them both, his gaze fixed on the valley below. "When we arrive," he said, "you'll stay close to me, Maise. The council will have questions."
"About the hunt?"
"About you."
The weight in his tone made my stomach tighten.
I nodded slowly. "Then I'll answer them."
He met my eyes, something like approval flickering behind his calm. "Good. But don't show your full strength yet. Let them think you're still learning."
"Why?"
"Because," Luka said quietly, sliding his blades into their sheaths, "power draws challenge. And in the Circle, challenges don't always end clean."
We moved again as the sun dipped lower, painting the forest in amber light. The sound of the river grew louder, mingling with the rustle of leaves and the distant cries of beasts settling for the night.
When we finally stopped to make a small fire, I looked out over the valley and saw the faint shimmer of the Pride Circle lights far below.
It was strange—how something could look so beautiful and dangerous all at once.
Nox stood beside me, silent as always. I didn't need to look to know his thoughts mirrored mine: the calm before something larger, heavier.
Chyron threw another stick into the fire, breaking the quiet. "Think they'll celebrate us?"
Luka huffed a laugh. "More likely measure us."
I smiled faintly, eyes still on the lights. "Let them. I've never been afraid of being seen."
The night wind rose, carrying the distant hum of drums from the Circle below. It sounded like a heartbeat—slow, steady, waiting.
And for the first time since I'd woken in this world, I wasn't running from it.
I was walking straight toward it.