C22 My pulse in the stone

The forest closed around us like a fist. Even the wolves, bred for shadow and silence, moved stiffly, as though the trees themselves pressed in with every step.

No one spoke much. Not even Kalen. His silence was worse than his barbs; it felt like a knife pressed against the back of my neck. Mira led at a steady pace, her eyes sharp as flint. Elid kept close to me, humming under his breath