DYLAN’S POV
.
.
A sharp breath rips through my lungs as I jolt awake. The damp earth beneath me is cool, the scent of moss and rain lingering in the air. My fingers curl into the soft ground, trembling slightly as I push myself up. My head pounds, and for a moment, everything is a blur—shadows shifting between the trees, the faint rustle of leaves whispering secrets above me.
Where… am I?
I scan my surroundings. Towering trees stretch endlessly in every direction, their twisted branches glowing faintly with veins of silver light.
What part of the forest have I been to? Why am I even here?
I try to piece together the last thing I remember…that I was gathering wood while Cassandra stood at a distance, watching me. Then—I felt the pain. A searing force erupted in my chest, tearing thro
