~Rina~
The forest stood ahead, thick and the faint display of the setting sun. It felt like the trees themselves were watching us, their branches twisting and creaking in the wind as if they knew the secrets we carried. My heart pounded in my chest, not from the physical exertion of the training, but from the dread that settled in my stomach.
Syl stirred inside me, her presence pushing at the edges of my mind, eager and restless. Unlike me, she wasn’t afraid. She wanted to run, to feel the earth beneath her paws and the wind rushing through her fur. She was ready to risk it all, and that scared me more than the forest ahead.
‘Let me out,’ she urged, her voice smooth and tempting. ‘I’ll handle everything. We’re stronger together, Rina. You know it.’
I clenched my fists, gritting my teet
