章 158: Forest

The forest loomed over them, thick and oppressive, as though the trees themselves were conspiring to smother the group's fragile sense of calm. Emily walked at the front, her eyes scanning the path ahead, but her mind was elsewhere. The weight of the last few days had taken its toll, and the group behind her was cracking. What had once been a tightly-knit unit now felt on the verge of breaking, and Emily could sense the fractures deepening with every strained silence, every suspicious glance.