But their reunion didn't stay peaceful despite the forest had gone quiet.
Too quiet.
Gin crouched in the shadow of a fallen tree, his silver-blue fur matted with dried blood and patches of dirt, the sting of old wounds nagging with every subtle movement. Even without spiritual sense extended, he could feel it. A ripple across the ethereal fabric of the wilderness, like a drumbeat in the roots. Something was coming. And not just one thing.
His ears twitched, instincts honed from countless battles sharpening with each breath. It wasn't like before. This was different.
"Another wave," Mira-Saira, he corrected himself silently as she murmured with anticipation. She stood calmly, water coiling around her arms like obedient serpents, her eyes sharp and focused.
