The forest was silent, almost painfully so, as we followed the trail of corruption. Every rustle of leaves felt amplified, every snapping branch a warning. The blue energy I’d felt before pulsed faintly beneath the dirt, stretching through the roots and trees like veins of light. Jesse was close. I could feel him.
Hazel moved beside me, whispering, “Do you feel it?” Her eyes darted around, cautious, scanning the forest.
I nodded, my fingers twitching with threads of energy I couldn’t fully control yet. “Yes. And it’s worse than before. He’s… refined. More controlled. He’s learning.”
Zack stayed a few steps back, crossbow ready. “Refined? What does that even mean?”
I didn’t answer immediately. I didn’t need to. The faint pulse of Jesse’s magic told me everything. He wasn’t just moving b
