The silence after the threat hung heavy, thicker than the morning mist. The forest around us had fallen still, as though it too waited to see who would make the first move. My breath came slow and shallow, my pulse a drumbeat in my ears. I could taste the metallic edge of fear on my tongue, but beneath it was something sharper — determination.

Dante stood in front of me, a dark silhouette against the pale sunlight filtering through the trees. His stance was grounded, every muscle poised for action. The figure across from us — the betrayer — smiled faintly, as if amused by our defiance.

“I warned you,...