"Contact," Ethan murmured.
The word barely left his mouth, but it was enough. Everly's posture tightened immediately, her shoulders settling and her weight shifting onto the balls of her feet.
Evelyn's hand moved to her weapon in a smooth, practiced motion that did not break her stance.
Jace angled outward without being told, stepping just far enough to widen their field of view while keeping his distance measured.
The forest ahead did not explode into motion. It pressed inward instead.
The undergrowth bulged.
At first, it looked like the ground itself was rising, moss lifting as if pushed from below.
Then bark scraped against stone, and a shape forced its way through the low plants, pushing aside ferns and snapping thin branches with slow, deliberate strength.
It emerged low to the ground, six-legged, long-bodied, moving with a confidence that came from never needing to rush.
