The children froze, eyes fixed on something just beyond the path. The lantern trembled in the boy’s hand, while the girl’s breath caught in her throat. What was it they saw? No one could say. At the girl’s side, a small raven tilted its head, as if it too were trying to make sense of the unseen. Behind them, the ancient tree watched, its eyes wide, its mouth open in a silent warning. Whatever waited in the shadows held their gaze—they couldn’t look away.
