Pandora's POV

The forest was dark, a labyrinth of towering trees that seemed to close in around me as I ran. Rolan’s screams pierced the air, echoing from every direction.

My heart pounded in my chest, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I sprinted through the underbrush, desperate to find him.

"Rolan!" I shouted, but my voice seemed to be swallowed by the darkness.

His screams grew louder, more agonized, and I felt a rising panic. Where was he? Why couldn’t I find him? I stumbled over twisted roots and low-hanging branches, my feet moving faster than my mind could process.

Every shadow seemed alive, every sound magnified in...