The path running through the forest no longer felt familiar to Elara. The same trees, the same shadows were there, yet the spaces between them seemed to have stretched wider. With every step, she felt not that something was watching her, but that something was moving toward her. This feeling was sharper than fear; it was as if her body was preparing for a truth it had not yet seen.
Rowan watched her for a few seconds before saying anything. The way Elara walked had changed. Compared to before, her steps and posture were more deliberate. She was not moving to avoid falling, but moving with awareness of what she was walking into.
"Stop," Rowan said at last, his voice more serious than usual.
Elara had already stopped. There was no need for her to say anything. They had both felt it.
