37

37

ADRIAN

Disappointment gnawed at me like a particularly persistent rat. The abandoned mines yielded nothing but dust and the unsettling feeling of being watched. The map, clutched tightly in my hand, now felt like a cruel joke. Where was Annalise?

Emerging from the desolate clearing, I stumbled back onto the forest path, frustration bubbling within me. Just then, a flicker of movement caught my eye. A small figure darted behind a gnarled oak, a flash of dark hair momentarily visible.

My pulse quickened. Could it be…?

Approaching cautiously, I called out, “Hello? Is anyone there?”

Silence. But a twig snapped nearby, confirming my suspicion.

“Don’t be scared,” I said, my voice gentle. “It’s just me, Adrian.”

The figure hesitated for a moment, then emerged from behind the tree. It was a girl, no older than ten, with eyes as dark as the encroaching night and a smudge of dirt across her cheek.

Recognition dawned on me. “Elara, isn’t it?” I asked, remembering Annalise mentioning a girl sh