Inside my pouch— "Oh I HATE this," Chubby complained loudly in my mind.
"This place is soaked in dark magic," Raya added, voice sharp, alert. "Old. Layered. Wrong."
Fantastic. Love that for us. Every step felt watched. Not seen—watched. Like something was aware of us but hadn't decided what to do yet.
Viking walked ahead, map in hand, eyes sharp, posture relaxed but ready. He glanced back occasionally, checking on us, playing the role perfectly.
"My love," he said softly, just loud enough for the act, "do you need to rest?"
Sir, what I needed was better life choices. But I smiled anyway, adjusted my glasses, and shook my head. "I'm fine."
Lie. We walked for hours. The forest never changed. No clearing. No landmarks. Just endless dark trunks and choking mist. Eventually, my body betrayed me. I stopped suddenly, doubled over slightly. "I—" I paused, mortified. "I need to… uh."
