Chapter 19 A Growing Bond

The night stretched like a heavy, suffocating cloak, the darkness outside the cabin pressing in as though the forest was holding its breath. Lila stood by the small, cracked window, her eyes scanning the trees beyond, half-expecting movement, a flash of shadow—something that would signal the next wave of danger. But the forest was eerily silent as if everything had stilled in the wake of their escape. Kai stood behind her, a few feet away, his body tense, his eyes watching her with an intensity that seemed to vibrate in the air. Lila could feel the weight of his gaze even though she didn’t look at him. She could feel the heat radiating off him, a heat that both comforted and unsettled her in equal measure.