Chapter 36 - Chains begin to fray

The mist had begun to lift, but the forest remained shrouded in a low, unnatural quiet. The pale tendrils of fog curled away reluctantly, revealing a landscape that seemed to recoil from the light. Trees stood like sentinels with bark blackened by unseen fire, their branches twisted into clawed hands frozen mid-reach. The air hung heavy, thick with the scent of damp earth undercut by something sharper—ozone, or perhaps the metallic tang of old blood. No birds called. No insects hummed. Even the rustle of leaves had stilled, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.