(Time-stilled world, 170 kilometers from the forest entry, Day 14)
It took another fifty hours after leaving Cipher behind for the team to finally reach the edge of the Forest of Death, as they brought their long march through cursed terrain to an end.
The tree-line began to thin as they neared the edge of the forest, with the twisted roots and dense underbrush finally giving way to firmer, drier soil.
For the first time in days, the sky above broke through the thick canopy, and light, which had failed to penetrate the cursed forest for so long, fell upon their skin.
Slowly, the complexion of the entire world around them changed, as they removed their night vision goggles, and blinked against the sudden exposure, feeling happy to be able to see the world through their own eyes again.
But despite the relief of light, peace didn't follow.
