Chapter 196: Into the Abyss

As we finally broke free from the Whispering Woods, the oppressive canopy of twisted branches behind us, I felt a mix of relief and dread settle in my chest. The forest's dark whispers still echoed in my mind, taunting me with their haunting words, their promises of failure and ruin. The others looked just as weary, their faces pale and drawn, their eyes flickering with the remnants of fear that had gripped us all during those endless hours of terror. We were battered, bruised, and emotionally drained, but we were alive. For now, that was all that mattered.