章 72: Who is it?

"How do I know you won't leave me, too?" Sarah's voice trembled, her words nearly drowned by the rustling trees surrounding them.

Max reached out, his hand hovering near her cheek, hesitant yet firm. "Because you're the only one I'd never walk away from, Sarah. Not now, not ever."

The words hung in the air, warm against the cool, early morning mist that blanketed the forest. They had left the village before dawn, following the old man's instructions to venture into the heart of the cursed woods just as the first light touched the treetops. The ground beneath their feet was soft, muffled, every step a muted thud in the eerie silence that enveloped them.