Chapter 1144
Rose and the others gathered near the northern path, the one that led deeper into the mistier parts of the forest. They didn’t rush. They moved slowly, deliberately, as if they knew exactly where they were going and didn’t care who followed. They didn’t even look back. Grace walked with them now, her hand in Natalie’s, her lips moving in silent rhythm.
Jude and Sophie led the others, slipping into the undergrowth and circling wide. They stayed low, kept to the trees, following from a safe distance.
After nearly an hour of tracking, the group ahead stopped.
They had reached a clearing none of them had ever seen before.
It was strange, perfectly circular, the trees forming a natural ring that looked too symmetrical to be accidental. In the center stood a tall structure made entirely of bones and roots, some woven into spirals, others stabbed into the ground like teeth. The air buzzed with energy.
Rose stepped into the center.
"Tonight," she said, her voice ringing. "We finish the circle."
Layla and Zoey walked the edges, dragging sticks through the dirt, tracing more symbols. Scarlet and Natalie placed stones in a perfect spiral. Grace began to sing.
It wasn’t a song any of them had heard before.
But it was beautiful.
And terrible.