Alexei’s POV

The moment the sun rose, we began packing. A heavy silence hung over the camp, broken only by the rustle of canvas and the clinking of armor. We had to continue this journey….I knew that…but a cold knot of dread tightened in my chest. Two deadly stretches still lay ahead: The Fire Crossroad, the scorched land of lone wolves, and the Land of Illusion, a place where you either conquered your nightmares or became a permanent resident of them.

A sickening sensation churned in my gut. What if… I cut the thought short. Novel had warned me not to dwell on the shadows ahead, but to focus on...