Ariel glanced down at me lazily.
"You didn't ask."
"I didn't—"
I stopped myself halfway through the argument.
Honestly, there was no point.
We'd just waste time going back and forth over something stupid while standing outside a dangerous cave in the middle of the night.
So instead, I exhaled and shook my head.
"Let's just get this over with."
I stepped forward and started walking toward the cave entrance.
But after only a few steps, I suddenly slowed.
Then stopped completely.
Something about the surroundings felt wrong.
My eyes moved across the dark forest surrounding the cave, taking in the towering pine trees stretching upward into the night sky. The deeper shadows between them looked unnaturally thick, almost too dark even for nighttime, while the cold air carried a faint scent of ash and burnt wood despite there being no visible fire nearby.
Even the silence felt strange.
There were no insects. No distant creature sounds. Nothing. Just stillness.
