Chapter 11 Beneath The Ashes

The girl lay unconscious near the fire, her body a fragile silhouette against the flickering light. Outside, the forest seemed to hold its breath. The air was heavy with the promise of something dark, something watching. Alex sat slumped in a chair near the hearth, his head tilted back as if exhaustion had finally claimed him. But his mind refused to rest. Mara knelt beside the cot, her fingers brushing a damp cloth across the girl’s bruised forehead.