Chapter 21 Betrayal Looms

• With every step I made, it appeared as though the surrounding forest grew darker. The moon was the only source of light visible through the thick canopy after the sun had already set, creating spooky shadows that moved in time to the whispering breeze. I breathed quickly, sending a wisp of fog into the cold night air with each breath. With their gnarled branches extending like bony fingers, the ancient trees towered over me, seemingly attempting to entice me further into the unknown. I had the impression that there was something evil hiding in plain sight and that the weight of the night was bearing down on me.
• Sebastian had pushed forward, moving with a subtle ease that seemed almost inhuman, his shape hardly discernible. Even though he was my beacon in this dangerous forest, I couldn't shake this unsettling feeling that was draining me in my mind. There was something not quite right, and I couldn't place it.
• "Evelyn, keep up!" His urgent and piercing voice broke through the quiet.