章 51: Surrounded

As the night wore on, the moon stood as the sole witness to the unfolding events. The duty of night watch had passed from Paul to Zane, a transition marked by a few exchanged words, a tired nod, and a retreat to the embrace of rest.

Zane gazed out into the forest, the moon's ethereal glow weaving itself through the foliage. A sense of unease tinged his thoughts, but he chose to dismiss it, bolstered by the confidence of their noise traps that would surely alert them to any impending danger.

Yet, as the night deepened, the forest itself seemed to hush in an eerie silence. The ever-present sound of insects suddenly fell silent, replaced by an almost oppressive stillness that hung in the air like a foreboding omen. Zane's instincts prickled, the absence of sound raising the hairs on the back of his neck.