Chapter 4 — Shadows in the Forest

Dual (Skylar and Gregory)

Skylar

The forest held its breath.

Skylar paused, the sprig of yarrow in her fingers forgotten as her senses prickled with a sharp awareness. The late afternoon sun filtered through the trees, dappling the underbrush with shifting patterns of gold and shadow. Normally, this place was her sanctuary—a place alive with the hum of nature, vibrant and soothing. But today, an unnatural stillness shrouded the woods, coiling around her like an unseen predator.